Pumpkin is a real garden queen. Bright orange, pot-bellied, sunny - it pleases with only one of its appearance. And the taste is simply amazing! Hundreds of different dishes are prepared from pumpkin - juice, jam, pancakes, cereals, pickles, casseroles, candied fruits and much more. But in order to cook all these dishes, you need a good ripe pumpkin. Unripe fruits do not taste so good, and their aroma is much weaker. So, how do you know the ripeness of a pumpkin? It turns out that there are many signs of maturity.
How to determine the ripeness of the pumpkin tail?
The same principle works here as with the closest relatives of pumpkins - watermelons. A dry ponytail indicates maturity, and a green ponytail or obvious signs of cutting the lash indicate that the vegetable was removed from the garden ahead of time. Particular attention should be paid to the stalk - it should be dense, solid and resemble cork material outwardly.
How to determine the ripeness of the pumpkin by the color and density of the peel?
In a ripe pumpkin, the skin should be tight. There is a good way to check - push the tip of the nail on the peel. If it is easily damaged, then the berry is still immature. However, a very dense, almost “wooden” peel is also not a very good sign, since such a pumpkin will be overripe. The presence of natural wax on the surface of the berry indicates ripeness, in addition, such a natural protection ensures long-term preservation. Maturity is also indicated by the clearly visible pattern of veins on the peel.
How to determine the ripeness of a pumpkin by its size?
Some buyers suggest that the maturity of a pumpkin can be determined by its size and weight - the larger the fruit, the more ripe it will be. This is actually not the case. Weight and size depend primarily on the variety and the growing conditions - there are large pumpkins, medium and very small. However, when buying, you should still pay attention to size. The huge pumpkins lying on the counter most likely belong to feed varieties, and their taste is not up to par. They turn out to be either too dry or watery, and their smell is not so expressive. The optimal weight for the fetus is 3-5 kg. Before buying, a pumpkin must be weighed - it is usually much heavier than it seems at first glance.
How to determine the ripeness of a pumpkin in a cut form?
It is not recommended to buy a sliced pumpkin, since it is often impossible to find out who and in what conditions cut this pumpkin, and what sanitary standards were violated. However, some people prefer to buy it precisely cut, as in this form you can accurately find out the degree of maturity. The color of a good ripe pumpkin is saturated, bright, yellow or orange. The more intense the color of the pulp, the more vitamin A in it, which means that it will be not only tasty, but also healthy. Experienced buyers have a little secret when buying pumpkins - they always try seeds. If they are immature, it means that the whole berry did not have time to ripen.
And finally, the last secret - a good ripe pumpkin always pleases the eye in any form - at least whole, even cut. If something confuses you in its appearance, then most likely something is wrong with this berry.