If you’ve ever sat in a car in the middle of August with the windows up, you know what hot feels like. The sad truth is, hundreds, if not thousands, of products suffer every year from heat-exhaustion after being left in the car for too long. The list includes ice cream, milk and, perhaps the most tragic, watermelons.
To remind you of the dangers of leaving your watermelon in a hot car and what to do if that happens, check out this post from 2012:
KIM ASKS: I left my uncut watermelon in the car overnight accidentally! The temperature yesterday reached 100. Will the watermelon still be safe to eat?
We hear so much about the dangers of leaving children and pets in cars during the hot summer months, but no one ever talks about the tragedy of leaving a watermelon in the car. I guess because it’s not really a “tragedy,” but that depends on who you ask.
Your dilemma is a frightening one and also tough to answer. I spoke with some of the experts at the National Watermelon Promotion Board, and their advice about whether a watermelon is still good to use is to refer to the “When in doubt, throw it out” rule. Sad, I know. But at some point everyone who purchases fresh produce will have to.
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