How to Test Watermelon for Nitrates: A Lab in Your Home Kitchen
They say that buying watermelons from June and even July is not the best idea from a health point of view.
Early harvest berries may contain nitrates that are harmful to the body. You can check for them using special devices, but you can also use common tricks.
We'll tell you how to check a watermelon for nitrates without leaving your home.
First, when choosing a berry, pay attention to its surface.
The rind of a normal watermelon should be smooth and even.
If there are bumps, then the farmers have "pumped up" the berry. If you cut such a watermelon, you can see that its rind will be thick.
But this is only the initial method.
Secondly, pay attention to the pulp.
Yellow and wide veins should confuse. A normally ripe watermelon also has them, but they should be white and thin.
Third, place the pulp in water.
Nitrated watermelon will color the water pink or red in 2 hours. Foam may also appear on the surface of the water.
If the watermelon is of good quality, the water will only become slightly cloudy.
