Watermelon Guide: Smart tips for picking sweet & juicy watermelon and how to check the purity

When it comes to hydrating summer fruits, one cannot ignore watermelon. It is made up of over 90% water, making it perfect for beating the heat and keeping the body cool. It is also rich in vitamins A and C, and antioxidants like lycopene, which benefits skin and immunity. Watermelon also has an amino acid called citrulline, which helps reduce muscle soreness and improves recovery after workouts. And it is said that watermelon is rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C, which helps skin to glow and hydrate and support eye health too. Come summer, the demand for this fruit increases, but the most common problem when buying it is how to pick sweet and juicy ones? This is a common problem many people face and if the watermelon turns out bland, finishing a whole one is quite a task. Another problem related to ripening is the use of chemicals for artificial ripening and adulteration. To curb these practices, the Food Safety Department urges the public every year to exercise caution while buying watermelons to rule out the presence of chemicals. To make it easier for you, here we have listed smart tips that will help you pick sweet and juicy watermelon and also how you can check its purity before buying the fruit.

Buying the right watermelon can be a taxing affair, but by paying a little attention you can always get a profitable deal. All you need to do is observe the watermelon's shape. A uniform shape and symmetrical appearance assure that it is an unadulterated, sweet, and juicy watermelon, while irregularities in shape or size may indicate uneven ripening or improper growing conditions.

For this technique, lightly tap the watermelon with your knuckles and listen to the sound. If it is a ripe watermelon, it will produce a resonant, drum-like sound, indicating that it is full of juice and ready to be enjoyed.

Another way is to check the colour and texture of watermelon. The outer rind of a watermelon with vibrant colours and a smooth, firm texture is a sign of genuineness. A ripe watermelon typically has a deep green colour with darker stripes or spots and those with pale hues or soft spots indicate over ripeness or spoilage.

Always lift the watermelon and compare its weight to other melons of similar size to double check its juiciness and freshness. If it is a ripe watermelon, it should feel heavy for its size, as this indicates a high water content and juiciness. Heavier watermelons are typically juicier and more flavourful.^​

This is also a technique for checking sweetness and juiciness, where you look for sugar spots. Also known as ‘sugar webbing’ or ‘sugar veins,’ these are tiny brown freckles or streaks that appear on the watermelon's surface. These spots indicate that the fruit has a high sugar content and is likely to be sweet and flavourful.

One should also check the underside of the watermelon, known as the ‘belly’. This is the point where it rests on the ground during growth. Look for a creamy yellow spot, often referred to as the ‘field spot’. A fully ripened watermelon will have a creamy or golden-yellow field spot, indicating that it has been allowed to ripen fully on the vine.

Rub a white paper or tissue paper on a slice of watermelon and rule out the presence of chemicals if the colours do not stick to the papers.

At times, watermelons are generally stocked in the open on the floor of godowns and are exposed to rats that nibble on them. It is suggested to keep an eye on the external marks on the watermelons to avoid the risk of infections.

As per the Food Safety and Drug Administration Vijayalalithambigai, consumers should determine the quality themselves by putting chopped pieces of melon inside a glass tumbler. The artificial colours separate when in water.

As per the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), one can cut the watermelon into two parts, take a cotton ball and rub it on the watermelon for some time. If the watermelon's red colour is real, the cotton ball will not turn red, showing that the watermelon is real and its colour has not been tampered with. Also, some sellers inject the watermelon to make it appear red, so when rubbed with cotton, its colour will turn red. The cotton turning red indicates that injections or chemicals have been used in the watermelon, which is not good for our health. So, avoid taking such watermelons.

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