If your watermelon looks like this, throw it away right away.

The other day, I was scrolling through my social media, not searching for anything specific, when I saw a post that really amazed me. In the image, there was a watermelon on the kitchen counter with what looked like foam coming out of a crack in its skin. The message was even scarier: “When we put our watermelon from Costco on the kitchen counter, it started to foam.” Barbara searched online and found out that she should take it out of the house right away because it might explode as it ferments. We placed it in a plastic bag and gently put it in the trash can outside. This morning, I saw that the watermelon burst and made a hole in the bottom of the trash can. There are maggots all over the place.

Because I really like watermelon and eat it at least once a week, this post was both fascinating and a bit unsettling. I never imagined that my favorite fruit in summer could be so risky!

The reason why watermelons explode.

Why do watermelons foam and sometimes burst? You may have seen that watermelons can get very juicy and start to go bad if they are spoiled or left in hot weather. When bacteria get inside the fruit, they break down the sugars and release carbon dioxide gas. The gas inside the watermelon builds up pressure. If this pressure cannot escape, the watermelon will simply burst. You are now holding a watermelon that looks like a grenade.

If your watermelon has a lot of foam, here’s what you can do.