Do you like eating cantaloupe? As you may know, cantaloupe season is almost upon us as it typically runs from June to September. If you’re not too familiar with the fruit, cantaloupe is a member of the melon family and has a watery and sweet flavor with a somewhat firm flesh. While cantaloupe can be great in a fruit salad if it’s perfectly ripe, it can sometimes be a challenge to pick the perfect cantaloupe if you don’t know what you’re looking for.
Fortunately, we have expert advice on how to carefully pick your cantaloupe so that its perfectly ripe every time from a registered dietitian and food expert. Follow these three steps and you’ll be on the path to delicious fruit salads.
1. Take a look at the color.
As with many other fruits, cantaloupe has a window of perfect ripeness that we aim for. Like pineapples, the color of a cantaloupe can actually tell you a lot. When it’s not quite ready to be eaten, the outside is probably going to look much more green. On the riper side, these fruits will turn a lighter beige color letting you know they’re ready to go.
2. Check the blossom end of the melon.
Just like the above, the texture and feel of cantaloupe changes as it ripens as well. If you’ve ever had fruit salad with bad cantaloupe in it, you know exactly the consistency we’re looking for here. To check this, flip the melon over and gently press on the blossoming end. If it has a little bit of give then it’s probably good to go! You’re looking to avoid a very firm melon or an overly soft melon.
3. Give it a smell.
Like any other living thing, cantaloupes also have an aroma of their own which changes over time. Hold it close to your nose and breathe in. Ideally, these fruits should have a light, sweet scent that is almost a little bit flowery. If you aren’t getting much scent from it at all, it’s probably not ripe enough yet. On the other hand, too much sweetness or even a sweetness that’s starting to turn sour probably means the cantaloupe is no good.
So there you have it! If you’ve stayed at many hotels with continental breakfasts, you probably already know just how disappointing bad cantaloupe is in a fruit salad. If it’s not ready to eat, it’ll be overly firm, lacking in flavor and will mostly be an inconvenience. What we’re looking for is a nice, juicy and mouth-watering fruit which melds well with other fruit flavors.
In addition these tips, though, there’s also a few other side pointers to keep in mind as well. Though it might go without saying, avoid picking a melon with any obvious defects on the outside aside from what we’ve outlined above. You should also try to pick a melon that feels heavy for its size to get the most bang for your buck. Finally, you can always give these things the tap test too—if you hear a hollow sound, you’re probably in good shape.
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