- The distinction between fruit and vegetables
- A question of the age of the plants
- Add watermelon as a savory vegetable side dish
- tips and tricks
Ripe watermelons and other types of melons such as the honeydew melon do taste sweet, but the question is sometimes asked whether they count as fruit or vegetable.
The distinction between fruit and vegetables
The botanical affiliation to the genus Cucurbitaceae and thus a close relationship to pumpkins and cucumbers is often cited as an argument for classification within the vegetable category. The classification as a fruit is therefore based more on the basis of a culinary assignment to the supposedly sweet fruit. Strictly scientifically, there is actually no such separation between fruit and vegetables based on taste. After all, there are also some types of fruit that do not necessarily taste sweet:
- quinces
- rosehips
- avocados
Rhubarb, on the other hand, is usually perceived as a vegetable, although it is usually processed into desserts. The taste alone does not answer the question of which fruit or vegetable it belongs to.
A question of the age of the plants
In fact, the assignment to fruit or vegetables is based on the age of the respective plants. Fruits are perennial plants, some of which can reach a very old age as shrubs or trees. Therefore, strictly speaking, the fruits of the olive tree are considered fruit. Vegetables, on the other hand, are defined as everything that dies off after harvesting with the remaining plant parts, or, like asparagus, which has a maximum cultivation period of two years. With the melon as a vegetable, all parts of the plant die off until new plants grow from the seeds in the next season.
Add watermelon as a savory vegetable side dish
The watermelon, which actually tastes sweet, is also eaten in some countries as a savory vegetable side dish. This involves cutting the fruit into pieces and pickling it in a vinegar solution, which is also a good practice for long-term storage of the watermelon.
tips and tricks
Due to the shorter vegetation period and the cooler temperatures, melons in this country have to be brought forward in good time or grown in a greenhouse if the fruit is to be ready for harvest.
WK