The sweet and flavorful watermelons are heaven’s drink during the summer. If you are dreaming about enjoying this delicious fruit all year with effective storage practices, we have everything to offer you in this aspect.
In this guide, we've come up with 12 different watermelon storage techniques, helping you to preserve and enjoy the delicious watermelon for a longer period.
If you are looking for a whole watermelon to store, it has been recommended to place it in a cool and dry area away from the reach of the sunlight at room temperature around your house.
It would be best if you allow proper airflow around the fruit to avoid molding. You can store the whole uncut watermelon for about 1-2 weeks at room temperature.
According to a study published in Oecologia, sunlight is found to accelerate the breakdown process of matter resulting in photodegradation. This means exposing watermelon to the sunlight will reduce its shelf life.
Thus, while storing your watermelon you need to choose a dark storage location away from the direct rays of sunlight. Cupboards or countertop corners might be suitable places around your house to store the watermelon.
You should know that watermelon ceases to ripen once it is picked or separated from the plant. But it will continue to get softer or mushy over time if unused or left on its own. Therefore, you need to use your refrigeration.
Refrigerating whole watermelons are found to slow down the process of degradation, increasing the shelf life by about 2-3 weeks. Make sure to put it just as it is in the fridge without any additional cover.
You should keep in mind that the safe zone temperature for your fridge to store watermelon is 40°F, as stated by the FDA. Considering this, you should look for the warmest spot in your fridge for storing watermelon.
Watermelon when exposed to extreme cold is found to degrade its quality. Therefore, you should avoid keeping them near the evaporator fan, ice maker area, back, and bottom portion of the fridge which are the common coldest areas.
If you have already cut your watermelon and wondering how to store cut watermelon, you can take the help of your refrigeration unit. First, keep the watermelon pieces in the plastic wrap and seal it tightly.
After that, you need to place them in a refrigerator for about a week. Keep in mind to secure the container nicely before storing it in the fridge!
If it is your first time cutting a watermelon, it is definitely going to trouble you. With its bulky size and heavy weight, you would find it difficult to make a proper cut using your kitchen knife. We've come up with a list of instructions to ease you in this particular task:
Once you prepare watermelon cubes by cutting them properly, you can keep them in a bowl having a tight lid and place them in the refrigerator. This way, watermelon cubes can be consumed for the next coming week.
In addition to that, you need to make sure the containers are sealed properly before storing them in the fridge, or else your watermelon will get spoiled due to the loss of moisture and the influence of nearby odors.
The cooler can be another way to store your watermelon for a longer period. Once you pick the watermelon, it starts to degrade over time if you let it be on its own in your kitchen.
But if you use a cooler filled with ice to store your watermelon, you can significantly prevent their spoilage. Make sure the watermelons are wrapped properly with a thick element so that direct contact with the chilled ice is avoided.
We are pretty sure, you adore the watermelon juice. From now on you can try storing the juice of watermelon in the refrigerator using a preferable container having a proper seal. Remember a tight lid is mandatory if you are to enjoy refreshing juice for a few more days.
This approach can help to enjoy the delicious watermelon juice for a week to come!
Freezing is one of the effective methods to store your watermelon for the longest run which can be consumed even during the off-season. You can consume them for about a year with more or less the same flavor and taste.
Many professionals suggest freezing the watermelon slices in a freezer using a freezer container or any effective container. Remember to seal the container properly to avoid freezer burns!
Well, it’d be best if you avoid freezing the whole watermelon and go for the watermelon slices cut into desired shapes instead. Before freezing make sure to remove the rinds and seeds, or else it’ll get frozen and hard.
In addition to that, you would not want all of your freezer space to be occupied by the whole watermelon. Try being productive and creative!
Similarly, another important approach to storing your cut watermelon is using lemon juice. The citric acid of lemon is found to increase the shelf life of watermelon by a day or two, retaining the color and taste.
You can simply rub the lemon juice using a brush on the watermelon pieces and refrigerate it storing it in an airtight container. You are certain to get the same taste and coloration of your watermelon for several days to come.
Besides the soft red-pink portion of the watermelon, its rinds can also be stored and consumed. Yes, you can pickle the rinds by slicing them into thin portions and boiling them in the vinegar-sugar syrup.
After pickling the rinds properly, you can store them in an airtight jar keeping safely in the refrigerator for a few weeks. This way, you can consume the pickled rinds either as a vegetable or raw pickle.
The container you choose to store your watermelon pieces plays a significant role in keeping your watermelon flavorful without losing its essence. Therefore, it has been recommended to pick a container that can be completely sealed.
Make sure to use an airtight container such as a food saver bag so that your fruits are sealed properly and isolated from the outer environment with a minimum exchange of air. Remember to use a clean and dry container before placing the watermelons.
Dehydration simply means the removal of excess moisture and water and if you dehydrate your watermelon, you ensure their preservation for a longer period. You can use a food dehydrator to dry your watermelon after cutting it into thin slices. After that, you can choose to store them in an airtight container.
You can enjoy the flavorful dried watermelon for several months to come if you make sure they are stored in a favorable dark and dry location.
Picking the right watermelon is what determines its texture and taste. Yes, if you fail to choose a perfect watermelon then no matter which storage practices you follow, you are not going to get the real, natural flavor of the fruit. You will find the necessary tips to pick a good watermelon below:
If you choose to store your watermelon, no matter whether it is whole or cut, with a proper and systematic approach, you can definitely increase its shelf life, extending its freshness. This way, you can enjoy the sweet and refreshing watermelon for many days or even weeks to come.
Proper storage enhances the natural sweetness and taste of the watermelon. However, wrong storage conditions may result in flavor changes, making the fruit less appealing.
The natural texture of the watermelon can be secured if you properly store them. But if you fail, your watermelon can be either too soft or too hard to chew, ruining its texture.
You should know that the only way to enhance the vitamin content of your watermelon is through correct storage practices. This way one is assured of getting the entire health benefit of the fruit.
The risk of molds and bacteria forming on the cut watermelon is reduced by correct storage practices. This is important specifically to preserve the fruit’s integrity and the health of the consumers.
