When you bite into a watermelon, you may find it quite moist. Everyone expects these fruits to be juicy, but if they’re flavorless and taste primarily like water, you might be hesitant to eat them. When watermelons are overwatered during growth, they frequently become watery. I am going to share 11 reasons why this makes watermelon watery.
Like many other fruits, watermelons absorb water and transport it to the fruit via the stem. The meat becomes watery and unappealing if the plant absorbs too much water. Despite its unpleasant flavor, it is usually edible.
This article will explain why watermelons can become watery at times and whether eating a watery watermelon is safe.
What Makes Some Watermelon So Watery?
Watermelons become watery as a result of irregular watering while growing. Watermelons have a high water content in any case, as the name implies, but the plants do not regulate their water intake well. That is, if and only if the following conditions are met:
- The grower is overwatering them.
- Drought is followed by torrential rain.
- Watering is done only on rare occasions.
You should be aware of this issue if you grow your own watermelons. The more consistent your watering process, the better the taste of your fruit. If you overwater a plant, the water will seep through the roots and into the fruit, diluting the sugars and ruining the texture.
Some people mistakenly believe that watery watermelons are male and sweet, juicy watermelons are female. Watermelons have no male or female counterparts. Female flowers produce these fruits, which are neither male nor female.
Extremely watery watermelons may split, with the rind cracking in some cases. The rind splits open, leaving a gash on the side because the inside of the fruit swells faster than the rind can handle. It will decay quickly and should be avoided. If you’re growing watermelons at home, make a watering schedule.
Can You Eat A Watery Watermelon?
A watery watermelon is usually perfectly safe to eat. It just means that the fruit took in too much water while growing. It has nothing to do with how fresh the fruit is. Because watermelons tend to dry out as they age, a wet one may be exceptionally fresh and ripe.
Even if a fruit appears to be in perfect condition, check it for signs of spoilage. Check to see if your watermelon smells and tastes sweet and fruity. It should not have a sour, musty, acidic, or alcoholic flavor or aroma. It would mean that the fruit’s sugars had started to turn into alcohol, making it unsafe to eat.
Check the flesh and rind for visible mold spots. Mold spores may enter the fruit and attack the soft flesh if the rind is broken or damaged. Keep an eye out for this, as it can contaminate the fruit.
It would be best to avoid watery melons, but it is always worth checking. If the melon begins to spoil, compost it rather than eat it.
What is the best way to determine whether a watermelon is sweet?
Watery watermelons are unpleasant and should be avoided. The excessive moisture dilutes the sugars in the fruit, resulting in a bland and disappointing flavor. Thankfully, there is a simple test for this: tap on the rind of a watermelon and listen to the noise it makes.
You should hear a hollow knocking as the tap vibrates inside the watermelon. If the watermelon makes a solid sound when tapped, it is full of water and has a few empty spaces inside. If you want that hollow sound, only choose hollow watermelons on the inside.
Examine the shape of the watermelon as well, as this is a secondary indicator of sweetness. Round watermelons are more flavorful and sweeter than oval watermelons. The fruit will be less watery if you choose a spherical watermelon over an oval one.
11 Ways To Tell If Watermelon is Bad:
Watermelon is a refreshing summer treat with a mild sweet flavor. You can use it to make fruit salads drink to quench your thirst or eat whenever you want.
On the other hand, watermelon shopping appears to be a gamble for many people. You don’t want to be stuck with an unripe, flavorless melon.
There are several indicators that your watermelon has gone wrong.
This article will teach you how to spot a bad or rotten watermelon and how to tell if your watermelon is fresh.
What To Look For When Buying Watermelon?
1. Sense Of Smell And Taste
Watermelons are juicy, sweet, and tasty. It is past its prime when you bite into a melon and it tastes sour. It is due to the melon’s sugars becoming sour.
When buying watermelons, you should smell them to see if they are good or bad. Choose a watermelon with a sweet, pleasant aroma. If it smells tangy or sour, it’s spoiled and should be avoided.
2. Press Down On The Sides
Consider the sound of a tapped watermelon. A ripe melon makes a deep, hollow sound. If the melon sounds ripe or rotten, it probably is.
If you tap the watermelon and it makes a dull sound, it’s mushy or rotten on the inside.
3. Examine For Mold
Mold or spots on the rind of a watermelon indicate that it has gone wrong. Any soggy patches that are black, white, or greenish-blue indicate that the melon has gone wrong.
4. Watermelon Patch
A bad watermelon will have a patch or ripe spot on its skin. The watermelon is good if the patch is yellow.
If the patch is white, it indicates that it is not ripe and thus unfit for consumption. A yellow spot on a sun-ripened watermelon
5. Rinsing With Color
Watermelons should have a healthy, consistent pine green color on the outside or a striped appearance with darker pine and lime green alternating. Furthermore, the watermelon should be dull, not shiny.
If it’s shiny, it’s not ready. It would help if you hid the stem beneath the water’s surface. Instead, look for a small crater indicating that the melon fell off on its own. The presence of a stem indicates that the fruit was picked before it was completely ripe.
6. The Structure
Choose a round and symmetrical watermelon. The inside of an irregularly shaped watermelon is rotting.
A watermelon with cuts, dents, or irregular bumps indicates that it did not receive enough water or was pollinated incorrectly. Watermelon cuts or dents may indicate the presence of fungus or insects.
7. Weight
A good watermelon is large and heavy. It is due to the high fiber and water content of the melon. Watermelons with more water taste sweeter and are juicier.
A bad watermelon weighs less, which indicates that it contains less water. A lighter-than-normal watermelon indicates that it is drying out on the inside.
8. Reddish Or Deep Pink Flesh
When cutting a watermelon, look for deep pink or red flesh with black seeds, though seedless watermelons are also available.
It means the melon is ripe, sweet, and healthy. If the color of the watermelon has changed, it hasn’t gone well and should not be eaten.
9. More Arid And Gritty
Dry and gritty watermelon flesh is no longer edible. It is due to the gritty flesh withering and pulling away from the seeds, resulting in mushy and slimy flesh.
This watermelon has reached its ripeness peak. Refrigerating leftover melon prevents it from drying and becoming gritty due to air exposure.
10. Firmness
If you use your thumbnail to scratch the rind or skin of your watermelon, you can find out how tough it is. The melon isn’t good or is too ripe if the skin is easy to cut or gives way when pressed.
When the flesh gets wet, it disintegrates and becomes saggy and dark. It could be the result of a fungal infection. The melon’s interior should not be mushy. Watermelon becomes mushy when exposed to internal air. Toss your watermelon if it’s slimy, mushy, or discolored.
11. Expiration Date
When buying pre-cut watermelon, look for an expiration date. However, this does not guarantee that the melon will not spoil before that date.
Any watermelon with a sour, fizzy, or tangy flavor that hasn’t passed its expiration date should be spat out and discarded.
Conclusion
Watery watermelons are not always undesirable, but they are less appealing. In general, avoid round watermelons that make a hollow sound when tapped. Instead of being watery and bland, these will be sweet and juicy.
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