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How to Pick Out a Good Melon Check the Weight. You want to choose a melon that feels heavy for its size. Look for Flaws. Some melon-skin flaws are bad—like cracks and bruises. Check for a Field Spot. Smell the Melon. Tap the Melon. Take a Break. Try Again.
How do you pick a good melon?
Tips for Picking a Ripe Melon Pay Attention to Size and Weight. Whether it’s large or small, a ripe melon will feel heavy for its size. Check for Defects on the Rind. Turn the melon in your hands and carefully inspect the surface area. Look at the Color. “Knock” on the surface. Give it a Sniff.
How can you tell if a melon is ripe?
As with cantaloupe, color is your first sign of ripeness. The melon’s green rind will take on a creamy yellowish color. If the color is right, gently push on the end of the melon opposite from the stem. If there is a slight give, the melon is probably ripe.
How do you pick a ripe melon all the time?
It should feel heavy for its size and have a mild, sweet aroma. Pass on any with bruises or soft spots. If you happen to find small, dry, brown lines in little patches on the rind, that’s a good sign of sweetness, showing where sugar has slowly seeped out of the fruit.
How do you know a melon is sweet?
When ripe, the color of the rind should be a creamy yellow rather than green, and the rind will become smooth and waxy rather than dusky. If you press on the bottom of a ripe honeydew (the opposite end from where it’s attached to the vine), it should feel slightly soft or at least a little springy.
How do you pick a good honeydew melon?
When buying watermelon and honeydew, choose a melon with a dull looking appearance. A shiny outside is an indicator of an underripe melon. Also, honeydews should be pale yellow to light lemon in color, not overly green.
How do you know if a green melon is ripe?
Here’s how to do it. Consider the color. The rind of a ripe honeydew will be a bright, creamy yellow color. If it looks particularly green, skip it—it’s probably underripe. Test the texture. Is that rind smooth and waxy? Give it a feel. Find the blossom end, which is opposite the end where it was attached to the vine.
Is cantaloupe same as honeydew?
Honeydew melon and cantaloupe are two members of the same species, Cucumis melo (1). Yet, though they’re closely related, they’re two distinctive fruits. They’re similarly sweet, but honeydew melon has a smooth, light-colored rind and green flesh, while cantaloupe has a darker, netted rind and orange flesh (1, 2 ).
How long does it take for a melon to ripen?
Melons typically ripen over a short period of time, up to 3 to 4 weeks for cantaloupes. As soon as one melon is ripe, the others won’t be far behind. About a week before a melon is ripe, minimize watering to just enough to keep vines from wilting. This lets vines concentrate sugars in the fruit.
Do melons ripen after picking?
Do melons ripen after they are picked? Once picked, melons no longer get sweeter or tastier, so it is worth seeking ones out that ripened fully on the vine. As with most fruit, melons are picked before they fully ripen to give them more time and durability for transportation to grocery stores.
Is Rockmelon and cantaloupe the same?
The cantaloupe, rockmelon (Australia and New Zealand, although cantaloupe is used in some states of Australia), sweet melon, or spanspek (South Africa) is a melon that is a variety of the muskmelon species (Cucumis melo) from the family Cucurbitaceae. Cantaloupes range in weight from 0.5 to 5 kilograms (1 to 11 lb).
What is the difference between muskmelon and honeydew?
Honeydew melons are different from muskmelons in that the skin is smooth, the flesh is green, and the scent is markedly different. Muskmelons stop ripening after being picked from the vine, but honeydews will continue to ripen a bit, though vine-ripening is best.
Can you ripen a watermelon at home?
Watermelon does not ripen after harvesting, but it can get mushy in the refrigerator if it is a little overripe when picked, even before you cut into it. Store uncut watermelons in a warm, dry place for two to three weeks. Once you have cut the watermelon, you can store it in the refrigerator for two to three days.
How do you ripen a cantaloupe quickly?
Set the cantaloupe in a paper bag once you want to speed up the ripening process. Keep it at room temperature during this process. Place ethylene-producing fruits such as an apple or banana in the paper bag with the cantaloupe to further speed up the ripening.
How do you pick a Rockmelon?
A ripe rockmelon or honeydew should have a deep, sweet scent, so smell it. Rockmelon has a texture on its skin known as ‘netting’ – look for a rockmelon with obvious netting (if it is too smooth, it is under-ripe). For honeydew choose one with dull skin.
What does a ripe cantaloupe look like?
How to Tell If a Cantaloupe Is Ripe. Look it over: The overall color of the rind should be beige, sandy gold, or creamy yellow—but not green (green indicates unripe). The webbing should appear as strong, raised ridges. The yellowish spot can indicate that the melon is ripe.
