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Quick Answer: How To Pick Honeydew Melon

Honeydew Don’t pick a green honeydew; pick a white or yellow one. Feel the outside of the smooth rind. The blossom end (opposite of the stem) should give a bit when light pressure is applied. The whole melon should have a strong, sweet smell.

How do you pick a good 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.

How do you tell if a honeydew melon is ripe?

How to tell if honeydew is ripe: Consider the color. The rind of a ripe honeydew will be a bright, creamy yellow color. 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.

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 long does it take a honeydew melon to ripen?

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

How do you ripen a honeydew melon after cutting it?

Jane Brody in The Good Food Book tells us that after picking melons don’t get sweeter, only softer and juicier. She recommends that you ripen them faster in a perforated paper bag. When ripe, refrigerate. Cut melons should be wrapped in plastic to contain the odor.

Should honeydew melon be green inside?

Your melon should have next to no greenness once it has fully ripened, so keep an eye out for any green veins running across the rind (the outer skin of the fruit). A ripe honeydew will have lost its green tinge and moved over to a nice whitish yellow or golden hue.

How long will a honeydew melon last?

A whole, uncut cantaloupe or honeydew melon should last for seven to 10 days in the refrigerator. A whole, uncut watermelon is even sturdier: It should be good for two weeks. The picture gets somewhat bleaker once you’ve sliced into your fruit.

How do you pick a ripe honeydew in the grocery store?

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 know when to pick a melon?

When the cracks circle the stem and the stem itself looks shriveled, the melon should be ready to pick. The stem should break cleanly with no pressure; just picking up the fruit should be sufficient to detach it. The color of the bottom surface also provides a clue; if it changes to a deeper color, the melon is ripe.”.

How do you pick a 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.

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.

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.

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 ).

Can a fruit get ripe after you cut it open?

A Cutting fruit damages cells and removes the protective peel, exposing the flesh to the environment and altering its chemistry. Some fruit does actually continue ripening. Fruits that can ripen after picking — including melons, peaches, apples, avocados, mangoes, pears and tomatoes — are called climacteric fruits.

Can you eat unripe melon?

Here’s Why. According to Treehugger, unlike other fruits, watermelons don’t continue ripening after they’ve been picked, so your best bet is to avoid choosing an unripe melon if you can. Eating watermelon that isn’t fully ripe isn’t dangerous, but it’s not as good as a ripe melon.

Can you eat honeydew rind?

Additionally, the rind of a honeydew melon is tough and difficult to digest. Swallowing a large piece of the rind could cause choking or an internal blockage. Consuming too much honeydew at once could mean tummy troubles for your dog, so be sure to limit the amount of fruit you share.

How do you make honeydew sweeter?

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.