Ways to store watermelon before the New Year at home
Can a watermelon be kept until the New Years? Can! And this is good news, because such a yummy for the New Year's table is not only a wonderful treat and a piece of summer in the winter cold, but also an important evidence that the hostess (or the owner) of the house is really capable (capable) of working miracles.
However, it will be difficult to do this ...
Next, let's try to figure out how to save a watermelon until the New Year!
By the way! About, how to choose a delicious and ripe watermelon for consumption (not storage), written and shown in detail in this article.
Content
Choosing watermelons for storage
Not every type of watermelon can be stored for a long time. For this purpose, it must meet certain characteristics, namely, be:
- late maturing;
Those. the harvest should not be harvested as usual in August, but in September, and preferably in the second half.
- thick-skinned;
- small size (5-6 kg) ..
As always, only winter varieties (ripening in September).
So, in Russia, the most suitable variety for long-term storage is “Chill«.
In Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan there are also special "winter" varieties of watermelons (as a rule, they green-black, like "Chill" ), which are stored without changing the taste, not only until the New Year, but also until February-March.
Also, for a very long time and well (even at room temperature under the bed) watermelons with evenly colored, light green (white) skin, thin crust (which is quite atypical), bright pulp and small black seeds.
Preparation and selection of fruits for storage
For storage you need to take slightly unripe fruits, which are up to full, i.e. biological ripeness, there are literally a few (5-7) days left.
Note! Overripe watermelons will not work anyway, and completely unripe watermelons simply will not ripen.
The key to successfully storing a watermelon is its condition. In no case should the watermelon be broken (hit), scratched, in short, without any dents or damage.
Advice! Transport your watermelons the right way - in straw or hay!
Important! Before laying the fruit for storage his should not be washed under water... This will damage the protective layer on the skin, which will reduce the chances of the berry's safe storage. As a maximum, watermelons can be wipe with a dry cloth.
Of course, it is ideal to store the berries that you grown independently in their own garden (melon).
Therefore, we suggest you read two articles about planting and growing watermelons — through seedlings and direct sowing of seeds in open ground or greenhouse.
How to store watermelons properly: the best storage methods
Keeping fresh watermelons for a month will not be difficult, but 3-4 months, i.e. before the New Year - difficult enough, but possible. Especially if you follow the conditions and apply one of the promising storage methods.
Storage conditions
In general, conditions for long-term storage are standard (as for carrots, horseradish, pumpkin, pears):
- temperature - + 1 ... + 4 degrees;
However, sometimes you can find a recommendation to store at +5 .. + 10 degrees.
- humidity - within 80-85%;
It is very important that the temperature and humidity are stable.
In this case, the storage space itself, of course, should be dark (no light) and well ventilated.
Thus, you can store a watermelon in the following rooms:
- cellar or basement, shed or summer kitchen (in a private house);
By the way! If you are a happy owner of a garage, then you can store vegetables, fruits and berries in a hole ... This will be your cellar.
- glazed balcony or loggia (in the apartment).
Interesting! Many people store watermelons at home under the bed or next to the balcony door ... And they really "live" until the New Year. But, as a rule, in such conditions, a watermelon can lie no more than 1-2 months.
Storage methods
Depending on the place, as well as on the volume of the batch, the best container and substrate for long-term storage is selected for laying:
Advice! During storage, the most important thing is that the fruits do not touch each other.
- IN straw or hay in the basement or cellar.
- Can store watermelons on the sandand even better in sand (like carrots).
In general, similar to sand, you can use wood ash.
And if you are a villager and you have supplies in your barn grains (Same wheat), then watermelons can be stored in such a free-flowing dry substrate.
- Putting on and in moss sphagnum.
- IN paraffin (wax)... So, first you need to thoroughly wipe the watermelon with a dry napkin or rag (towel), and then brush it in several layers with a brush (the final thickness is at least 1 cm). Or, even better, lower the watermelon into melted paraffin (after having melted 5-6 candles in a shallow container) and rotate first along one axis, then along the other, so that the surface of the watermelon is completely white (Remember that wax hardens very quickly!).
Important! Only don't try store watermelon in plaster: it allows oxygen to pass through (unlike wax)!
The following video shows the results of a failed experiment:
- You can hang watermelons in nets (string bags) to the ceiling in the cellar or basement.
Advice! To prevent the net from damaging (cutting) the fruits, it is advisable to initially wrap them up in a fabric (necessarily breathable, for example, in the same burlap or other non-woven fabric).
- Just on shelving... Although highly desirable cover them with straw.
Important! Watermelons should be regularly looked at and sorted out, and also turned over so that they do not lie on one side. It is recommended to do this at least once a week.
Other ways to store watermelons for a long time
Of course, you can store watermelons not only fresh, but also frozen and salted.
Freezing
Freezing a watermelon for the winter is very simple.
You need to cut the pulp into small pieces, put it in bags or freezer containers and send it to the freezer.
Important! The taste of frozen watermelon will differ significantly from fresh one.
But it is much better to freeze the melon: it will only be even sweeter and more aromatic after defrosting.
Preservation and salting
But it is always better to try once than hear 100 times ... Although, perhaps, few people will even hear about salted watermelons twice. In any case, if you are interested in this method of preserving watermelons, then watch the following videos:
Video: salted watermelons for the winter - pickling and canning
Thus, now you know about all the nuances of storing watermelons. Indeed, this is not an easy matter, and not everyone manages to preserve the berries until the New Year. But worth a try! Good luck!
Advice! If you notice during storage that the watermelon is slightly fermented, then you can prepare a very cool drink - a punch (although it is usually made from grapes).
Video: storing watermelons