Proper storage of cut watermelon in the refrigerator. How long can watermelon be stored without loss of taste

How long does a watermelon keep? The answer to this question cannot be unambiguous, since too many factors affect the lifespan of this wonderful berry. In order to heartily enjoy a juicy and fragrant fruit, you first need to be able to choose it correctly, and long-term storage of watermelon does require some knowledge and conditions.

Experienced melon growers are probably able to determine within a few seconds what is in front of them: a ripe sweet berry or an unripe, and even worse, an inedible fruit pumped up with nitrates.

People far from gardening most often buy a watermelon almost at random, like a lottery ticket. Not surprisingly, disappointments in such cases are not uncommon. It is especially disappointing when you want to pamper your child or guests with a wonderful fruit and berry dessert, and on the dish there is an unsweetened, almost tasteless and unappetizing watermelon. In order not to get into such a situation, the choice should be approached thoroughly and slowly. So, what to be guided by when buying?

Point of sale selection

First of all, you need to understand where you can, and where you definitely shouldn’t make a purchase:

Roadside makeshift stalls, where the fruits lie in a green pile on top of each other, and often even without a canopy, right under the scorching sun, it is better to bypass. Watermelons very quickly absorb toxic substances that enter the air with the exhaust gases of passing cars, which not only impairs the taste, but simply makes them unhealthy. And exposure to sunlight can lead to damage to the fetus in just a couple of hours.

Caution: in no case should you buy cut or opened fruits to demonstrate “ripeness”; there is a high probability of food poisoning after eating them.

Supermarkets, especially large chains, inspire more confidence, but, unfortunately, not all of them and not always can boast of the excellent quality of fruits, vegetables and berries, since such outlets usually make very large purchases of goods that often spend a long time in warehouses . For this reason, no one can guarantee the ripeness of watermelons lying on the shelves of large stores. It all depends on the specific batch, the timing of its delivery from the field and the quality of the choice of the supplier.

Important: these berries do not have the ability to ripen after harvesting from the garden; Sadly, they don't get better.

Equipped markets are considered the most suitable place to buy watermelon, where full control is exercised over the quality of the goods that reach the consumer. However, even in such a place, you can and should ask the seller for a certificate for his products.

It's good when the watermelons on the market counter lie in one row, without touching each other, and on a special soft bedding. This suggests that trade is carried out by a person who knows firsthand about the conditions necessary to preserve the quality of melons.

When does watermelon season start?

No one is surprised anymore when in the middle of summer in all districts of the city tents grow like mushrooms after rain, in the depths of which mountains of watermelons await their customers. Meanwhile, buying a good, ripe watermelon in July is an almost impossible task, since the fruits begin to ripen only in August. Accordingly, in the second half of the last summer month, it is time to treat yourself and loved ones to ripe and sweet watermelons.

Varieties for Better Storage

Not every watermelon can lie without spoiling for a long time, therefore, when puzzling over how to store watermelons until the New Year, it is important to know what kind of variety you have grown or met on the counter. Early ripe varieties are only suitable for immediate consumption, they cannot be stored for a long time. The shelf life of late-ripening watermelons can reach several months if care is taken to create the right conditions. The latest varieties are:

Astrakhan striped,
Astrakhan marble,
Popovka,
Melitopol 143,
Bykovsky 15,
Lezhky,
Chill (can be stored up to 5 months),
Peasant,
Excellent black.

A yellow spot from contact with the soil is one of the signs of ripeness

We define quality

Long-term storage of watermelons is possible only for ideal specimens. Selection criteria:

The absence of even the slightest damage to the crust: there should be no dents, no scratches, no cracks, since all this will lead to the rapid decay of the fetus.
Too heavy specimens will not last long. It is best to keep berries weighing no more than 4-5 kg.
Watermelon can be stored for a long time if it is really ripe. A berry that has not had time to ripen will become unusable very quickly.

Visual inspection of the fetus does not present any difficulties, but it can be difficult to determine whether it is ripe or not. Nevertheless, it is possible even for those who are not too sophisticated in this matter. To help - instructions.

How to choose a ripe watermelon?

1. Pay attention to the condition of his tail: it is correct if it is dry. However, the tail may well dry out during storage, so the halo around it should also be dry.

2. A ripe fruit cannot but have a small stain from contact with the soil. The yellow color of the spot is a good sign, but the white one indicates the presence of a high content of nitrates in the berry.

3. The peel of a ripe specimen is so strong that it will be very difficult to pierce it with a fingernail, and when rubbed, it does not exude a grassy aroma.

4. Glossy, shiny surface indicates that the berry is ripe, and haze warns of the presence of harmful chemicals.

5. You need to listen: when tapped, the ripe fruit makes a dull resonating sound, and when squeezed, it crackles slightly. A ripe watermelon cannot “ring”.

Subtleties that not everyone knows about: if there is a halo on the opposite side of the tail, which is larger in diameter, such a berry is “the fair sex”, and it is much sweeter than the others, and there are much fewer seeds in it. And of two fruits of equal size, it would be right to give preference to the lighter one: it is really ripe!

With all of the above in mind, everyone will be able to choose a great ripe watermelon with a high percentage of probability. Having made a successful purchase a couple of times, you can safely stock up and store watermelons for the winter. It is better to do this at the end of September, then the chance to treat yourself to a summer dessert at the New Year's table will be maximum.

Conditions for the preservation of fruits

Storage of watermelon requires compliance with several conditions:

The temperature should not exceed +10 degrees. The optimal mode is from +1 to +4 degrees Celsius. When the air is too warm, the pulp simply peroxides, and when it is negative, it turns into ice.
The berry must be isolated from any light, and first of all, of course, from the sun. Under its influence, the life of the fetus is significantly shortened.
The humidity in the storage room should be approximately 80% (+/-5%). If the storage is too dry, the watermelon will wither, and in an excessively humid environment, it will rot.

There are several ways and suitable storage locations for these amazing berries.

cooling chamber

When it comes to how to keep a watermelon for immediate consumption for a couple of days, the best option at home will be a refrigerator, because it allows you to easily regulate and maintain the desired temperature, does not let in light and does not dry out food.

It happens that even with joint efforts it is not possible to finish off a huge berry in one sitting, then you have to store a cut watermelon in the refrigerator. Here, too, you need to take into account some nuances:

on the third day, the once fragrant and sweet pulp loses its characteristic taste, and it is no longer interesting to eat it; besides, the watermelon just starts to spoil;
many wrap the berry with cling film so that its flesh does not dry out, but this is only correct if you turn the watermelon cut side down on a wide plate and wrap both the fruit and the dishes with the film;
before storing a watermelon in the refrigerator, even uncut, it is important to make sure that no odorous products are observed in the neighborhood; the fact is that even through the peel, the berry absorbs all the flavors very intensively, for example, smoked sausage or fish.

Balcony

On a balcony or loggia, if they are protected from sunlight, you can store a whole watermelon even in summer, but not for long, a maximum of a week. But an opened watermelon will “behave badly” if it is too warm outside. Another thing is late autumn, when the thermometer does not rise above +5–7 degrees, and the sun no longer bakes. At this time, the cut fruit will remain on the loggia for a day or two, and whole berries at this temperature may well last until the New Year's feast.

Cellar storage methods

Keeping watermelons in the cellar is very simple and convenient. However, in winter, the basement or underground is just an ideal storage for other supplies that have no place in the apartment. Therefore, this option has its own difficulties: storing watermelons in the cellar involves isolating them from other fresh vegetables and fruits, since such a neighborhood can significantly accelerate the deterioration of the former. Well, if the cellar is not one room, or at least has a partition.

Storage options for watermelons:

Hanging. The fruit is taken, wrapped in a soft natural cloth or several layers of clean paper, and placed in a wicker string bag, which is suspended from the ceiling. In this form, watermelon can be stored for up to six months, if we are talking about the lightest varieties.
On wide shelves covered with straw or other soft natural material (moss, peat, pine needles).
In ashes or sand. At the bottom of a wooden box, the selected filler is poured, watermelons are laid out and completely covered.
Moss growing in swamps has excellent bactericidal properties, and therefore is excellent for storing fruits that are surrounded by it, covering the entire surface.
You can “pack” each berry in a protective suit made of wax, alabaster, clay or paraffin. To do this, you just need to coat the watermelons with a liquid substance and wait until it dries. Then it will be very easy to cut it and remove it.
In a tub or barrel of water - another possible option for "underground" storage of watermelons. Of course, the water should be cold, and it should be changed at least once a month.

If there is a subfloor in a private house, then even a cut fruit does not have to be stored in the refrigerator. Put cut side down in a deep, clean bowl, cover with a wide dish and put in the cellar - quite a possible option.

Portion freezing is one of the ways to save for the New Year holidays

Conditions and shelf life in the cellar

In general, all the methods listed above are good and allow you to save sunny fruits not for one day, but for several months in advance, up to February, but again, given some conditions:

the room should be well ventilated;
before laying the berries for storage, they should be kept in straw for a couple of days, and then treated with a 2% solution of lime to prevent damage to the stock by mold or rot;
treat the storage with special means against fungi and microbes;
maintain the correct level of humidity and temperature;
when storing berries, it is important to ensure that they do not touch each other;
a couple of times a month it is necessary to inspect the stocks, removing the specimens that have begun to deteriorate and turning those that are in perfect order from side to side.

On site, in the ground

Some manage to store watermelons in the ground. For this purpose, a deep hole is dug, the bottom of which is lined with straw (the layer thickness is about 10 cm), then the fruits pre-treated with lime (2% solution) are laid, the space between the berries is filled with shavings, they also cover the stock from above and cover everything with earth. The layer of earth is about 30 cm.

What to do if there is no underground or balcony?

Is it possible to store watermelons in the apartment for as long as in the cellar or on the balcony? Perhaps the answer is obvious. Even if you place the berries in a relatively cool pantry, they will not last that long.

Some apartments have small niches located under the kitchen window, which turn into refrigerators with the onset of the first cold weather, but even there long-term storage of watermelons seems unlikely, both humidity and temperature are very unstable.

Freeze

It is better to freeze watermelons in portioned pieces. Better yet, make a semi-finished product out of them by planting each slice on a wooden stick and rolling the juicy pulp in powdered sugar. On the baking sheet, the blanks must be sent to the freezer, and when they turn into ice cream, put the berry ice in plastic containers, not forgetting to layer it with parchment paper.

Such figurines can serve as a wonderful decoration for fruit salads or interesting cocktails.

Preservation of fruits for a long winter period is a pressing problem in our latitudes, we recommend that you also read the article on bananas to find out other subtleties that are in many ways similar to the preservation of other fruits.

Storing watermelon with alabaster. Video

Salting watermelon for the winter. Video

Watermelons are sweet and juicy berries that are traditionally sold during the summer season. Many of us have a question, how much watermelon can be stored so that it retains all its taste qualities, and does not turn out to be sour and cottony. It is about how to save a watermelon until the new year that we will tell you in this article.

Watermelon, when providing the berry with the necessary conditions, can be stored for a long time. Individual varieties can lie in the open air for three months, only improving their taste characteristics. At the same time, it should be said that most of the Central Asian and Astrakhan varieties that ripen in the middle of summer and are sold in numerous markets in the summer are often transported incorrectly, so you should not expect excellent keeping quality from them. It is difficult to predict how long such a fetus will lie. But if you are engaged in the cultivation of watermelons on your own, then in this case you will be able to ensure the maximum possible preservation of the grown crop in terms of duration. We offer you small recommendations, after reading which you will know exactly how to store watermelon.

How to keep the fetus as long as possible

Remember that this berry does not like mechanical damage, so if you throw or carelessly transport watermelons, then soon characteristic blackening and signs of decay will appear on their surface, and the pulp will be completely spoiled. If you grow this berry yourself, then try to take and carry the ripe fruits in simple rag gloves, which will avoid mechanical damage to the fruit.

During storage, the berries should be in contact with soft surfaces. Do not allow fruit to touch each other, which inevitably leads to rapid deterioration of the fruit. The best place to store the harvested crop will be a cellar or a special vegetable box in the refrigerator, where the temperature is in the range of 1-4 degrees Celsius. Some varieties can ripen in the sun for a long time, but in the heat, the shelf life usually does not exceed a few weeks.

When choosing a fruit for long-term storage, it is necessary to examine the fruit for damage and yellow spots, which may indicate an overripe berry. The presence of such spots will tell you how long such a fruit will lie. It is best to give preference to medium-sized fruits that are better stored than large-sized specimens. Such fruits retain their taste for as long as possible and can lie fresh and sweet even until the new year.

Periodically inspect and turn the fruits during storage to avoid spots on the surface of the berries, which subsequently lead to rot.

How to keep watermelon in the fridge

In the event that you plan to eat watermelon in a few days, then it is quite possible to store the berries simply in a plastic bag in the cold, but if you want to keep the fruits for several months, then you need to place the purchased product on the top shelf of the refrigerator. The shelf life of watermelons largely depends on compliance with temperature conditions and humidity indicators. It is preferable to keep the uncut berry in the refrigerator with a temperature of 1 to 3 degrees. You should not put the watermelon in the freezer, where the berry can quickly deteriorate. The optimum moisture content is no more than 85 percent.

It is recommended to lay a soft natural fabric on a shelf in the refrigerator and carefully place a watermelon on it. If there are several fruits on the shelf, they should be separated with a cardboard partition or wrapped in natural fabric. It is best to keep them on different shelves, which will protect the fruit from rotting. How many such fruits will go into the refrigerator depends on the availability of special boxes for fruits and additional shelves. Light adversely affects the shelf life, so you need to turn off the light in the refrigerator, or wrap the fruit with a light-tight cloth.

Before storing your chosen watermelon, it must be washed and dried with a paper towel. You can wrap the berry with newspapers or natural cloth, after which it can be stored for long-term storage in the bottom drawer, which is designed to store fruit. Turn the fruit at least twice a week to protect it from rotting.

Remember that only whole fruits should be stored for storage for the winter. But chopped watermelon can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than two days. Remember that the pulp of chopped berries quickly deteriorates and becomes dangerous for the body. Therefore, try to eat already cut fruit as quickly as possible.

On average, the shelf life of watermelons in the refrigerator is 4-6 months. At the same time, it is difficult to predict how long a particular instance will lie. The fact is that we do not know whether the transportation of watermelons was carried out correctly, the conditions for their cultivation and the specific variety of berries. It is best, if necessary, to keep the fruit until the new year to make purchases in September, when late Astrakhan and Turkmen varieties are sold in the markets. Such a fruit can easily lie for 4-5 months, delighting in the winter cold with juicy and sweet pulp.

Is it possible to freeze watermelons

Many of us wonder if it is possible to freeze watermelon pulp in the refrigerator? Indeed, this is possible, but it must be remembered that after defrosting, when the pulp loses its texture, such a defrosted watermelon can be used exclusively for making cocktails and various dishes that do not require the integrity of the pulp. Until the pulp is completely thawed and when it has not yet lost its texture, it can be served at the table, only you need to eat it as quickly as possible.

There are several ways to freeze the pulp of watermelons - simple freezing, with juice, with granulated sugar and syrup. With the so-called shock chilling, the shelf life of frozen fruits can be 12 months. The aroma and sweetness of the fruit when frozen remains the same, which allows it to be used for making all kinds of cocktails, juices and jams.

Storing watermelons at room temperature

Depending on the specific variety, you can store watermelon outdoors for a month. However, you must take into account the condition of the particular fruit, the degree of its maturity and compliance with the rules of transportation. It is recommended to put the fruits on a soft surface in a dark place. We can also recommend that you store the watermelon in a cellar in dry sand, which will keep the berries fresh for two to three weeks.

The original method of storage is practiced in southern countries, in which the ripened fruits are poured with cold water when the fruit is completely immersed in water. This method will allow the watermelon to lie almost until the new year. Just remember that the water should not freeze in the container, as this will invariably lead to damage to the fetus. It is recommended to change the water three times a month for fresh water. At the same time, the watermelon itself should not come into contact with air. Therefore, water changes must be carried out as carefully as possible.

ripening time for watermelon

Depending on their variety, watermelons grown in open ground can ripen in early July in the southern regions, and in August in central Russia. It should be said that there are various early and late varieties that differ in the growing season. If you choose a watermelon for long-term storage, then preference should be given to late varieties. The ripening of watermelons can occur both in the beds and during the transportation and sale of berries, when they lie in the sun for several days. In the industrial cultivation of this crop, still unripe watermelons are harvested, which subsequently ripen within a few days, acquiring the necessary sweetness and juiciness.

Conclusion

With the right storage conditions, a whole watermelon can lie for 4-6 months, retaining its taste and integrity of the pulp. We can recommend that you put the ripened fruits in the refrigerator in a fruit box, which will extend the shelf life, and you can enjoy delicious and fresh watermelon even in the new year. At the same time, you should take into account that when buying fruits in the markets, it is difficult to predict how long they will lie, so grow watermelons on your own and you will be able to eat the harvest you have harvested for as long as possible.

Shelf life: 3 months
Best before date: 3 months
Shelf life in the refrigerator: 3 months
Freezer time: not specified

Summer for most people is associated with watermelon. Juicy, appetizing, sweet, desirable - it surely decorates the table of every family. And to make the watermelon tasty, it is carefully chosen. An important role is played by the shelf life of watermelon.

By itself, watermelon can be stored for a long time. At the same time, its condition and taste even after 3 months will remain the best. However, this requires proper storage of watermelon. To keep it always fresh, you need to purchase late varieties. It is advisable to store the fruit in a dark and dry place. It is important that the watermelon was initially monolithic and solid, without any cracks and scratches and dents. It is best to place the watermelon in a container with straw or a soft bottom. The fetus should not come into contact with anything, and the most effective way is hanging. With such proper storage, watermelon can be eaten even during the New Year holidays.

The humidity of the room should be within 80-85%. As for the air temperature, the optimal indicator ranges from +1 to +3 degrees. If the air temperature is too high, then the watermelon will instantly begin to sour and become cottony. It is also necessary to regularly turn the fruit so that the shelf life of the watermelon increases.

Shelf life of watermelon in the refrigerator

Watermelons can also be stored in the refrigerator. This is a convenient way to keep the fetus long enough. Watermelon must be wrapped in newspaper and placed on the lowest shelf. In this case, the shelf life of watermelon will be 2-3 months.

If the watermelon is cut and put in the refrigerator, then the shelf life will be a maximum of 2 days. All due to the fact that bacteria multiply rapidly in a very sweet environment. Therefore, the started watermelon must be eaten as early as possible so that it does not deteriorate.

There is no person who does not love sweet, juicy, extremely tasty watermelon. This is a real storehouse of vitamins, minerals, trace elements that nature endows us with. But this largest berry in the world is extremely delicate, so if you want to keep a piece of summer until the New Year, or a little longer, you need to know what needs to be done to keep the watermelon fresh for as long as possible. In principle, storing watermelon until winter is as easy as it is, but some subtleties still need to be remembered.

How to properly store watermelon

Storage temperature

The storage temperature should not exceed +1 - +4°C, with a relative humidity of not more than 85%. When the temperature rises by 4-6 ° C, the watermelon begins to sour.

First of all, you need to be able to choose the right watermelon for storage. To do this, you need to know a few simple rules that will help preserve this berry. It is undesirable to buy early watermelons, they will not lie for a long time. In addition, now there are many cases when melon growers feed plantations with nitrates for faster ripening. You need to buy late varieties that ripen naturally by early September. You should not buy watermelons at spontaneous points, especially along roads, because the pulp of a watermelon instantly absorbs everything harmful that flies out of a car exhaust pipe. For storage, you need to choose medium-sized specimens, weighing 3.5-4.5 kg, of a brilliant color with a dried tail. A whole ripe fruit can be stored in the refrigerator, in the pantry, in the cellar, if it is in a multi-storey building. Watermelons should be stored on a soft bedding, the ideal option is straw, and the fruits should not come into contact with each other.

How to save a watermelon until the New Year

In the cellar where watermelons should be stored, there should not be other vegetables. You need to choose a fruit without cracks and spots. It is best to prepare the racks and line them with straw so that the watermelon does not lie on a hard surface. You can put the berry in a soft bag and hang it, so it will be well preserved. Watermelons should be regularly inspected in order to immediately reject the fruit, even with the slightest signs of spoilage, otherwise the rest will quickly deteriorate.

You can find a large box, put a watermelon and fill it with dry sand. If there is no cellar and cold pantry, then one or two watermelons can be wrapped in paper and put in the coldest zone in the refrigerator. In this case, watermelons can lie up to two months. There are lovers of pickling watermelons. In this case, you can pickle it in chunks, even in jars, or in barrels, entirely, but for this you will need to choose medium-sized specimens, up to 2 kilograms, no more.

How to store cut watermelon

If the watermelon has not been completely eaten, then half of it can be put in the refrigerator, but not more than for two days, for a maximum of three, since its contents are very quickly susceptible to infection by bacteria.

A rich harvest of melons for a summer resident is a good reason for joy and pride, as well as a circumstance that makes you think about how to save watermelons for the winter. If the neighbors of watermelons in the garden are easily stored even at home, then the green and striped giants are more demanding.

With a competent approach and attention to the fruits, you can save a watermelon until the New Year. But in order for a fresh summer delicacy to appear on the festive table in the middle of winter, you will have to prepare in advance.

True, in order for the watermelon to turn out to be juicy and sweet even in winter, the fruits are laid in cellars, where it is important to provide temperature and humidity conditions, allocate enough space for watermelons, and even during storage, pay some attention to giant berries.

Temperature and humidity for storing watermelon

The best conditions for storing watermelons for the winter can be created in the basement. Here, at a temperature of 1-4 ° C and a humidity of 75 to 85%, watermelons do not lose their juiciness or taste.

If the temperature background is higher, the consistency of the watermelon changes, the fermentation process can begin inside it, and the quality of the berry will be irretrievably lost. At temperatures below zero, watermelons freeze slightly.
Similarly, with a decrease in humidity, watermelons lose their juiciness, but if the air in the basement is too damp, the fruits rot.

Premises where watermelons and other vegetables and fruits are stored must be equipped with ventilation.

Selection of watermelons for long-term storage

How long can fresh watermelon be stored?

Usually, while maintaining the proper temperature and humidity, melons do not lose their properties for up to three months.

If early-ripening varieties and hybrids are more often chosen for use in summer, then it is better to plant late-ripening varieties for winter planting. After all, the later the watermelon is laid in the basement, the longer the shelf life is.

An example of such late-ripening watermelons is the variety Lezhky, Peasant or Excellent Black. How long can watermelon of these varieties be stored? The leader in terms of ability to be stored after being removed from the lash is the watermelon of the Kholodok variety, which does not lose quality for up to 5 months. It is important to choose the strongest, even and healthy fruits of medium size and regular shape.

Watermelon peel is the only protection for juicy pulp, therefore, if you want to keep a watermelon until the New Year, its integrity and quality should be treated with maximum attention. If there are scratches, impact marks, dents or other defects on the surface layer, such watermelons are rejected. They must be eaten without delay or sent for processing.

It is better to remove watermelons from the garden with gloves, and carefully place the berries removed from the whip on a soft, clean surface, leaving a small free space between the individual fruits.

Only healthy watermelons will last until the New Year and delight family members with such a familiar, summery taste.

How to keep watermelon fresh for the winter?

In the basement, watermelons are stored on racks and in vegetable boxes, using a variety of fillers to prevent the development of putrefactive bacteria and fungi, as well as to absorb excess moisture. The most accessible material for filling the box is dry sand, on a layer of which watermelons are carefully laid out. Then the sand is poured, filling the space between the fruits.

The same technique is used if it is planned to store watermelons for the winter in a layer of wood ash. The main thing, in this case, is to check in advance that there are no large fractions in the filler, for example, unburned wood chips or sharp pieces of coal that can damage the watermelon bark.

Better than other materials with moisture and harmful flora, dry marsh moss sphagnum fights.

It has a natural bactericidal power and good absorbency, is soft and safe for fruits, and it is not difficult to keep a watermelon for the winter in such an environment. Watermelons are laid on a layer of moss and they also compact the distance between the berries.

A good effect is obtained by treating the surface of the watermelon with a mushy solution of clay or alabaster, wax or paraffin. Protective substances are applied to the watermelon bark so as to obtain a layer up to a centimeter thick. Coatings that do not allow air, light and moisture to pass through help protect the watermelon from external influences and from the loss of its own moisture.

Under such conditions, watermelons will be preserved until the New Year, however, it would be useful to play it safe and check the quality of the fruit from time to time in order to notice the onset of spoilage in time and remove the low-quality berry.

Storing watermelons at home

And how long is a watermelon stored in an ordinary apartment? Thick-skinned, ripe fruits wrapped in light-tight material or wrapping paper can also be stored in the apartment. Away from heating appliances and with regular turning, a watermelon can lie for about a month, and then it is still better to eat a sweet fruit.

If the summer resident is lucky to grow large sweet watermelons, sooner or later he will have to face the problem of storing these delicious fruits. It’s good if a whole watermelon in the basement survives until the middle of winter, but sometimes even if all the rules are followed, the fruits have to be culled and sent to the table.

At the same time, the question often arises, how long can cut watermelon be stored in the refrigerator? Unfortunately, pathogens develop so quickly on the sweet pulp that a watermelon in the refrigerator remains safe for no more than a day. What to do with still high-quality fruits? How to save a watermelon for the winter, and what can be prepared for the future from the pulp of this healthy fruit?

Is it possible to freeze watermelon for the winter?

Although, as a result of exposure to low temperatures, the juicy pulp of a watermelon loses its consistency and becomes liquid after thawing, it is possible to freeze a watermelon for the winter. It is possible to minimize the damage caused by frost to the pulp of watermelon if the pieces of arbitrary shape, cleared of seeds and peels, are laid out on a flat tray and placed in the freezer. Thanks to the comprehensive effect of cold, watermelon will freeze as quickly as possible, retain its shape, aroma and taste, as well as juiciness. Pieces of frozen watermelon, along with cherries, currants, raspberries, will be an excellent addition to nutrition in the winter.

Frozen pieces are placed in resealable bags or containers. In this form, you can keep the watermelon until the New Year and until the next harvest, and use it for making desserts, cocktails, fruit creams and juices. It is even easier to freeze watermelon juice with pulp. If you use portion molds, such juice can turn into a refreshing and healthy ice cream, ice cubes for cocktails or beauty treatments.

There are other ways that allow you to save watermelons for the winter without much time and effort and impress family members and guests with original delicacies:

The watermelon is thoroughly washed and, together with the bark, cut into portioned triangular slices.
An ice cream stick is inserted into the slices through an incision on a dense peel.
The pulp is dipped on both sides in powdered sugar.
The watermelon slices are laid out on a baking sheet so that the pieces do not touch each other.
The tray is placed in the freezer, where it is left until the product is completely frozen.
Ready ice cream, shifting with pieces of parchment, is placed in containers and stored at a temperature not exceeding -18 ° C.

This delicacy is served frozen. If, for the preparation of culinary dishes, you need to thaw pieces of watermelon, it is better to do this in the refrigerator, at a temperature close to 0 ° C.