Can winter melon be put in the refrigerator?

Winter melon is a food ingredient that we are very familiar with in daily life. It contains many nutrients, and there are many ways to cook winter melon. It is rich in nutrition and tastes delicious. Therefore, winter melon is loved by many people. Due to the large size of winter melon, many times we buy a small piece of it from the market. After buying this kind of winter melon, you can store it in the refrigerator and take it out and prepare it when you want to eat it.

Can winter melon be put in the refrigerator?

Generally speaking, whether winter melon needs to be stored in the refrigerator depends mainly on whether the winter melon has been cut. The cut winter melon can be stored in the refrigerator, and the whole winter melon can be stored at room temperature.

If the winter melon is cut, it can be stored in the refrigerator, but be sure to wrap it with plastic wrap and put it in the fruit and vegetable layer. If it is a whole winter melon, it can be stored at room temperature.

How to store winter melon after cutting

Store in a cool place

If you cannot finish eating the winter melon after cutting it, you can put the remaining part in a ventilated and cool place. It can be stored for 1-2 days, but it is best to eat it on the same day.

Use white paper to cover the cut surface

If you don't have a refrigerator, you can just take a piece of clean white paper the size of the cross-section of the winter melon and stick it on it, then smooth it out with your hands and it will be stored for 4 days without going bad. But be sure to place it in a ventilated place.

Refrigerator storage

If you don’t use up all the winter melon, you can wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator’s fresh-keeping layer. This method will keep it for about 2-3 days.

Preserve with plastic wrap

After the winter melon is cut, spots of mucus will appear on the cut surface. At this time, you can use a piece of plastic wrap that is slightly larger than the cut surface or a clean white paper of the same size as the cut surface to cover it. If you touch it tightly with your hand, it can be kept fresh for 3-5 days.

Soak in rice water for storage

After peeling and removing the seeds of the winter melon, cut it into palm-sized pieces. Then cut each piece three times horizontally and vertically, leaving the bottom intact. Soak it in rice water for 24 hours, then change to cold water with a little salt and continue soaking. This way it can be stored for 2-3 days.

How to store the whole winter melon

If the winter melon is not cut, it can be stored for several months as long as it is kept at room temperature in a ventilated and cool place. But eating fresh winter melon has better taste and nutrition.

The winter melons for storage should be late-maturing large varieties with thick skin, thick flesh, dense texture, shiny green skin, covered with wax, uniform size, and no damage. The size of the cellar depends on the quantity to be stored. It is generally around 30 square meters and can store 5,000 kilograms of winter melon. Most of the cellars are semi-underground, 3.6 meters high, with the above-ground and underground parts 1.8 meters high respectively. There are windows all around, which can be opened front, back, left and right to facilitate ventilation. The cellar should be sealed 2 to 3 days before the winter melon is stored and fumigated with potassium permanganate for disinfection. Place hay or straw mats at the bottom of the warehouse and place winter melons on top. Generally, stack them in no more than 3 layers to avoid crushing and damage. The winter melon should be placed according to its state when growing in the field. This will allow the winter melon to maintain its original gravity direction, preventing the flesh from being easily torn and allowing for a longer storage time. Strengthen ventilation in the early stage of winter melon storage, and open windows for ventilation when the temperature is high at noon to facilitate heat dissipation and cooling, eliminate moisture, reduce environmental humidity, and keep the cellar dry. During the storage of winter melon, the cellar temperature should be maintained at 10-15℃ and the relative humidity should be maintained at 70%-75% to avoid frost damage. It can generally be stored for 3 to 5 months.