How Long Can Watermelon Sit Out And Does It Go Bad?

Watermelon is amongst the freshest and juicy fruits. It has 90 percent of water content in it. That’s why people prefer to eat it in excess in summers. Watermelon itself is a summer fruit as it is harvested in early August. People eat this fruit after chilling to cool down their thirst in summer.

Plenty of questions can arise in your mind about watermelon when you have the fruit at your home. We collected some most frequently asked questions in this article about watermelon. Continue reading the article if you are interested.

How Long Can Watermelon Sit Out?

Sliced watermelon can last for only 2 hours on your kitchen counter. At room temperature, the sliced watermelon goes bad if left for longer than 2 hours. This is because the watermelon is very watery, and the water content makes the watermelon very perishable.

Watermelon is a sweet fruit. There is a lot of chance of bacterial and fungal growth in a hot environment. So, it is best if you refrigerate the watermelon timely. Uncut watermelon can stay good at room temperature for more than a week.

What Happens If Watermelon Sits Out Too Long?

If sliced watermelon sits out too long, it will certainly go bad. You would have to discard the whole watermelon because a single bad slice of watermelon will negatively affect the whole plate. After 2 hours, it is a must to refrigerate the watermelon.

Also, when it comes to cutting the watermelon, people use either sharp knives or watermelon slicers. Both are little dangerous ways because direct hands are used in these methods. This leads to bacterial transfer. That’s why great care is needed to store the sliced watermelons.

How Long Can Watermelon Be In The Car For?

The watermelon will stay good for the same period in the car as on the kitchen counter. You will have to store it properly if you take it on long drives. The watermelon slices should be kept in airtight storage boxes either of plastic or glass. In this way, it will last for 2 to 3 hours.

If the watermelon is kept an indirect heat source like sunlight or any other, it may go bad even before the mentioned time. Uncut watermelon will last longer than the sliced one in the car. As long as the uncut watermelon is placed in a cool spot in the car, it will stay healthy to eat.

What Should You Do If Watermelon Is Left Out Too Long?

If the watermelon slices are left out for too long, you will have to toss them out. Watermelon, if left without care, go bad very quickly. There is a great chance of bacterial growth on the watermelon if exposed to air and germs. You cannot eat bacterial fruit. Thus you will have to discard it.

Uncut watermelon will stay good at room temperature for about a week. So you do not have to worry about that. What you need to do is keep the watermelon in such a place in your pantry that it is relatively cool and free of moisture.

Does Watermelon Go Bad If Not Refrigerated?

Watermelon in its sliced form does go bad if it is not refrigerated. You have to refrigerate the watermelon within 2 hours. And if the room temperature is higher than average, you will need to refrigerate the watermelon even before 2 hours; otherwise, the watermelon will go bad.

Watermelon is temperature-sensitive. All this is because of the great water content and the sweet flavor of the fruit. They are extremely juicy and flavorful that your house ants will also not resist eating them. That’s why you need to store it properly inside the refrigerator.

Does Watermelon Go Bad If You Lose Power?

Watermelon may go bad if you lose power in your house. After the 5 to 6 hour period, the food inside the fridges starts to spoil. The same is the case with watermelon. They do not spoil in this period because the refrigerators maintain their temperatures even in a power outage.

After this period, either you will have to eat the leftover watermelons, or they will go bad, and you will have to discard them.

What Temperature Is Safe for Watermelon?

There is a great chance of bacterial growth on watermelon when kept in the danger zone above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. So, to avoid this situation, you must refrigerate the sliced watermelon below 40 degrees. In this way, you will enjoy the same freshness and taste of watermelon for 3 to 4 days.

How To Store Watermelon?

Like other fruits, watermelon can be stored for a long period. If you have bought too much Watermelon and are planning to store it for a long time, you need to store it in good conditions. If you store the Watermelon as a whole, it will retain its best quality for a bit long.

If you have cut it into pieces, eaten some amount, and now you are wondering where to store the leftovers, you need to take care of the following things.

Place it in a cool place

You can place the Watermelon at room temperature for a long period, but it is better to store it in a cool place. The cooler the place, the longer it will stay fresh.

Store in the refrigerator

Once you have cut the Watermelon into pieces and eaten some amount of it, you need to store the remaining pieces in the refrigerator. The refrigerator is the best place to store the fruits. But if you want to store it in the refrigerator for more than one day, you should wrap it tightly.

Airtight containers or resealable bags are the best options for storing a quarter or half piece of Watermelon. Wrapping will protect the Watermelon from drying, and it will also prevent the interaction with other odors in the fridge.

Store in the freezer

you can also store Watermelon in the freezer. If you do not want to use the Watermelon within a week, you can store it in the freezer.

Can You Freeze Watermelon?

The shelf-life of Watermelon is increased if it is stored in the freezer. Watermelon can retain its quality for a long period in the freezer. Leftovers can be stored in the freezer quite easily. However, it will lose its texture by freezing the Watermelon, and it will not remain as fresh as it was before.

To freeze Watermelon, you need to cut it into small pieces. Use airtight containers or freezer bags to store them. Make sure that you remove the skin and seeds from the Watermelon before freezing it. These pieces can sit in the freezer for months retaining their peak quality.

Never forget to defrost it before taking it out of the freezer.

How Long Does Watermelon Last?

Like other fruits, the shelf life of Watermelon is not long. A whole watermelon can sit in the pantry for a week or maybe ten days if stored in the refrigerator. The cut pieces of Watermelon can last up to five days, retaining their peak quality. It also depends on the freshness that how long that fruit will last.

It is recommended to eat the Watermelon right after its cutting. In this case, you can enjoy the delicious fresh taste of Watermelon. If it is wrapped properly before storing in the fridge, it will last for more time. Cut pieces of Watermelon can last up to five days in the fridge.

Watermelon can last for a long time in the freezer, but it will lose its freshness and texture.

How To Tell If Watermelon Is Bad?

It is not very difficult to differentiate between a fresh and bad watermelon. When fruit gets spoiled, there is a change in its taste, color, and smell. Similarly, the taste, color, and smell of Watermelon also change when it gets spoiled.

However, it is difficult to tell about the whole Watermelon whether it is bad or not. Even the small bruises or dark spots outside the Watermelon will not tell us correctly about its freshness. If you cannot identify whether the Watermelon is bad or not, you need to take care of the following things.

• When you cut the Watermelon into two pieces, you can tell whether it is fresh or not. It is color pure red, and you do not see any dark spots or slime on its surface. It is fresh. But if you notice any dark spots or changes in the color, you should avoid using it.
• Taste the fruit. If it tastes bad, then you should not use it.
• Give it a good sniff. If it smells sour, then it would be best for you to discard it.
• Sometimes, you cannot tell by the taste and color, but if the Watermelon has gone way past its recommendation date, you should avoid using it.

Sources

• Money. yahoo
• Illinois farm families
• Leaf