Do you want to surprise your relatives with a fresh watermelon in winter? Of course, he will make a splash. Who refuses to eat a scarlet slice when there are snowdrifts outside the window. Today we’ll talk about how to store watermelons until the New Year. Each person has his own recipe for serving. Some pump the berry with alcohol to make a delicious tincture. Others cherish it as a treat for children. But in both cases, the number one task is to extend the life of the striped berry. Since not everyone knows how to store watermelons until the New Year, today we’ll talk about this in more detail.
At home or in the cellar
The warmth of the hearth is liked by everyone, but not melon. Despite the presence of hard skins, they quickly begin to rot during storage. Therefore, starting a conversation about how to store watermelons until the New Year, it is worth noting the main rule. Be sure to arrange them in a cool, dry place. It can be a cellar or a cellar. Make sure that no mouse makes its way to the sweet berry. They will enjoy juicy pulp with great pleasure, and you will only have an empty crust.
Terms
If you know how to store watermelons until the New Year, then you can save them until March 8. Bright striped berries will well tolerate a long stay, if you can create suitable conditions for them. Just imagine how happy the children will be when they see them on the table in winter. So, to ensure the safety of the fetus, you will need to consider two main points:
- Choose only the best berries.
- Provide ideal conditions, that is, a balance of temperature, humidity and placement in the basement.
How to buy the best fruits
The answer to the question "is it possible to store watermelon until the New Year" is what kind of berry it is. If it was torn for a long time, for a long time it lay on the shelves, experienced shocks, then, most likely, it will not lie for a long time. This is especially true for fruits that have damage on the peel.
It is best if you find where to buy fruits directly from the field. Try to choose medium-sized fruits, strong and round. It is very important not to crush or scratch the green peel. It should not have cracks, dents or wet areas. With such a whale, you can go home and prepare it for moving to the cellar.
Varietal affiliation
Only at first glance there is no difference between them. Some watermelons have a thin peel, while others are thick. In this case, the second option is preferable, especially if you choose a late ripe berry. Of course, of great importance is where to store the watermelon until the New Year. But the variety must also not be overlooked. Thick-skinned representatives of late ripening perfectly retain moisture and retain elasticity. These include the Volga, Caucasian and Central Asian watermelons.
For example, the "Astrakhan striped" will lie perfectly until spring with minimal effort from the owner. A thinner “Astrakhan marble” can be preserved under strict observance of all recommended conditions.
The essence of competent storage
Now let's go directly to how to store watermelons until the New Year correctly. Here it is important to consider absolutely everything - from temperature and humidity to the neighborhood with other vegetables and fruits. Moreover, experienced melon growers recommend not to rely on chance, but be sure to adhere to the recommendations, and do it very accurately. Any violation of technology will lead to the fact that instead of sugar fruits for the New Year holidays, only the peel will remain.
rules
Harvested fruits should not be immediately lowered into the basement for storage. Experts recommend first dehydrating the peel. For this, the berries are covered with leaves for a day and left to sweat. Since saving a watermelon until the New Year at home is not too difficult, you can very well try to do it today.
But there are other rules to follow. The final result depends on how carefully they are respected.
- A soft attitude is what watermelons really like. Any contact with them should occur only in soft gloves.
- A place to store the crop is also not suitable for everyone. Best of all is a straw rack. It is imperative that the berries do not touch the floor, walls and each other. If you simply pile them together, then they will not lie for more than two weeks.
- Air temperature is a very important indicator. Ideal numbers are +1, +3. If it is warmer - this will lead to acidification of the berry. In this case, the juicy pulp turns into cotton wool.
- Room humidity also needs to be evaluated. A damp basement is not the best choice; berries in it are likely to rot. But too dry air is also harmful to them. Therefore, 60-85% is just what you need.
- The neighbors in the storage for watermelons are completely redundant. It is advisable to keep them separate from any vegetables and fruits. Especially bad they are adjacent to potatoes.
In order to prevent rotting processes, you need to regularly inspect watermelons and turn them from one side to another. Let's now take a look at the best ways to keep watermelon until the New Year.
Choose the best option
The method of laying striped berries on shelves with hay is discussed above. But this is far from the only option. Inveterate gardeners are inventing ever new tricks that allow you to save berries intact. The most affordable and easiest is to put in vats with water. In the cool basement, they easily lie until mid-winter. Water protects the berries from injury, as well as damage from rodents.
Some gardeners note that it is very convenient to lay watermelons in the grain. With their weight they push a comfortable bed, in which they will freely wait in the wings. In addition, ash, clay, paraffin are used. They are needed in order to create an additional protective film on the berries, which will not allow water and air, and therefore bacteria, to pass through. This increases the likelihood of a successful idea. But most often, watermelons are simply laid out on hay, moss, sawdust or straw. A very important condition is that the watermelons should lie in a distance from each other. Be sure to inspect them for signs of decay.
If you want to keep the berry for 3-4 weeks
For example, the season is soon going away, and you want to leave a couple of berries for the solemn event. In this case, experts recommend burying them in a sandbox. That is, a watermelon is simply placed in a container, covered with sand and put away in the cellar. There is a significant minus - you will not be able to monitor the state of the watermelon. Therefore, this method is used only if the storage is not known to last long.
In an apartment
But if in a private house there are cellars and cellars, sheds where you can stack a large number of fruits, then in the apartment there are much fewer opportunities for this. Of course, in this case, it makes no sense to talk about real stocks of the crop. But a couple of minke whales can still be bought for the future. How to store watermelons at home in the winter? A simple and affordable way will be hanging. To do this, the fruit is wrapped with natural fabric and laid in a soft mesh. This design is suspended from the ceiling in any dark corner of the room.
It is also possible to equip a place on the balcony, but only if it is glazed. Otherwise, the berries just freeze. To do this, lay the wooden frame and fill it with hay. Gently lay the berries. In extreme cold, cover the frame with a thick blanket. In addition, a refrigerator, a bathroom, a pantry or a mezzanine are suitable for long-term storage. Of course, you can just leave it under the kitchen table. Remember that at room temperature the shelf life of a watermelon is reduced to 1.5 months.
Cut fruit
This is almost all the information on how to save a watermelon until the New Year. Shelf life depends on the observance of temperature and humidity, but under favorable conditions, striped handsome men can lie until spring. And what if the cut berry could not be eaten right away? It can be put in the refrigerator. In this case, the optimal storage period is one day, and the maximum is three.
To watermelon retains all moisture and juiciness, it is recommended to put it on a plate with the slice down or cover with cling film. And in the event that you understand that there is no way to save the sliced watermelon, then preserve it. Of course, pickled watermelons are not exactly a dessert, but also very tasty. Therefore, boldly cut into pieces and pour the marinade. In just a few weeks, amazingly delicious spicy watermelons will be ready.
Instead of a conclusion
Watermelon is a symbol of the passing summer. High season falls just in mid-August. Therefore, attempts to maintain the outgoing summer for the upcoming cold season are understandable. Watermelon is not only a treat, but also a huge benefit for the body, since it contains a huge amount of vitamins and minerals, sugars and amino acids. In fact, it is food and drink, as well as a multivitamin supplement. No wonder neither a dog nor a rabbit will refuse a watermelon. Cats are also happy to enjoy juicy pulp. It is liked by children and adults and has practically no contraindications. But if in the fall - this is another option to diversify the dessert, then in the winter the watermelon acquires special value and incredible magnetism. Cakes and pastries in comparison with it are very boring.