BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 2, 2023
The foam emerging from watermelons bought in Maine stores is a sign the fruit inside is actively fermenting — a natural process that started far away. And it’s been affecting more watermelons this summer as the states in which the watermelons are grown have been facing above average temperatures. Most of the watermelons found at Maine stores come from Florida, Arizona, California, Delaware or Texas. At some point in the growing process in one of those states the melons pick up a bacteria. That bacteria combined with the natural sugars and yeast in the melons. Fermentation — the chemical breaking down of the melon’s insides — began. A watermelon that has started foaming or leaking liquid should never be consumed.