There is an ongoing debate about the classification of watermelons and melons.
Some argue that they are berries (in terms of botany this is true), others that they are vegetables (in terms of agronomy this is correct), and others that they are fruits (the definition used in cooking).
Without going into scientific discussions, we will unmistakably determine that watermelons and melons are sweet gourds.
By the same token, pumpkin and zucchini, for example, can be classified as vegetable melons.
Watermelon
Watermelon is an annual herbaceous plant of the genus Watermelon of the family Pumpkin. Its fruit pumpkin can be oval, spherical, cylindrical, or flattened.
Do not be surprised if you see square watermelons – in composition and taste they are the same, the only thing that distinguishes them is their shape, so they are very easy to transport.
Square watermelons are less likely to be broken by falls, they fit more in the refrigerator, and grow this “curiosity” without chemical means at all. They first appeared in China. They grow like the usual round ones, but as the fruit grows it is placed in a square box (20×20) with good ventilation.
The boxes are covered with black paint to catch the sun’s rays and covered with a lid.
Watermelon bark is colored white, yellow, and dark green, there are stripes and spots. The sweet pulp comes in red, pink, raspberry, rarely yellow, and pearl.
Seeds can be different – it depends on their shape, color, and size. More often you can find reddish-brown, black, white, and yellow, less often – greenish. However, there are seedless watermelons, so-called triploid hybrids.
When they are grown using special techniques of pollination of “female” and “male” plants. This is how a generation of fruits, which subsequently does not give offspring, is bred.
Sometimes, on the contrary, watermelon varieties with a lot of seeds are specially cultivated; for example, in China, where they are fried and served as a separate dish.
The structure of the pumpkin is similar to that of a berry, which is why watermelon is considered to be a large berry.
The word “watermelon” comes from Kipchak χarbuz. In Belarus and Ukraine, it is called “kavun”. The watermelon is native to South Africa.
Nowadays watermelon is cultivated in 96 countries and has more than 1200 varieties. It is most cultivated in China, Uzbekistan, America, Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece, Yugoslavia, and Ukraine.
Calorie value of watermelon
The caloric value of watermelon is 25 kcal.
The energy value of watermelon (Protein, Fat, Carbohydrates – PFC):
- Protein: 0.6 g (~2 kcal).
- Fats: 0.1 g. (~1 kcal).
- Carbohydrates: 5.8 g (~23 kcal).
- Energy ratio (P/F/C): 10%|4%|93%.
The benefits and harms of watermelon
Watermelon fruits are very useful for blood diseases and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Watermelon juice is used to tone the skin.
Watermelon is quite often the main ingredient in soft drinks. Not without reason it is called the most refreshing fruit because it perfectly quenches your thirst and fills your body with vital energy.
The source of trouble and harm to our body is nitrates. Watermelon has become dangerous to health due to unscrupulous cultivation, improper storage, as well as violations of the rules of sale.
Melon
Melon is a plant in the Pumpkin family, a species of the genus Cucumber, a melon crop, and a false berry.
It is native to Africa and the East Indies. Melon is a warm and light-loving plant, resistant to soil salinity and drought, and poorly tolerates high humidity. Two to eight fruits, weighing from 1.5 to 10 kg, may form on a single plant, depending on the variety and location of cultivation.
The fruits of the melon have a spherical or cylindrical shape, green, yellow, brown, or white, usually with green stripes. The ripening period is from two to six months.
The earliest information about melon dates back to ancient times (Arabian Peninsula, ancient Egypt), to the Middle Ages in the Muslim world (Middle and Near East Asia).
It was almost the most popular food product, especially during the long fasting period before Ramadan when the Koran prescribes that only vegetable food must be consumed.
Melon consists mainly of water and sugar, but in addition to this, it is a storehouse of trace elements, vitamins, mineral salts, nitrogen, and pectin substances. In terms of the content of some of these substances, the melon has no equals.
For example, we can mention at least potassium. It is a building and repairing material for muscles. The melon also contains a lot of iron. So fans of this culture are never pale and do not suffer from anemia.
The calorie value of melon
The caloric value of a melon is 35 kcal.
Energy value of melon (Ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates – PFC):
- Protein: 0.6 g (~2 kcal).
- Fats: 0.3 g (~3 kcal).
- Carbohydrates: 7.4 г. (~30 kcal).
- Energy Ratio (P/F/C): 7%|8%|85%.
How to choose a watermelon
Beware of early watermelons, which are very likely fertilized for quick growth. It’s best to buy from trusted, reliable places. Avoid polluted sales areas (highways, roads) – watermelons are good at absorbing ambient air.
The size of the watermelon is one important indicator. It should not be too big (possibly overfed) or too small (underripe).
Look for more than a medium-sized fruit. The crust should be shiny, but not glossy. And if the variety is striped, give preference to the one with the most contrasting stripes.
The presence of a spot on the side is a natural occurrence. It can be yellowish or orange in color and small in size (5 to 10 cm). Beware of another spot, small in size, formed from a prick with which watermelon is injected with saltpeter and other growth stimulants.
As the watermelon ripens, its tail (stem) and the area around that tail (the transition to the fruit) begin to dry out. In most cases, watermelons are not allowed to fully mature in the field so that they can better survive transportation.
Carefully inspect the tail and the transition from the tail. If it is green, you should question the ripeness of the watermelon, and if, on the contrary, it is very dried out, you should recheck the watermelon for overripeness and spoilage.
The gender of the watermelon also matters. Statistics say that “girls” are sweeter and have fewer pips. They have a flatter bottom and a wider circumference. “Boys” have a more inwardly recessed tip and a smaller circle.
After inspecting the watermelon, start groping it and trying it for weight. Ripe fruits are lighter than unripe ones at the same volume. With a little pressure, it should crunch a little.
If the watermelon is ripe, it will be easy to run your fingernail over the rind and scratch the top layer of the rind. But to pierce through the peel itself in a good watermelon will not be easy, because it should be hardened.
Learning how to unmistakably determine quality by touch alone is very difficult because there is no reference sound. The fact is that there are different varieties of watermelon with different shapes and thicknesses of the rind, and in addition, affect different climatic conditions for ripening.
An internal inspection of the fruit can be very helpful in choosing the right watermelon. You will know a lot when you cut it open.
The fibers (veins) should definitely be white and not thick. If you see any yellowishness or darkening, then such a watermelon is overfed with fertilizer.
A sharply red color of flesh with a slightly purple tinge is another sign of excess nitrates. The flesh should be juicy, not slimy, and without voids.
Black seeds, a sharp transition from rind to flesh, and the presence of sugar granules are all good signs. The cut of the watermelon should not seem very smooth but should sparkle with sugar grains.
Before you taste the watermelon, smell it – there shouldn’t be any sour smell.
In addition to being tasty and sweet, watermelon should avoid a bitter, sour, and “metallic” aftertaste.
Nitrates accumulate least in the flesh in the middle of the watermelon. The closer to the rind, the more there are. Even if the watermelon is tested for excess nitrates, you shouldn’t eat the green part.
You can put a small piece of pulp in a container of water, stir it up, and see if the water turns pink (it should just turn cloudy). If suddenly it turns noticeably pink, then this watermelon is not natural, but literally tinted with chemistry.
You can use the watermelon ripeness test by dipping it into the water. The ripe fruit will not sink but should be half submerged.
Never buy sliced watermelons – there is a risk of catching an infection due to improper storage.
How to choose a melon
In order to correctly distinguish a ripe and sweet melon from the tasteless “pacifier”, you need to “turn on” your sense of smell. Smell it – it should smell of a subtle sweet aroma. If it smells like ordinary greens (grass) or there is no smell at all, then don’t expect good quality from it.
Buy the melon in proven places, away from roads and other polluted places, since the melon absorbs the substances in the ambient air. When choosing, be sure to inspect the fruit for mechanical damage, suspicious spots on the peel, etc.
The methodology for determining the quality of melon is largely similar to that of the right choice of watermelon. But the choice of melon has its own peculiarities. For example, the sound when tapping a ripe melon will be muffled, not sonorous, like a watermelon.
The weight of the fruit, unlike watermelon, will indicate maturity. The stem (tail) should also be dry and thick. And in the opposite place (at the spout) the crust should be a little soft and sagging.
The surface of the melon should be examined carefully. It should be evenly colored. Greenish streaks or spots on the rind may indicate that the fruit is immature. Brownish or grayish shades on the rind are a sign of the beginning of spoilage (rotting).
The rind becomes softer as it ripens, so pay attention to this. If the melon is hard to the touch, it is unripe, and if it is too soft, it is overripe.
Melons can have different colors (e.g., netted or smooth) and shapes (round or oblong). This does not depend on the quality of the fruit but on the particular variety. In the case of netting, the thicker it is, the better.
Once you cut the melon, pay attention to the seeds – they should be large and easily detach from the pulp. The color of the flesh may also vary depending on the variety. Refrain from buying a cut melon.
Like the watermelon, the melon is also very often fertilized for the sake of rapid growth. They can be fertilized with chemicals such as saltpeter and urea, or even with urine. This kind of cultivation can lead to poisoning.
Signs of an excess of nitrates may be the following indicators: the presence of longitudinal veins, and grayish and empty seeds. Melons grown with an excess of fertilizer usually do not have a rich flavor.
Storing Watermelons and Melons
Storing Watermelons
With proper storage, watermelons can be preserved for quite a long time – up to the New Year. Store in a cool, dark place. The optimal temperature is plus 5 degrees Celsius. If this temperature increases or decreases, the shelf life will decrease.
Watermelon does not like hardness – dents and stains may appear. Put the fruit in a soft place, such as on a straw with the tail up. Even better, if you put them in a net and hang them up. Be sure to dry them out before storing them.
Fruits bought specifically for storage, should be carefully selected and be without any damage. Also for this purpose, it is better to choose a small watermelon with a small yellow spot on the side.
Cut watermelon can be stored only in the refrigerator. Just before using it, just in case, check whether it has fermented.
Storing melons
The melon is preserved no worse than the watermelon. And in some cases – even until spring. Of course, in this case, some of the useful substances are lost.
To achieve such a shelf life, the melon should be kept at a temperature of 0-3 degrees Celsius. But be careful: at temperatures closer to zero, the melon will start to freeze and lose its useful properties.
Many producers purposely grow late varieties, and then harvest them a little unripe in order to achieve the maximum shelf life. For preservation choose absolutely undamaged fruits.
Cut fruits should be stored only in the refrigerator. But to keep it there too much is not recommended, because it can release harmful ethylene gas. At higher temperatures, the shelf life is correspondingly reduced.
Melon flesh can be well preserved dried, dried, and even frozen.
Only ripe and sweet melons should be chosen for freezing. A quick freeze is recommended. A very popular and practical way is to use sugar syrup. Fill chopped pieces of pulp in a suitable container with it and put it in the freezer.
