How To Pick A Ripe 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 good melon?

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 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 pick a ripe honeydew melon?

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.

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.

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.

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.

How do you pick sweet muskmelon?

When ripe, the flower end (the end opposite the stem) of the melon should be slightly soft. As the fruit matures, the skin between the netting turns from green to yellow. Finally, a ripe melon produces a strong “muskmelon” aroma.

How do you pick a good golden honeydew melon?

Push your fingers on the round section where the vine was attached (this is often referred to as the “blossom end”). The ripe honeydew should be slightly soft and springy, and it should smell fresh and faintly sweet. You should also feel fine ridges in the skin, whereas less ripe melons will have smoother skin.

How do you pick honeydew and cantaloupe?

Check the skin color. A shiny outside is an indicator of an underripe melon. Also, honeydews should be pale yellow to light lemon in color, not overly green. With melons such as cantaloupe and muskmelons, the rind underneath the net-like texture should be golden or orange in color.

How do you pick a golden Hami melon?

Choose firm with sweet fragrance. Look for fruit heavy for its size, yielding slightly under pressure. Keep cut or ripe fruit in refrigerator for up to three days. Ripen at room temperature.

How do you know if a honeydew is rotten?

The first way to tell if a honeydew melon has gone bad is to look at the color and appearance. According to Pantry Tips, the honeydew will turn from its usual bright green shade to a murky dark yellow. The rind itself will feel mushy and soft and will collapse easily at the touch.

How long does it take a honeydew melon to ripen?

Tip. Honeydew melons mature in 65 to 100 days, depending on the cultivar.

Does honeydew ripen after picking?

Nope. Unfortunately, melons don’t ripen after they’re harvested, so what you buy is what you get. But if you slice into a honeydew and it happens to be underripe, don’t despair. You can try blending it into smoothies or making a gazpacho, or tossing slices on the grill to bring out some of its sweetness.

What do you do with a cut unripe melon?

Uses for an Unripe Cantaloupe Turning it into a soup — with mangos, or a white gazpacho with grapes and almonds. Making a melon jam or chutney. Using it as a thick base for a smoothie, or blending it with lime juice and honey for cantaloupe agua fresca.

How do you soften a hard cantaloupe?

Place the fruit in a brown paper bag rolled closed at the top to help the melon to ripen faster for eating. Once you’ve already cut the cantaloupe it needs to be refrigerated, which slows any further softening.

Are honeydew and cantaloupe the same?

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 ).

Will a cantaloupe ripen on the counter?

However, cantaloupe and similar fruit will continue to ripen after harvest. Once into the ripening process, fruit will gain sugar, flavor will improve and flesh soften. However, cantaloupe and similar melons bought in winter probably need to be held at room temperature for a few days or more to allow it to improve.

How do you ripen fruit quickly?

Ripening fruit gives off ethylene gas, and putting the fruit in a paper bag traps the gas near the fruit, causing it to ripen faster. Place bananas in a brown paper bag and close loosely. Ethylene will build up and circulate within the bag, speeding up the ripening process.

Can you eat unripe honeydew melon?

An immature honeydew melon will remain hard, bland, and, frankly, inedible, so it’s vital they are picked once they’ve moved over to maturity. The confusion between mature and immature melons comes about because mature honeydews can still be unripe.