How to pickle and pickle watermelon?

Watermelon is a popular and tasty berry. Its season is at the end of summer - the beginning of autumn. However, thanks to the different methods of preservation, it is possible to harvest fruits for the winter.At the same time, the taste of the pulp can be made quite original by adding spice or spice to it. How to pickle and pickle watermelon, will be discussed in this article.

Before proceeding to the preparation of blanks for the winter, it is necessary to select the appropriate fruits. Otherwise, canned watermelons do not get enough tasty and healthy. Fruits must be ripe. For salting the best fit juicy and sweet varieties. Equally important is the environmental friendliness of watermelons. The pulp should not contain large amounts of nitrates.

To select good fruit, with the purchase, you can use some recommendations.

• The stripes on the surface of the watermelon should be clearly visible.
• It is better not to buy fruit near the motorways. Watermelon absorbs harmful substances and dust.
• On the peel of the watermelon should be a spot of yellow. This will indicate that this part of the fruit in contact with the soil and matured naturally in the garden in the sun.
• The pereushenny tail of the fruit does not speak about the degree of its ripeness. This sign only indicates that the watermelon was stored for a long time.
• It is necessary to consider the size of the fetus and its weight. If in appearance the massive fruit weighs less than a watermelon of this size is supposed to be, then this indicates its over-ripeness.
• It is better to choose medium-sized fruits.

• The rind of a ripe berry should be dense and shiny. You can try to press on the skin with your fingernail, if it is easily pierced, then this fruit should not be acquired.
• The fruits of watermelon have gender identity. To distinguish the "boy" from the "girl" can be on the opposite tail. In the "girls" this part of the watermelon is flat and has a mark in the form of a circle of large diameter. In the "boys", on the contrary, this edge is convex, and the circle is very small. It is believed that the "female" berries are sweeter and have fewer seeds.
• The beginning of the season of watermelons is August. Buying berries in the beginning or in the middle of summer is quite dangerous, since they can contain a large amount of nitrates. You can check the fruit for the presence of harmful substances at home, after purchase. To do this, a piece of pulp must be dipped in a glass of clean drinking water and left for a couple of minutes. If the water becomes turbid and does not change color, the watermelon can be safely eaten. If the liquid acquires a pink or red hue, it will speak about the content in the pulp of a large amount of nitrates.
• One of the most proven ways to check a watermelon for maturity is the sound that comes when you tap on the skin. A ripe sound will be a sign of a ripe fruit.

Canned watermelons are a low-calorie product and can be consumed during weight loss. However, it should be noted that the calorie content of pickled berries is still higher than fresh, and is 37 kcal per 100 grams of pulp.

In the process of conservation, watermelon practically does not lose its beneficial properties. Salted fruits contain many minerals, which favorably affects the state of the organism as a whole. Magnesium is preserved especially in large quantities in the pulp. This element has a positive effect on the work of the cardiovascular system. In addition, magnesium is a substance that is used for the prevention of depression.

Marinated and salted watermelons can harm the human body only if the fruits are of poor quality (high content of nitrates in the pulp). Also, the negative effects can be in the presence of a person of certain health problems.

There are the following contraindications to the use of canned product:

• elevated blood sugar levels;
• urinary tract stones;
• violation of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Despite the fact that the salting and pickling processes are very similar to each other, these cooking methods do not mean the same thing. Marinating involves the use of vinegar, which, in turn, plays the role of a preservative. Vinegar is one of the components of the prepared marinade or is introduced to the main components already in jars during preservation.

In addition to acetic acid, various spices, salt and sugar are included in the pickling mixture. Marinating products can be not only in glass containers, but also in barrels, provided that the marinade is highly concentrated and sharp.

The pickling process also refers to the method of preserving foods. However, in this case, the role of preservative is played by lactic acid, which is formed as a result of fermentation. Sugar is converted into lactic acid, which is already contained in vegetables and fruits, and can also be added to products as a separate component. However, most often when salting, only salt is added to the products. Varieties of salting are also the process of urinating and fermentation.

The main ingredient for pickling watermelons is vinegar. Harvested fruits in banks. There are ways to prepare both using can sterilization and without it.

The easiest option to pickle watermelons involves the use of granulated sugar, salt and vinegar 9%.

To prepare a marinade for 10 kilograms of fruit will need:

• 8 liters of water;
• 500 milliliters of vinegar;
• 500 grams of granulated sugar;
• 250 grams of salt.

Berry must be well washed and divided into portions. The size of the cut will depend on the volume of cans used. Chopped watermelon is placed in jars and marinated.

To prepare the solution, you need to bring the water to a boil and add the rest of the ingredients (salt, sugar and vinegar). Marinade is well mixed and boiled for five minutes. After that, the hot solution is poured into the cans, which must be rolled up immediately. A closed container with watermelons must be closed with a blanket or warm clothing. After the banks have cooled, they are stored for storage in a dark, cold place.

Watermelons with garlic have more unusual flavor characteristics than the fruits marinated according to the classic recipe. Garlic gives sharpness to the berry, which acquires a salty taste in the process of marinating.

To harvest the fruit in this way will require the following components:

• 4 kilograms of watermelon pulp;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 100 grams of salt;
• 160 grams of sugar;
• 160 grams of vinegar 9%.

Watermelon must be washed and peeled. The pulp is cut into small pieces and placed in jars. Garlic is cut into plates of medium thickness and added to the watermelon. The contents of the cans must be filled with boiled hot water for two minutes. After that, the liquid must be drained. Then the banks are poured again and merge a couple more times.

After the third time, sugar and salt are added to the watermelon water. Marinade is put on the stove and brought to a boil. After the solution boils, it will need to pour vinegar. The resulting mixture is distributed in banks, after which they immediately need to roll up.

During the day, closed containers with watermelons should be kept at room temperature. It is better to cover them with a warm cloth. After 24 hours, banks can be removed for storage in a dark cool room.

To marinate watermelon with tomatoes, it is necessary to take still immature fruits.

To cook the berries in this way, you will need the following products:

• five kilograms of tomatoes;
• two small watermelons;
• six heads of garlic;
• sixty black peppercorns;
• sixty grams of mustard powder;
• eighteen laurel leaves;
• twenty grams of dill seeds;
• salt and sugar at the rate of seventy grams per two liters of water;
• one hundred fifty milliliters of vinegar 70%.

Glass cans and iron lids must first be sterilized. At the bottom of each container stacked allspice (10 peas), bay leaves (3 pieces) and a pair of cloves of garlic. Watermelon must be washed and cut, while the skin is completely peeled.

Watermelon slices are laid in banks alternately with whole tomatoes. Then you need to cook the marinade. In each jar of food boiled water is poured and aged for ten minutes. The resulting solution is poured into a large saucepan and brought to a boil.

Salt, granulated sugar and dill are added to the marinade. The solution is poured into cans, after which vinegar and mustard in equal quantities should be added to each container.

As methods of marinating, methods of salting watermelons there are a large number. The difference lies in the ingredients used and some of the cooking features. Salted berry can be prepared in large quantities for the winter or for single use after several days after preparation.

The process of salting watermelons in this recipe will take four days, after which you can eat berries.

Based on one liter of water, the following components will be required:

• one large spoonful of granulated sugar;
• tablespoon of salt;
• small spoon of honey.

In addition to the listed ingredients, you will need currant and cherry leaves, dill, fresh garlic and watermelon itself. The amount of garlic and dill depends on taste preferences. First of all, honey is placed in a jar. Then laid out small pieces of watermelon. Each layer is covered with cherry and currant leaves and sprinkled with chopped garlic cloves and dill.

The contents of the jar is poured with pre-prepared brine. For its preparation, water is mixed with sugar and salt, after which the solution is brought to a boil. Fruits are prepared for four days, while the banks must remain open. After this time, the berries can be eaten or rolled into jars for the winter. If long-term storage of watermelons is chosen, the brine must be drained from the jar, brought to a boil, and poured back. Then you should close the cans with lids.

It is possible to harvest watermelons for the winter not only in 2-3 liter cans, but also in large wooden barrels. This method of cooking does not take much time and effort. In this case, the secret of success will be in the correctly selected fruits, which should be juicy and sweet.

Another advantage of this method of salting is the minimum amount of ingredients used. For the preparation of brine will need only salt and water. The number of berries, as well as the brine itself depends entirely on the volume of the container where the products will be placed.

Fruits should be thoroughly washed, wiped with a clean towel and let them dry completely. The peel of the watermelon must be pierced with a wooden toothpick. In total, it is necessary to make ten such punctures on each berry. Prepared fruit stacked in a barrel, and the container must also be clean and dry.

Watermelons are poured with brine so that it covers them completely. To prepare the solution will require water and salt, the amount of which also depends on the volume of the barrel. One liter of drinking water must be taken seven hundred grams of salt.

The barrel must be covered with a clean, thick cloth and covered with a wooden flat lid. Circle of wood must first be doused with boiling water. On top of the lid, you need to put any heavy object so that the barrel is hermetically sealed and no air enters it.

The container is kept for 24 hours at room temperature. A day later, the container must be removed in a cool dark place and left for twenty-one days. After the specified term watermelons can be eaten.

There are many recipes for pickled and salted watermelons, each of which involves the use of certain ingredients. Select the appropriate method of cooking is based on personal taste preferences. To get the pulp, the taste of which will be closest to fresh fruit, you can prepare watermelons in their own juice.

The use of various seasonings will give the fruits spicery. You can use spices such as ginger root, coriander, black peppercorns, and cloves of fresh garlic. Fruits can also be harvested with other fruits and vegetables. Watermelons go well with apples and unripe tomatoes. Another option is to use cabbage.

When salting watermelons in wooden barrels, it is necessary to carefully monitor the preparation of the fruit. The first step is to provide suitable storage conditions. Keep food containers in a cool dark place. If a moldy film has formed on the surface of the brine, then it must be removed immediately, after which it is necessary to add a little liquid.

How to pickle a watermelon in a can, see the next video.