Watermelon is grown in favorable climates from tropical to temperate regions worldwide for its large edible fruit, which is a berry with a hard rind and no internal divisions, and is botanically called a pepo.
| Watermelon | |
|---|---|
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| Family: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Genus: | Citrullus |
Is watermelon a hard or soft fruit?
A whole watermelon should be hard and firm, with no soft spots or cracks. Weight is a sign that there’s a lot of water inside and the fruit will be juicy, so look for watermelons that are heavy for their size.
Should watermelons feel soft?
A ripe watermelon will feel sturdy and have a resonant, satisfying hollow sound. That means it’s bursting with watermelon juiciness and is at its peak of ripeness. If the thwap is dull sounding or the fruit feels soft, pass on it.
Is Hard watermelon good?
When a watermelon gets too ripe for its own good, the juicy crisp texture of the flesh can turn gritty and dry. If you cut it open, you might see the flesh actually pulling away from the seeds. If your watermelon is mealy, it’s still safe to eat.
What type of fruit is watermelon?
berry
The fruit is a type of berry known botanically as a pepo. The sweet juicy flesh may be reddish, white, or yellow; flesh colour, shape of the fruit, and thickness of the rind depend on the variety. Watermelon weight varies from 1 to 2 kg (2.5 to 5 pounds) to 20 kg (44 pounds) or more.
What is considered a hard fruit?
In the Hard Fruit category are fruits such as apples, apricots, bananas, grapefruit, grapes, kiwi, lemons, limes, mandarin oranges, oranges, peaches, pears, plums, quince, tangerines, etc.
What is the softest fruit?
Our Top 5 Soft Fruits to Grow at Home
- Strawberries. With varieties designed to crop throughout the season you could be enjoying fruits from May all the way through to Autumn.
- Raspberries.
- Blueberries.
- Currants.
- Gooseberries.
How can you tell a good watermelon?
Look for an orange creamy field spot. The darker yellow field spot usually means it was on the vine longer and is full of flavor. If the field spot is white that’s a sign that the melon is not quite ripe. Larger “webbing” or “sugar spots” means that the melon is seeping out sugar and is usually the sign of sweet melon.
How do you tell if a watermelon is ripe?
Tricks to Tell if a Watermelon is Ripe
- The green color becomes dull.
- On a striped melons, the color between the stripes gets darker.
- The rind will get hard.
- The blossom end will soften.
- They will stop getting larger.
- The ground spot will turn from white to yellow.
Is watermelon healthy to eat?
Packed with nutrients and beneficial plant compounds
Watermelon contains a variety of nutrients, including potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A and C. It’s also relatively low in calories, containing just 46 per cup (152 grams) ( 5 ).
What happens if you eat unripe watermelon?
Underripe watermelons are safe to eat, but they aren’t particularly enjoyable. Unripe melon tastes diluted and watery, instead of sweet.
Can you ripen an unripe watermelon?
Watermelons don’t continue to ripen after being harvested, unlike many other fruits. This means that it’s no good to just buy one melon and try to let it ripen on the counter.
Does watermelon go bad in the fridge?
A whole watermelon keeps for about a week at room temperature and up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Cut watermelon lasts between 3 and 5 days in the fridge. Make sure to wrap it tightly or place it in an airtight container, so it doesn’t dry out. Like other fruits, watermelon doesn’t last that long.
How would you describe watermelon?
the large, roundish or elongated fruit of a trailing vine, Citrullus lanata, of the gourd family, having a hard, green rind and a sweet, juicy, usually pink or red pulp.
Is watermelon a simple fruit?
Pepo is a type of fleshy fruit developed from a single ovary (simple fruit). Pepo is a simple fruit having hard epicarp which is also known as the rind, fleshy pulp, and numerous flattened seeds. Pepo fruit is commonly found in Cucurbitaceae family Example- watermelon, cucumber, pumpkin etc.
Can you eat too much watermelon?
Watermelon is a splendid source of dietary fiber and water. But, if you eat too much watermelon, it can cause bloating, gas, flatulence, diarrhea, and other such stomach troubles. This is majorly due to the presence of sorbitol, which is a sugar compound, and lycopene, which gives the fruit its bright red color.
What are the hardest fruits?
‘Quince challenged me’: how to cook, eat and enjoy seven of the world’s most difficult fruits
- A jar of quince jam.
- A medlar.
- Umeboshi – ume plums cured in salt.
- The much-maligned durian.
- A fruit smoothie made from kefir and aronia, or chokeberries.
- Thimbleberries on the vine, the best way to eat them.
What are soft and hard fruits?
The terms soft and hard fruit are used to describe the way fruit is handled and stored and not it’s firmness or texture. Soft fruit does not store well and is normally sold in small punnets whereas hard fruits store better and can be kept for much longer.
Is pineapple a soft or hard fruit?
A ripe pineapple should have a firm shell but be slightly soft with a bit of give when you squeeze it. Pineapples that are completely solid or hard when squeezed are unlikely to be fully ripe. Ripe pineapples should have a firm shell that is slightly soft when squeezed.
Is Strawberry a hard or soft fruit?
Soft fruits are small fruits with soft skins, such as strawberries and currants.
Are strawberries hard or soft?
Strawberry fruit should be firm but not crunchy. Excessively ripe fruit can be too soft. Strawberry varieties vary in color from deep red to red-orange. For a given variety, fruit should be fully colored, without white or green tips.