Here are four tricks our editors swear by to clean the sweetest melon at the fund .
Jason Donnelly
Cantaloupe and honeydew arefruit saladregulars , but they ’re not always angelic and juicy . Avoid savourless melon vine , and ensure your fruit is absolutely ripe right at the grocery store entrepot . It ’s as simple as using just a few of your senses tochoose a sweet melon . To ensure you buy a melon that was picked at its bloom , count for the following clues .
Credit:Jason Donnelly
When Is Melon In-Season?
you could witness melon in the grocery store pretty much year around , but the peak season is during the summertime months . You ’ll see more topically - develop melons at thefarmers marketfrom June to August .
Can You Ripen Cantaloupe?
Once a melon is harvest , its sweetness and flavor are set . Unlike some other fruits , you could not mature cantaloupes once they ’re harvest . If a melon is harvested too early , you ’ll be provide with hard , crunchy flesh that ’s savorless or flavorless . As the melon vine sits , the flesh softens without getting any sweeter .
How to Choose a Ripe Melon
The basic proficiency for select a ripe melon is the same for cantaloupe , honeydew , and muskmelon . Here are our best Test Kitchen - okay tricks for picking a sweet-scented and juicy melon .
Pick Them Up
When shopping for melons , we like to pluck them up first . " Choose melons that feel with child for their sizing , " says Lynn Blanchard , trial kitchen director , Better Homes & Gardens . If a melon palpate lighter than the others or seems empty , choose a dissimilar one .
Feel the Rind
A good melon should feel firm when press , but not rock heavy or squashy . " A cantaloupe vine or honeydew is advanced when you could gently depress the skin at the flower end ( opposite the stem turn ) ; if you break the cutis when press , the melon vine is overripe , " say Jessica Christensen , elderly intellectual nourishment editor program , Premium Publishing .
" Look for melons that are free from soft patch and contusion , " say Blanchard . Bruised or diffused spots can be a planetary house of rot and can speed up the spoilage of the entire melon vine . Jan Miller , executive solid food editor , Better Homes & Gardens also examines the stem final stage of the melon . " The stalk end should be indented and should not have any fragment of a upset root attached , " says Miller . " That is a sign the melon was picked too presently . "
Give Them a Smell
" Cantaloupes , honeydew melon melons , and muskmelons will all bring forth a honeyed smell when advanced , " say Blanchard . Miller gibe : " The blossom end ( opposite the stem terminal ) should sense sweet and like fresh melon . " If the melon vine smells sour , musty , or funky , it ’s already gone unsound .
Look at the Color
When select acantaloupeor sweet melon , look the skin first . When the melon is ripe , the hide will be a creamy yellowish color without much immature . The " netting " on the surface should be rasping and textured . When choosing a honeydew melon , look for a yellow - hue rind . Skip honeydew melon melon that come out pale or gullible on the outside . " A fleeceable tint think of it is not mature , " say Erin Hooker , assistant nutrient editor in chief , Better Homes & Gardens .
How to Store Melon
Depending on ripeness , a whole melon vine will last on the counter for about 5 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . Once trim , refrigerate themelon piecesin an airtight container and aim to use them within 3 day .
