How to keep a watermelon until the New Year at home
Against the background of the newcomer orange-tangerine dominance, our native watermelon in its natural form looks exotic on the New Year's table. But meanwhile, he may well rest even before Christmas intact, requiring not so extraordinary efforts for this. About how to safely save a watermelon for a long time, read further in the article.
How to choose the right watermelon for storage
We canned this large berry for a long time and successfully, using it for salting either whole or sliced in jars. But, answering the question whether it is possible to store watermelon for a long time in winter, it should be noted that it is not necessary to salt or pickle with aspirin for this purpose. There are ways in which this berry is able to preserve all its wonderful qualities without undergoing preservation, if not until June next year, then until November, until December and even before Christmas - guaranteed.
But to make the watermelon on the New Year's table look fresh, you will have to make some efforts. And much here depends on how correctly the fetus is selected.
Proper storage size
An important role is played by the weight of the fruit sent for winter storage. Large fruits are prone to rapid decay, and small specimens do not have the necessary conditions for long-term storage. The optimal weight of stored products should be at least 4 kg and not more than 5 kg.
Appearance and Integrity
A prerequisite should be the perfect integrity of the surface of the fruit.
It should not be:
- with cracks;
- with dents;
- with scratches;
- with sunburn;
- with spots of various shades.
Terms of purchase
To ensure the safety for several months, berries should be purchased late ripening varieties that have reached full maturity. It is best if they are collected in early autumn in dry weather. At the same time, overripe specimens are subject to rapid decay, while unripe specimens will remain green throughout the entire shelf life.
Optimal storage conditions
The answer to the question of where to store watermelons so that they lie completely intact for more than one month is simple: there are many places in the human home where it is possible to store watermelon fruits until the New Year.
They can be saved:
- in the room;
- on the balcony;
- in the fridge;
- in the cellar;
- in the garage;
- in the attic.
But the success of preserving berries in any chosen place depends on what conditions are created there, at what temperature, for example, watermelons will be for a long time.
These conditions will be best when:
- temperature conditions ranging from + 5 ° C to + 8 ° C;
- relative humidity from 60% to 80%;
- good ventilation;
- lack of light.
In the apartment
If it is possible to maintain the above conditions in an apartment, watermelons can be stored for a long time:
- in the pantry;
- in a glazed loggia;
- on a glazed balcony;
- In bathroom.
In a private house
In a separate house there are more opportunities for full storage of fruits.
They can contain them:
- in the cellar;
- in the attic.
- in the basement;
- in the barn;
- in the pit;
- in the garage;
- in the pantry;
- in the summer kitchen.
How to keep a watermelon until the New Year at home
There are several options that answer the question of how watermelons are stored for a long time.
Check out
These berries store:
- in artificial crust;
- in wood ash;
- in sand;
- in sawdust;
- in cold water;
- in the straw;
- in the caisson;
- in limbo.
In fake peel
As already mentioned above, berries with a thick skin are selected for long-term preservation.
But the condition of this peel can also be strengthened if it is artificially increased using:
- alabaster;
- paraffin wax;
- wax.
Video: How to save a watermelon for the New Year in paraffin
To do this, alabaster is diluted in water, and paraffin or wax is melted to a creamy state. The obtained means coat the entire surface of the watermelon peel. After drying, the following layers are applied, which in total can reach a thickness of 5 to 10 mm.
Important! Paraffin, being a petrochemical product, contains elements that are hazardous to health, therefore, it is undesirable to use it to increase the shelf life of watermelons.
In a box with ash
A wonderful tool for winter storage of watermelon berries is wood ash, which prevents the development of putrefactive processes and absorbs excess moisture. Ashes are sifted and filled with a box, digging into it a completely watermelon fruit. The box should be closed with a lid.
In straw or sand
On a high straw layer, the berries are placed with the stalk up. The fruits are separated from each other by straw pads. Then watermelons are covered with straw and on top.
And when stored in dry sand, the fruits, on the contrary, are set with the stalk down and also then completely covered with sand. At the same time, there should be a small gap between each watermelon so that the fruits do not touch each other. Instead of sand, you can use dried grain, in which the berries feel very comfortable for a long time.
In cold water
Chilled water is an effective preservative that provides long-term preservation of watermelon fruits. But for this, it should be not only cold, but also cover the entire volume of the fetus completely.
In clay
An additional artificial watermelon peel can also be made of clay, for which this material is diluted with water, bringing it to a creamy state. Then, the fruit is coated with the resulting composition several times, drying the next layer and applying the next, until their total thickness reaches 5–10 mm.
Did you know? In addition to the traditional round or oval shapes, watermelons are also grown in the form of a cube, a pyramid, a heart and even a human face.
In limbo
This type of product storage involves wrapping it with a dense fabric of natural fibers, and then putting it in a string bag and hanging it from the ceiling. The main condition here is the requirement that the fetus does not touch any surface.
Storage time
Even with scrupulous adherence to all the rules for the long-term storage of berries, the answer to the question of whether the fruit will last until spring will be negative. It will not be possible to save a watermelon with the full preservation of taste and other conditions of a fresh product in it for more than 4 months.
Useful Tips
To ensure the complete safety of the product for 3-4 months, experts recommend:
- Do not lay unripe fruits in storage in the hope that time and a little chill in the room will allow the watermelon to ripen successfully;
- during storage, watermelon berries should under no circumstances come into contact with each other or with other vegetables or fruits;
- fruits should not be laid on a hard surface;
- periodic fruit turning is required, combined with verification of their integrity;
- no need to wrap the fruits in the pages of glossy magazines, as the substances contained in the printing ink go into a watermelon and adversely affect human health.
In order for a fresh watermelon, which in its condition is no different from the summer-autumn product, to cease to be exotic on the New Year's table, it is necessary to apply by no means excessive efforts. And the result justifies all these efforts with interest.
