Watermelons, cantaloupes, and honeydews lean sweet—and that’s why they play so well with salt, vinegar, and cheese. Sweet, ripe, summer melons are better with salt. Salt makes their flavor pop. It contrasts their sweetness and accentuates their refreshing qualities.
How can I make bland cantaloupe taste better?
Some swear by a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice. This complements the inherent anti-flavor going on and provides a kick where there wasn’t one before. Others swear by Tajín, a spicy, lime-y seasoning that hails from Mexico.
How do you sweeten a tasteless watermelon?
A small sprinkle of salt doesn’t just offer a salty-sweet kick, it also brings out the sweetness in the watermelon, making this the perfect hack for when you dig into a lackluster slice. Trust me, I’ve had people FREAK over this simple trick; it’s a game-changer. Follow Delish on Instagram.
How do you add flavor to a bland watermelon?
Dealing With Bland Watermelon
If you slice in and are disappointed with the flavor, we’ve found that adding lime zest and juice helps pump it up and honestly… adding a little sugar does too. To make these drinks we pureed the food milled watermelon with sugar, ice and lime juice for a sweet treat.
Does salt Make cantaloupe sweeter?
Salty To Sweet
By sprinkling a little salt on your melon you are creating a high-salt concentration area next to those cells. Their water is drawn up to the surface where you bite, bringing flavor with it. The melon has become miraculously sweeter thanks to salt!
Is there a way to sweeten cantaloupe?
How Do You Sweeten a Cantaloupe? If your cantaloupe is not harvested in the right season, chances are it won’t be sweet. So you can sprinkle sugar or sugar substitute onto the cantaloupe and toss it gently until it has been evenly distributed.
What can I do with tasteless cantaloupe?
Instead of tossing your subpar melon, try seasoning it with a pinch of trusty salt. The salt, she swears, “brings out what little flavor a bad melon has and compensates for any lack of sweetness.”
How do you make melons sweet?
Heat brings out melons’ sweetness, so make sure to plant them in a location that warms up early in spring and stays hot through the end of September. The south side of a fence or wall is ideal as the structure will absorb heat and light from the sun and reflect it back onto the melons.
How do I sweeten honeydew melon?
The salt brings out what little flavor a bad melon has and compensates for any lack of sweetness. It works, truly—trust me. Since, I’ve introduced this idea to the office, and it turns out there are even other ways to gussy up an otherwise drab melon. Some swear by a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice.
Why are my cantaloupes not sweet?
The melons then ripen quite quickly on the vine. So if farmers pick their cantaloupes too soon, they won’t have that sweet, summery flavor you expect. But if the melons are being picked when they are ripe and ready, then the issue might be the soil or watering conditions.
How do you sweeten watermelon without sugar?
Squeeze lemon or lime juice onto watermelon for a refreshing treat. Use a knife to slice a lemon or lime in half and squeeze about 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of juice over sliced or cubed watermelon. Some people find that a boost of acidity makes the melon taste sweeter. Try adding salt and pepper to round out the flavor.
Why do people put salt on watermelon?
Salt is commonly used to dampen bitter flavors—Brussels sprouts or leafy greens are a good example—so when the bitterness of the watermelon is masked by the salt, the sugary sweetness shines. Salt also activates your salivary glands, so a bit of salt is enough to make watermelon seem juicier.
What tastes good on watermelon?
Watermelon Goes Well With
- Fruits and Veggies: avocado, lemon, lime, red onion, berries, coconut, jalapeño, other melons, lettuce, corn.
- Herbs & Spices: mint, chili pepper, salt, ginger.
- Savoury: pork, chicken, white fish, beans and pulses, shrimp, balsamic vinegar.
Why do Asians put salt on fruit?
In addition to the bitterness suppression low concentrations of salt will enhance sweet taste. [1] This would certainly be an advantage in unripe fruit. In ripe fruit there is hardly any bitterness left (or at least I presume that is the case), so here the salt may serve a different funtion.
What spice goes well with cantaloupe?
Spiced Cantaloupe
- perfectly ripe cantaloupe, chilled in the fridge.
- pinch cardamom.
- pinch paprika.
- pinch coarse sea salt.
What does cantaloupe do for your body?
The fiber, potassium, and vitamin C present in cantaloupe are vital nutrients for your heart health. Potassium can help to lower high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease. Fiber helps to decrease levels of “bad cholesterol” in your body. It can also keep your blood pressure in check.
Can you ripen a melon in the microwave?
Exposing unripe fruit to ripe fruit increases the unripe fruit’s exposure to ethylene gas to speed up the process. Combining ethylene gas with the heat from a microwave helps kickstart the process.
Will melon ripen after cut?
Will a honeydew melon ripen once it’s cut? Nope. Unfortunately, melons don’t ripen after they’re harvested, so what you buy is what you get.
Why does my cantaloupe taste like nothing?
Excess water can cause flavor to be bland. The two key times when too much water makes the most difference is when the fruits just start forming and about 1 week before ripening. Like most crops, cantaloupes grow and taste best when they get a consistent supply of dampness — not too much, not too little.
How do you use tasteless melon?
5 Ways to Make Melon Savory
- Make It Spicy. It’s the Mexican recipe for better raw fruit and vegetable snacks: add chili flakes, chili powder, chili-seasoned salt, or Tajin, followed by plenty of salt and a generous squeeze of lime juice.
- Add Acid.
- Add Olive Oil.
- Pair it With Cheese.
- Pair It With Meat.
Why does my cantaloupe taste like acetone?
These fruits, if grown naturally, are not good stored. You can taste the stored ones straight away, they either have no flavour or they develop an acetone taste akin to nail varnish. But when you get a good melon, it is like hitting a windfall.
Gerardo Gonzalez loves cooking. He became interested in it at a young age, and has been honing his skills ever since. He enjoys experimenting with new recipes, and is always looking for ways to improve his technique.
Gerardo’s friends and family are the lucky beneficiaries of his delicious cooking. They always enjoy trying out his latest creations, and often give him feedback on how he can make them even better. Gerardo takes their input to heart, and uses it to continue refining his culinary skills.