Watermelon Foam

GFTL

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I am a home gardener and grew watermelon this year. When I say watermelon I mean I only grew 1. After I placed it on my counter I realized it was foaming a soapy substance from a single spot on the rhyne. Any ideas what this is?
 

Meadowlark

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It happened to a lot of growers this summer with the record heat. Bacteria acting on the fructose in the overripe melon ferments causing the foam you see. Under some circumstances it can actually explode with the pressure build-up inside the melon.
 

GFTL

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It happened to a lot of growers this summer with the record heat. Bacteria acting on the fructose in the overripe melon ferments causing the foam you see. Under some circumstances it can actually explode with the pressure build-up inside the melon.
That makes sense but here in Michigan we fortunately didn't have to deal with the heat that most of the country did this year. I watched the melon for ripeness regularly using the little curly tendril drying as an indicator. I hope it's still good. Was saving it for the grandchildren.
 

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That's happened to me too. The watermelon is fermenting on the inside.
 

MiTmite9

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I am a home gardener and grew watermelon this year. When I say watermelon I mean I only grew 1. After I placed it on my counter I realized it was foaming a soapy substance from a single spot on the rhyne. Any ideas what this is?
I think you meant to type in "rind."
 

YumYum

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Is the melon spoiled?
That melon actually split open from the fermentation pressure. I don't know if it was spoiled or not. I didn't try a bite of it. It didn't smell like a mash barrel.
 

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