Storing Watermelons

According to a report from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, watermelons stored at room temperature retain more nutrients than those stored in the fridge and even more than freshly picked melons. Findings showed that watermelons continue to produce nutrients after they are picked and that chilling slows this process. When measured against other freshly picked fruit, the study showed watermelon that was stored at 70 F gained up to 40 percent more lycopene and 50 percent to 139 percent extra beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A.