Watermelons are loved by almost everyone. At the word "watermelon", most people think of a slice of watermelon with red juicy pulp, dark seeds and a green crust. However, breeders have bred many varieties of watermelons that differ in various parameters: the color of the flesh, taste, color of the bark, thickness of the bark, the shape of the fruit, etc.
Watermelon is an annual gourd of
the pumpkin family. It is generally accepted that watermelon is a berry, but in reality the fruit of a watermelon is a pumpkin, similar in structure to a berry. In shape, the fruit of the watermelon can be spherical, oval, flattened, and even cubic. The color of the bark of a watermelon can be from white to dark green, drawings on the cortex - in the form of stripes, nets, spots. The pulp of watermelon is pink, raspberry, red, white, yellow. Watermelons are 90% water.
Today, watermelons can be purchased at any time of the year. Even in winter, there are both regular and yellow watermelons brought from Thailand. By the way, watermelons of this color in Thailand are in high esteem, because, according to Thai beliefs, yellow color brings good luck and attracts money.
Yellow watermelon is the result of crossing a wild watermelon, which has yellow flesh, with an ordinary one. Compared to red, it is sweeter and has a honey flavor. There are much fewer seeds in yellow watermelons than in red ones.
Sometimes there is a yellow watermelon without
seeds. Seeds in yellow watermelons, of course, are, just in some varieties they ripen much later than the fruit and for some time remain small and soft.
In Russia, as well as abroad, they are engaged in the selection of watermelons. In Astrakhan, a variety of yellow watermelons was bred, which was called "Lunar". The creator of this variety is Sergey Sokolov, who spent more than 10 years on its breeding. The yellow Lunar watermelon is very sweet with an interesting aftertaste. Some believe that the variety has a taste of mango, while others are inclined to the fact that lemon. The variety “Lunar” is a thin-bark, cork layer poorly developed. From the point of view of the consumer, this is good, but there are problems with the transportation of such watermelons, special devices are required.
Since recent times, yellow watermelons began to grow in the Kuban. The Kuban experimenter Igor Likhosenko became known for his yellow cubic-shaped watermelons. When growing watermelons, Likhosenko puts them in special glass forms. With marvelous watermelons, the melon-gutter tries to attract the attention of vacationers on the Black Sea coast, he succeeds.
Yellow watermelon is no less useful than red. It contains vitamins and minerals. The pulp of watermelon contains glucose, fructose, carotene, fiber, vitamins C, B1, PP, B2, folic acid, potassium, sodium, magnesium. Eating yellow watermelons is beneficial for the cardiovascular system and endocrine glands. Fiber, contained in watermelons, improves bowel function, helps to remove cholesterol. Watermelons are an excellent diuretic that helps get rid of edema. They are recommended for use in many diseases: gout, gastritis, arthritis, obesity, etc.
Choosing a quality yellow watermelon is easy. It should not weigh more than 5 kg, the peel should have a bright color, when pressed with a fingernail, a scratch should remain. Otherwise, the same principles apply as when choosing a red watermelon.
Yellow watermelon is often consumed fresh. In addition, from such watermelons you can cook unusual dishes. For example, fried watermelon in a protein batter or a Margarita drink.