A sweet watermelon snack in the garden can end up being an unpleasant surprise. If a cut watermelon is left in tropical temperatures, bacteria from the unwashed rind multiply exponentially in the warm flesh. The rule of two hours in the heat is not an unnecessary strictness, but a protection against poisoning.
Few of us can imagine summer without a refreshing, ice-cold watermelon. We buy large, heavy fruits full of sweet juice mainly at times when the mercury on the thermometer climbs to tropical values and we are looking for a pleasant way to supply the body with the missing fluids. However, we often struggle at home with the fact that we cannot eat such a giant piece at once, so we leave the sliced watermelon lying on the kitchen counter or garden table, thinking that we will eat it later. At that moment, however, we unconsciously start a dangerous biological clock. What will happen? In the hot summer air, the sweet and watery pulp is the perfect breeding ground for the rapid multiplication of bacteria.
For example, the youtube video of author Ondra Šimeček shows how to grow watermelons:
Bacteria wreak havoc
Many of us live under the misconception that when a watermelon grows in a field in the open air, its skin protects it 100% and the inside is completely sterile after cutting. The fundamental error comes at the very beginning, when the knife passes over the unwashed surface of the fruit and introduces unwanted microorganisms directly into the red pulp. As soon as these invisible enemies get to the sugars and water inside the melon (and we also keep the bottle or tray with the fruit warm), they start to divide at an exponential rate.
Keep the watermelon cool
If we want to enjoy watermelon outside on the terrace or at a family picnic, we must follow the inexorable two-hour rule without excuse. When cut pieces of fruit are left in direct sunlight or in heat exceeding thirty degrees Celsius for more than two hours, they should end up in the trash without mercy. At high summer temperatures, even just sixty minutes is enough to create such a quantity of toxins in the pulp that it reliably ensures us unpleasant food poisoning accompanied by abdominal cramps and other accompanying phenomena. So if we know that we will be spending the whole afternoon at the party, we have to continuously store the bowls of fruit in coolers filled with ice.
Quickly to the fridge
As soon as we return home from a summer trip – perhaps just to the garden – with the rest of the watermelon, the safest way is to immediately process it and store it in the refrigerator. We must close the remaining diced cubes as quickly as possible in clean, airtight plastic or glass boxes, which will prevent the fruit from absorbing odors from other foods in the cold.
Check the quality
A watermelon treated in this way is good for us, but its quality and taste must be continuously checked with our own senses. As soon as the liquid at the bottom of the container begins to foam suspiciously, the pulp loses its firm structure or acquires a slightly sour smell, do not risk consumption.
Nature is relentless
By following these few simple hygiene habits, we can ensure that summer refreshment stays safe for all our family and friends. In short, preparing food in the hot months requires a little more discipline, because nature is working at full speed all around us during this period. Not only in the realms that we can observe, but also in the micro world that we are not even aware of. The best way is to wash the watermelon thoroughly under running water before each cut of the knife, return the leftovers to the cold in time and enjoy carefree summer days with a clear head and healthy digestion.
