Myths and truth about watermelons. What do the yellow and white veins in the flesh of a watermelon mean? Therapeutic effects of seeds

Watermelons go on sale every fall. Large, sweet, juicy berries are tasty and healthy. In the autumn period, you need to try to get the most out of them, to prepare for the future. All parts of the berry have medicinal properties. What are the benefits of watermelon?

Botanical description

Watermelon is a herbaceous annual plant of the gourd family. Creeping or climbing stems grow over four meters in length. There are bush varieties with short shoots. Watermelon leaves are dissected or whole, gray-green in color, on long petioles. Tenacious mustaches grow from the leaf axils. The plant has a powerful root system, with a taproot deeply penetrating the soil. The main mass of small suction roots is located at a depth of about half a meter.

Blooms with yellow flowers. Flowers are divided into male, female and hermaphroditic. After pollination by insects, a fruit is tied - a multi-seeded berry of a round, elongated or pear-shaped shape. The bark of a mature watermelon is smooth, in rare cases slightly bumpy. Color - light or dark green.

Red and pink watermelons are usually found on sale. But there are hybrid varieties with yellow, carmine, raspberry flesh.

Composition and calories

The juicy pulp of watermelon contains a large number of microelements, macroelements, vitamins. The berry is rich in folic acid. The calorie content of watermelon is only 27 kcal per 100 g.

The main components of the pulp are water, fructose, glucose, fiber and pectins. One berry contains about a thousand seeds, a quarter consisting of fat. The healing properties of watermelon seeds are due to the presence of unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and enzymes in their composition. The chemical composition is given in more detail in the table.

Table - Chemical composition of watermelon per 100 g

A cut watermelon can be checked for naturalness, the presence of dyes. Water is poured into a glass, a piece of pulp is lowered into it, stirred. A pink coloration of the liquid indicates the use of chemicals. You should not eat fruits with an abundance of yellow veins in the pulp and a purple tint.

The benefits of watermelon and healing properties

Useful properties of watermelon contribute to the improvement of the body as a whole. Mature pulp, peel and seeds are used as medicinal raw materials. The berry has a pronounced choleretic and diuretic effect, has an anti-inflammatory, laxative, antipyretic effect. With regular use, intestinal motility increases, metabolism is restored. Watermelon treatment at home is used in a variety of cases.

Hypertension

A moderate amount of watermelon is beneficial for hypertensive patients. With regular use, pressure gradually normalizes, the general condition improves. Normalization of pressure is provided by the following properties of watermelon:

• magnesium and potassium content these trace elements have a beneficial effect on the state of the cardiovascular system, help lower blood pressure;
• excretion of cholesterol- by lowering cholesterol levels, the work of the cardiovascular system is normalized, the likelihood of heart attack and stroke is reduced;
• vasodilatation- improves blood circulation, reduces the load on the heart.

Natural fruits can only be bought in autumn. The rest of the time they are expensive, contain harmful nitrates. The use of watermelon juice, harvested for future use, is the best solution for year-round treatment with a healthy berry.

kidney disease

In the pulp of watermelon, the minimum amount of salts and acids, but the alkali content is quite high. Due to this, it partially dissolves kidney stones, prevents their formation. Watermelon is recommended to be included in the diet for pyelonephritis, nephritis, cystitis.

The recommended amount of watermelon per day in the treatment of kidney disease is about 2 kg per day. Fresh pulp can be replaced with juice with the addition of a small amount of honey. Drink two glasses of watermelon liquid per day.

The pulp and peel of the berry have a pronounced diuretic effect. For the winter, you can dry watermelon peels to prepare a diuretic decoction. Dry them in an electric dryer or an open oven at a minimum temperature. When preparing a decoction, ten parts of water are taken for one part of dry crushed crusts, boiled for five minutes. Take half a glass up to four times a day.

Liver disease

Watermelon juice removes toxins from the liver, cleanses it. This property is used for poisoning, prescribing a drink after a long-term use of strong medications or anesthesia. Juice is taken for preventive cleansing of the liver and the whole organism.

Watermelon is also useful for other organs of the digestive system - the pancreas, intestines. With pancreatitis, constipation, fasting days are arranged on a watermelon. During an exacerbation of gastritis, stomach ulcers, only moderate consumption of fresh watermelon is allowed. But a decoction of dried peels promotes faster healing of ulcers, relieving inflammation. Five tablespoons of dry watermelon peel powder are added to a liter of boiling water, boiled for half an hour over low heat. The decoction is taken in a glass before each meal.

Gout

With the regular use of watermelon or juice from it, the condition of people suffering from gout improves markedly. Juice partially removes toxic substances from the body, which are formed as a result of a violation of purine metabolism.

Anemia and beriberi

Watermelon contains quite a lot of iron and vitamins. In combination, they help to cope with iron deficiency anemia and beriberi. During treatment in the fall, fresh watermelons are included in the diet, and juices are drunk in winter.

With low levels of hemoglobin, you can not do with only herbal remedies. Watermelon treatment should be combined with medications prescribed by the doctor.

Colds and SARS

ARI and SARS are accompanied by a strong increase in temperature. The body is in a state of intoxication, which causes unpleasant symptoms- Nausea, dry mouth.

Watermelon helps to eliminate toxins, quenches thirst well, and contributes to a more rapid decrease in temperature. To enhance the therapeutic effect, you can add a spoonful of honey to a glass of fresh juice.

Unlike other fruits, doctors are allowed to eat a small amount of watermelon even for people suffering from diabetes. It contains the minimum amount of carbohydrates, sugar and glucose. The sweetness of the berry is given by fructose, the assimilation of which occurs without the cost of insulin. With diabetes, you can eat up to a kilogram of pulp without consequences for the body.

Therapeutic effects of seeds

The seeds are rich in beneficial oils. In dried form, they are used to prepare decoctions, as a useful additive to dishes, in cosmetology. Seeds are a source of selenium and zinc, useful for men. The composition includes other minerals and vitamins. Watermelon oil is used to soften and remove kidney stones.

Dried seeds are an effective remedy for worms. They are ground in a coffee grinder and mixed with milk. Ten parts of milk are taken for one part of the powder. Take on an empty stomach twice a day, two glasses.

Just a few slices of watermelon significantly relieve a hangover. Due to the diuretic effect, toxins are removed from the body, swelling subsides. Watermelon juice slightly thins the blood, relieves headache restores the water-salt balance.

Contraindications and possible harm

The potential harm of watermelon lies in the content of a large amount of liquid. Excessive consumption of berries leads to edema. It should be eaten in limited quantities during pregnancy, especially on later dates. During the period breastfeeding you need to focus on the condition of the child - a large amount of watermelon eaten by the mother can cause allergies, colic and diarrhea in the baby. There are absolute contraindications for watermelon:

• prostate diseases;
• joint diseases aggravated by edema;
• individual intolerance;
• exacerbation of diseases of the digestive organs.

With daily use of watermelon in in large numbers may arise side effects- diarrhea and dehydration.

The only dangerous substances in watermelon are nitrates. Unscrupulous producers use them to increase the size of the fruit, faster ripening and rich red color of the pulp. Eating such a watermelon, you can get serious poisoning. To minimize the likelihood of intoxication, eat watermelon in small portions, pre-soak in water for one and a half to two hours.

Rules for choosing when buying

What to look for when buying a watermelon to choose a ripe, high-quality fruit? No matter how great the temptation is, you should not buy a treat before mid-August - the probability of nitrate poisoning is too high. To choose a ripe watermelon, you need to know five subtleties.

1. Crust. The surface should be hard, glossy and bright.
2. Sound . If you knock on a ripe watermelon, the sound will be sonorous. Thick-skinned varieties have a higher sound than thin-skinned ones.
3. The weight . The optimal weight is 4-5 kg. It is dangerous to buy watermelons that are too big.
4. Peduncle. The "tail" must be dry - this is one of the main indicators of ripeness.
5. Color. It is desirable that on one side there is a bright yellow spot - this is the area of ​​\u200b\u200bcontact with the ground.

A quality fruit should not have damage on the surface. Even through minor cracks, pathogenic bacteria penetrate, causing damage to the pulp.

watermelon diet

Weight loss on a watermelon diet is based mainly on the removal of excess fluid from the body. The previous weight may soon return, but there will still be benefits for the body - toxins will be removed, metabolism will normalize.

Watermelon diet is designed for two to four days. It is not worth sticking to it longer - the body will begin to experience an acute lack of nutrition. Mono-diet on watermelon is contraindicated in gastritis, stomach ulcers and diabetes.

During the diet, only watermelon is allowed. Additionally, you can include a couple of pieces of black bread in the diet. From drinks - non-carbonated mineral water, green tea sugarless. The maximum daily amount of watermelon is 1.5 kg.

The easiest way to store watermelon for the winter is to freeze it. The pulp is cut into cubes, pitted, put in a container and placed in the freezer. Judging by the reviews, frozen watermelon is convenient to use for making desserts and cocktails.

Making homemade cosmetics

Prepared on the basis of watermelon effective means for facial skin care. With regular use, her condition improves markedly. Consider four homemade recipes cosmetics watermelon based.

1. From withering. Moisten a cloth in watermelon juice, apply on the face, hold for 15-20 minutes. Wash off with cool water. Rubbing the skin with a cube of watermelon ice gives a good effect.
2. For hydration. In half a glass of watermelon juice, add a spoonful of honey and salt. The mixture is poured into a glass of vodka, stirred, poured into a bottle. Wipe the face with a cotton pad soaked in lotion. The product is stored in the refrigerator.
3. To improve color. Knead the pulp of watermelon into gruel, put it on the face. Wash off with lukewarm water after 15 minutes.
4. From acne. Mix equal amounts of watermelon juice, cucumber and alcohol. Use daily to cleanse the skin.

Watermelon pulp is used to strengthen hair, making it silky and shiny. It is kneaded with a fork, applied to the strands, left for 20 minutes. Wash off with warm water.

Delicious preparations

Many are accustomed to eating striped berries only in autumn, not suspecting that watermelon can be used for homemade preparations. It makes delicious jam and honey.

Jam

Description . Watermelon jam seems a little sugary, so lemon is often added to it for sourness. For flavor, you can add spices - cinnamon, cloves.

Cooking

1. The pulp of watermelon (400 g) is cut into cubes, the seeds are removed.
2. Pour a glass of water, boil for half an hour.
3. Add 200 g of sugar.
4. Another 200 g of sugar is mixed with a quarter cup of water, juice and zest of one lemon.
5. Pour the syrup into the watermelon mass, mix, boil over low heat until thickened.
6. Jam is laid out in sterile jars, rolled up.

Honey

Description . Watermelon honey (nardek) can be made from juice. It is prepared without the use of additional ingredients.

Cooking

1. The pulp is scraped with a spoon, kneaded, squeezed out the juice.
2. Pour the juice into a saucepan with a thick bottom, put on fire.
3. The juice is brought to a boil, boiled for two minutes, turned off.
4. The juice is filtered again so that it becomes absolutely transparent, without the admixture of pulp.
5. The pan is put on fire again, the juice is boiled, stirring it every ten minutes.
6. Periodically check honey for density - drip a little nardek on a plate, tilt it. Ready honey does not drain, but remains in the form of a drop.
7. Hot honey is poured into sterile jars, rolled up.

Not only sweets are made from watermelon. Pickled or salted watermelon is a delicious addition to meat dishes.

If used correctly medicinal properties watermelon for the body, you can significantly improve health. Watermelons are a natural source of vitamins, microelements, fructose, dietary fiber and organic acids.

Watermelon not only benefits the human body, but also quenches thirst in the summer heat, various dishes and drinks are made from it. There are an incredible variety of varieties of this berry; when choosing, sometimes your eyes just run wide. The best varieties of watermelons, their features and benefits will be described in the article.

The first thing a gardener counts on when planting a crop is a large, high-quality crop. Below are the most productive varieties of watermelons.

How to choose a variety according to the ripening period?

Check also these articles

Depending on the ripening period of watermelons, they can be grown in different areas. For the southern, any variety is suitable, and in the northern, only early cultures bear fruit.

• Watermelons of early varieties ripen very quickly in 60-80 days: "Sugar Baby", "Lunny", "Spark", "Zenith", "Prince Hamlet F1", "Regus F1", "Sagi F1", "Sunday Special", Winner 395, Yellow Buttercup F1, Charleston Grey.
• Mid-season varieties ripen in 80-90 days on average. These should include: "Black Prince", "Astrakhansky", "Volzhanin", "Bykovsky - 22", "Imbar F1", "Delicacy F1", "Crimson Sweet".
• Late varieties of watermelons ripen in 90 or more days. These include: "Icarus", "Chill", "Red King", "Favorite of the farm of Pyatigorsk 286", "Melitopol 60".

What varieties of watermelon are the sweetest?

The sweetness of a watermelon is one of the most important criteria when choosing a berry. Unsweetened fruits, as a rule, are bought for canning, but for fresh use, it is important that the watermelon is tasty and sweet. So which varieties of watermelon are the sweetest?

Large and miniature watermelons like Carolina Cross and Pepquinos are grown all over the world, there are record holders for ripening and sweetness. But what other unusual varieties of watermelons have been created by nature, breeders and are successfully grown in different countries?

• Seedless watermelons are popular all over the world. For some consumers, choosing the seeds is a very troublesome business, and seedless watermelons allow you not to waste time and enjoy the sweet berry to your heart's content. There are many similar varieties. : Lunar, Yellow Buttercup F1, Imbar F1 or red: King of Hearts, Sagas F1, Sunday Special, Regus F1. 'Prince Hamlet F1' is low seeded and often includes seedless varieties.
• "Densuke" is grown on the island of Haikido (Japan). Watermelon has a black rind and bright, red flesh. Very tasty, but its peculiarity is its rarity and the huge price (up to $ 60,000) that gourmets are willing to pay for an unusual berry.
• Recently, popularity has increased for unusually shaped watermelons. In Japan, the production of square watermelons has been established. In typical home gardens, gardeners try to make interesting watermelons of an unusual shape: heart, cone, pyramid, pear, square, rectangle, and the like. Of course, the price of such fruits is much higher than the usual round or oval berries.

Ripe watermelon flesh is red, juicy and tasty. In unusual varieties, it may have a shade butter. But why does a watermelon turn white both outside and inside? Such a fruit is unripe, contains chemicals. Producers of agricultural products, using harmful human body formulations that sell goods that have artificially gained weight before others. To protect yourself from low-quality products, you need to carefully check them.

How to distinguish an unsuitable watermelon?

Fruits that are unevenly colored, which have spots and cracks, should be rejected. If there are no external signs, then small cracks may appear inside, separating the pulp, and seeds covered with mucus.
The problem with buying low-quality watermelon is that it can be detected before serving. In no case should you eat a berry - there are several reasons for this.

Yellow-white veins with a rough texture

Finding them inside a watermelon, know that the melon was poisoned with saltpeter. The veins are formed under the influence of the chemical, as the fruit and lash develop at an accelerated rate. Underripe vessels feed the berry, which grows rapidly due to nitrates. With rapid vegetation, watermelons turn yellow or brownish. Once in the human body, nitrogen compounds disrupt metabolism, inhibit the central and vegetative nervous system lower immunity.

Sluggish, loose interior

Nitrates accelerate cellular processes in watermelons. Moreover, this happens even after the harvest. If you purchased a watermelon, finding friability in combination with white, low-juicy pulp, there is all the risk of poisoning.

Uneven flesh color

When cut, it is clear that there are various spots inside the berry - white, pink, rich red and purple. Areas with a diameter of 2-50 mm are compacted, and thin yellow veins pass through them. Eating the fruit will lead to diarrhea, vomiting and metabolic disorders.
When the signs of nitrate damage on and inside the watermelon are invisible, you should pay attention to the thick skin. If it is uncharacteristic for the variety, refuse to buy. The reason to throw away the berry will be the lack of sweet taste and the taste of a fermented product.

The reasons why the pulp turns white

To find out why the harvest is harvested early and quickly sold, the recommendations of experts will help. Experienced agronomists divide ways to accelerate the growth of watermelons into safe and unsafe.

1. Organization of film shelters. Under agrofibre or plastic film, the growth of planting material is accelerated. On the surface of the berry, a speck from the sun's rays does not form.
2. The use of nitrogen growth promoters. Due to additives, nitrates accumulate in the core of the fruit. Melon cultivators increase the dose of additives randomly, speeding up the growing season by a month. The product turns out to be of poor quality, but it can be quickly implemented.
3. Fetal injections. To give a marketable appearance to an unripe watermelon, injections of a solution of manganese or saltpeter are made inside. With the beauty of the surface, the pulp can cause poisoning.

In order to avoid the negative consequences of eating early fruits, it is better to buy them in August or September. Melons are not recommended to be stored open at room temperature.

Diseases of watermelon that cause white spots

In addition to the impact of the human factor, watermelons are affected by diseases. White areas on the surface of the fruit indicate fungal bacteriosis or infection.

sclerotinia

A fungus that results in a plaque on the surface of the berry. The disease occurs in conditions of waterlogging or cold snaps. Due to white rot, not only fruits, but also stems with leaves become unusable.

bacteriosis

Angular spotting is a consequence of the impact of insects on watermelons. At first, the leaves become whitish with a grayish tint, then the branches and stems fall off. The growth of fruits during bacteriosis stops, they become soft and transparent. The last stage - the watermelon becomes completely white inside. It is recommended to eliminate the entire bush, since there are risks of seed damage.

powdery mildew

Fungal pathology affects leaves and berries. The structure of the spots resemble flour. If the leaves are sick, then with the development of the disease they fall off. Watermelon fruits are deformed, subsequently rot and lose their sugar content.
Diseases are fought by digging up the soil, removing and burning the affected melons.

Risks of nitrate poisoning

Plant products with nitrates are dangerous to human health. If 3.5 g of potassium nitrate enters the digestive system, a lethal outcome is possible. Nitrogen compounds disrupt blood and tissue metabolism, which is detrimental to the heart and blood vessels. Due to the ability of nitrates to expand the walls of arteries, capillaries and veins, pressure drops and hypoxia occurs.

Signs of melon poisoning

Food poisoning is accompanied by a headache with an increased amount of nitrates. A person has a fever, vomiting and diarrhea, blue lips, nails and mucous membranes. In difficult cases, there are risks of allergies or skin rashes, disorders of the central nervous system. A person feels pain in the back of the head, dizziness, causeless drowsiness occurs, coordination of movements is upset, convulsions occur.
The patient is hospitalized, but before the doctor arrives, it is recommended to take potassium permanganate, sorbents, and do a gastric lavage.

Checking watermelon for nitrates at home

To know the difference between a berry containing nitrates and an edible watermelon, the following tricks will help:

1. When tapping on a ripe, high-quality fruit, a sonorous sound is heard. The nitrate berry will make a dull sound, similar to a deflated ball.
2. A healthy and good watermelon cracks a little when squeezed, this does not happen with nitrate.
3. The surface of the culture, not exposed to nitrates, has a bright color and a clear pattern.
4. The injection sites for stimulants are a few rotten points.
5. A good tasty fruit has a sugar textured red pulp, and a nitrate pink has a glossy hue.
6. A piece of nitrate berry colors the water. If you put a slice of a healthy watermelon in a glass of water, the water will become cloudy.

To avoid poisoning, do not buy cut fruits, especially if you can see that the watermelon is on the counter with white, ugly flesh. Avoid cracked berries with white patches.

In the “male” individual, the bottom of the berry is convex, and the circle on it is small. The “girls” have a flatter bottom, and a wide circle. “Girls” are considered tastier: they have fewer bones and more sugar.

Necessarily covered with a hard shiny crust, which is difficult to pierce with a fingernail, and all because, having “torn” with melons, the watermelon is no longer able to absorb moisture and its crust hardens. And here if the nail easily pierces the watermelon skin, then the fruit is raw, immature. You can also rub the crust and smell it: the smell of freshly cut grass also speaks of substandardness.

Place. Never buy watermelons from the roads, at the entrance to the city, from cars and in other impromptu trading places. There is a very high chance of running into low-quality products. Demand from the seller all the documents for watermelons - including the certificate of the sanitary and epidemiological supervision authorities, after all, you have the right to know what you are paying your money for. True, since July 1, 2010, the order has changed, more precisely, the documents are now a complete mess, mandatory certification has been canceled and there are no guarantees and all that. Focus on all other points.

Do not ask the seller to choose a watermelon for you "at his discretion." The seller's task is to sell, and what he sells to you depends on his conscience, and, unfortunately, not all people have it.

Colour. The more pronounced the contrast of colors, the more tasty and fragrant the watermelon will be. Theoretically, a watermelon should be without a matte coating (this is a sign of unripeness). Practically before selling, watermelons are rubbed with a rag to a mirror shine, and this sign can be used only if the seller does not cheat.

Bark defects. Carefully inspect the fetus - if there is a small rotten place with a dot in the center - then most likely it was injected (nitrate was injected with a syringe into the fetus). Let the sellers eat such charm. Do not take fruits with cracks, dents and other traces of violence on the watermelon face.

Peduncle. It is often written that the “tail” should be dry. Fig there. If it dried up, then the watermelon was tediously transported and stored for a long time. The "tail" should be yellowish and dried, in moderation. And if the stalk was torn off, it means that they are hiding something from you, put this watermelon aside.

Yellow spot. It must be, with it, as yellow as possible, even orange. This is where the watermelon touches the ground. It says absolutely nothing about ripeness, but you can predict the taste by its size. If the spot is large (from the palm of your hand or more), then the poor fellow was cold, he lacked sun and heat, the taste will be watery and the sweetness will no longer be the same. In theory, the optimal diameter of the “patch” is 5, maximum 10 cm.

Sound. Do not listen to those who say that the normal sound of a watermelon is muffled. The watermelon should buzz loudly when patted - the immature flesh is dense, it does not have natural resonators. Squeeze the watermelon with your hands (just don't overdo it!) - the ripe fruit will crackle, and the peel will bend a little.

The size. Choose a medium-sized fruit (optimally - 5-7 kg, but not more than 15), if you plan to feast on watermelons in a large company - it is better to take several small watermelons than one striped monster of 20 kilograms. The larger and lighter the watermelon, the more it will riper.

For cutout. Never take watermelons on the street“on a cutout” or in slices, it’s easier to throw out an unripe watermelon at home than to toil with your stomach from a seemingly ripe, but inhabited like a microbiological laboratory “minke whale”.

The washing up. Do not eat watermelon immediately in the market or on the street. At home, wash it thoroughly, even with soap, and rinse with boiled water. During washing, you can once again check the watermelon for ripeness - the ripened fruit will float in the water, and the green one will sink.

Cutting. Cut the watermelon with a clean knife. The ripe fruit will “spread” under the knife with a characteristic crackle, and the seeds will be dark brown or even black (not white). In Astrakhan, they cut like this: cut off the poles, and then cut along the meridians, holding the top with your hand, when the last cut is made, the hand is released and the watermelon beautifully opens onto a plate :) The method is called “rosette”. And in general, in Astrakhan they didn’t bother much: they cut a watermelon in half, took a spoon and ate it as an afternoon snack or dinner :) With white bread;)

Pulp. Ideally, it should be grainy, dense. Color - from pink to bright red, depending on the variety. But if there are yellow streaks in the pulp, if it is fibrous and decays - such a watermelon is in the trash, do not risk your stomach.

Fridge. A watermelon and a refrigerator are only compatible if you haven't cut the rind yet and just stuck it in to cool. But once the watermelon is cut, it must be eaten. Actually, that's why I was talking about 5-7 kilograms. Leaving half a watermelon for a day in the refrigerator is natural anal masochism. Fuck off from the heart, sorry for the terminology. Watermelon pulp is an ideal breeding ground for microorganisms. What you haven’t eaten - honestly, it’s better to throw it away. Store cut watermelon maybe 2-3 hours, no more.

If a watermelon is “overfed” with nitrates, it itself signals this to us, showing the following signs:
- intense red color of the pulp with a slight purple tint;
- the fibers that go from the core to the crust are not white, as expected, but with all shades of yellow;
- in the “wrong” watermelon, the cut surface is smooth, glossy, and in the “correct” watermelon it sparkles with grains;
- Mash a piece of watermelon pulp in a glass of water. If the watermelon is good, the water will simply become cloudy. If the watermelon is "harmful", the water will turn red or pink.
In early products, nitrates usually contain more than in late summer or autumn. Although it depends not only on the season, but also on watering and growing conditions. The allowable rate of nitrates in watermelons is 60 mg per 1 kg.

Don't grab the knife

As the correspondent of "RG" was assured in the territorial center of Rospotrebnadzor in the Yaroslavl region, there are no alarming symptoms in the current watermelon campaign. Merchants rushed to draw up documents for the right to trade in gourds, and every day Rospotrebnadzor receives up to a dozen of their applications. In order to have the right to embarrass passers-by with cries of "Ber's watermelon is sweet, sugary!", you have to pretty hard work yourself out.

After the entrepreneur has received permission to place a retail outlet in the district administration, he comes to us, - Lyudmila Smirnova, the chief specialist of the department for supervision of the nutrition of the population of the territorial department of Rospotrebnadzor in the Yaroslavl region, talks about the procedure for issuing a "passport" for the trade in watermelons. - In order for us to give permission, the merchant must prove that he is not an accidental person, that is, provide a photocopy of the business certificate. In addition, the package of documents provided necessarily includes a certificate of conformity for a future trade item - it confirms that the products have passed the necessary tests. Further, we necessarily require a quarantine certificate, which is issued at the place of origin of the products. If it is issued on the territory of Russia, we trust him; if in the near abroad, we send the trader to our local quarantine inspection, where he must prove that the products were officially purchased under an agreement with a certain agricultural enterprise or a private trader growing melons, and not collected anyhow in an unknown field. After submitting the document of sale and purchase, the entrepreneur receives our certificate. Finally, no outlet receives our approval without a laboratory analysis of products for the presence of pesticides, pesticides and nitrates.

In order to minimize the risk when buying a watermelon, Lyudmila Smirnova advises starting the process of acquiring a minke whale with a request to show a sanitary and epidemiological conclusion. It is the size of a landscape sheet, consists of two leaves and has several degrees of protection, including a hologram. If you were presented with such a piece of paper, you can safely choose watermelons. Only, as practice shows, such broad gestures, in the opinion of merchants, as the presentation of documents for products, are not to everyone's liking.

The owner has a conclusion, - the saleswoman in a dirty apron answered my legitimate request sternly. - There is no owner. If you don't believe, don't buy.

Speaking of aprons. In addition to sanitary clothing, at least a clean apron, the seller of watermelons is required to have a medical book with him, which indicates the date of the last medical examination (once every six months), and on the 28th page it is written that the gentleman behind the counter has studied the hygienic rules of the sale, which they simply cry out about the danger of selling watermelons counter to. It is no secret that such medical books are forged and bought without the slightest problem, and therefore, there can be no complete confidence in a person weighing a multi-kilogram berry. But even if there were such a unique seller who would go to work every day in a freshly laundered starched robe, wash his hands with soap and disinfect a knife, making hara-kiri watermelon in a trade tent is still not recommended. Its peel, which has experienced the agronomic care of the manufacturer (and nothing grows without a certain dose of fertilizer), which has seen the numerous hands of loaders, dirty train cars and truck vans, is strewn with so many microbes that it simply has to go through water procedures first.

Some sanitary doctors even advise scalding watermelon with boiling water or washing it with soap. By the way, during such a "bath" you can find out how ripe a watermelon you got: a ripe "tailed striped" will swim in the water, an unripe one will drown.

Stomach doesn't hurt

Despite the abundance of striped natives of the Astrakhan region on the streets of cities, the real watermelon season has not yet arrived. Many traditionally associate the early appearance of these false berries on the shelves with the numerous tricks of manufacturers and traders who want to "open the hunt" ahead of the time set by nature.

What is true is true: some stuff watermelons with saltpeter, others squirt with potassium permanganate, others put some capsules or cylinders with ethylene gas in vans with unripe watermelons, which contributes to the rapid reddening of watermelon entrails. The latter method is the safest, since ethylene is a natural phytohormone and is released, for example, by rotten fruits, as a result of which unripe fruits placed next to rotten fruits ripen faster. But the “bouquet” of such a watermelon will, of course, still not be the same.

There are several signs that allow, not in the laboratory, but right at the counter or, at worst, at home, to calculate a "chemist" in a watermelon. A berry full of nitrates spoils faster, dark soft areas quickly appear on its peel. Such a watermelon "inside" is bright red, even with a purple tint, and the seeds are surprisingly white. The fibers that permeate the pulp are white or pink in a natural watermelon, and yellow in a "chemist". Yellowish lumps can be seen in the red pulp - it is in them that nitrates are concentrated in especially large quantities. From the pulp of a pure watermelon, dipped into a glass of water, the liquid becomes cloudy, while the "chemist" will color the water red or pink.

And yet, to say that the minke whales sold today are all completely with a wormhole, of course, is impossible.

Now there are a lot of early ripening varieties, - explains Lyudmila Smirnova. - Neither last year, nor the year before last, nor this season, although it is just beginning, we did not find pesticides and nitrates in the batches of products provided for analysis. It is possible, of course, that they provide one product for analysis and trade another, but we got the same result as a result of our raids on retail outlets, which we regularly conduct during the melon trading season. And in such cases, you will agree, the element of surprise plays a big role. In the 25 years that I worked in the sanitary and epidemiological supervision, I remember only a few cases of nitrates found in watermelons. It was seven or eight years ago.

Of course, agrees Lyudmila Smirnova, a lot still remains on the conscience of entrepreneurs and sellers. If you try really hard, you can fool anyone. But regional statistics intestinal diseases does not speak in favor of the version about the dominance of striped "chemists" on the shelves: the figures, according to Lyudmila Valentinovna, are quite moderate, and this is the first sign of relative nutritional well-being.

In short, the devil is not as terrible as he is painted. And yet, experts do not advise headlong running for watermelon in early August - the taste of early-ripening melon natives is unlikely to please. The "bouquet" of an Astrakhan resident who has lain in the sun for 80-90 days is incomparable with the empty taste of his early relative, who sunbathed for only 50 days.

Savages on the sidelines

However, the aforementioned well-being applies only to the so-called organized traders, who, according to all the rules, issue permits and pass watermelon analyzes. In parallel with them, a large army of "underground workers" earns its own ruble, or rather, the dollar, spitting on everything and everyone and luring buyers with lower prices. They are chased and fined by the police, but, having left one doorway, they soon settle into another. Here on such precocious, as watermelons themselves, trays you can buy anything, including a "chemist".

A law-abiding watermelon merchant trades on stationary sites, often arranged in the form of a metal cage, illegal - most often from cars, at the entrance to cities, near highways. If saliva flowed at the sight of Astrakhan sold by the road, it is better to be patient and get to some trusted outlet.

Unfortunately, not everyone knows that a watermelon is somewhat similar to a mushroom - it absorbs all the muck that is in the air in the same way. Even if the minke whale was brought from melon perfectly clean and innocent, after a long time lying near a busy freeway, it will certainly become a health hazard.

It is better to give preference to dark specimens with lighter stripes. The more contrast the colors, the better. There should be no plaque on the peel.

A ripe watermelon hums loudly when patted, green - "keep silent". If you squeeze the watermelon with your hands, the ripe one will crackle slightly, the green one will again remain deaf and mute.

Well, if the watermelon lay on the barrel, that is, it has a small yellow spot - the place where the berry came into contact with the ground. This means that the minke whale is ripe, lying on the bed, without outside help. But too large a spot, on the contrary, promises an unimportant taste - such spots are formed with a lack of heat and sun.

Many are sure that the drier the tail, the sweeter the watermelon. The tail should be dried, but not resemble a specimen from a herbarium, because this means that the watermelon was taken away from its native melon a long time ago and it was too tired to wait for a buyer.

Especially sweet are, as a rule, "girls" - watermelons with a wider circle on the "pole" opposite the tail.

And finally, it is imperative to check the integrity of the peel, whether there are any rotted places, cuts or dents on it. A small soft spot with a dot in the center may indicate that the minke whale was given injections.