How Can You Tell If A Melon Is Good?

“Knock” on the surface. Holding the melon in your hands, give the surface a light knock. It should have a deep hollow sound, which means the melon is ripe and juicy. Give it a Sniff.

How do you tell if a melon is spoiled?

If the melon seems empty inside or the rind is soft, it’s lost most of its water and it’s no good. Have large bruises or discolored areas. You can cut off some small damaged areas, but if a fourth of the rind is brown, it’s time for it to go.

How can you tell if a honeydew melon is good?

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.

What should I look for when buying a melon?

How to Pick Out a Good Melon

1. Check the Weight. You want to choose a melon that feels heavy for its size.
2. Look for Flaws. Some melon-skin flaws are bad—like cracks and bruises.
3. Check for a Field Spot.
4. Smell the Melon.
5. Tap the Melon.
6. Take a Break.
7. Try Again.

How long does melon last in the fridge?

That depends a lot on whether you’ve cut it up or not. 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.

Can you eat overripe melon?

When a watermelon gets too ripe for its own good, the juicy crisp texture of the flesh can turn gritty and dry. If you cut it open, you might see the flesh actually pulling away from the seeds. If your watermelon is mealy, it’s still safe to eat.

How do you know if a honeydew melon is bad?

How To Tell If Honeydew Melon Is Bad?

1. Light or hollow feel. That means they’ve lost most of their water and are be no good at this point.
2. Large bruises or damaged areas.
3. Storage time longer than 4 days for cut honeydew.
4. An off smell or taste.

How do you tell if a honeydew is ripe?

Find the blossom end, which is opposite the end where it was attached to the vine. Give it a press with your thumb and it should feel slightly springy with a slight give. If it’s rock hard, it’s underripe, and if it’s total mush, it’s definitely past its prime.

How can you tell if cantaloupe is good?

The melon should be firm but not too soft or too hard. Smell the melon at the stem core (where it was cut) and it should have a good cantaloupe smell; those without smell are under-ripe, and those with unpleasing odor are over-ripe.

How do you tell if a cantaloupe is ripe?

A ripe cantaloupe should have a beige webbing pattern. That netting should look like raised ridges. And underneath, the cantaloupe should either be cream-colored, sandy gold, yellow, or tan. If the rind is still green or grey, it’s not ripe enough.

How do you buy a good honeydew melon?

Honeydew

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

Should you keep melon in the fridge?

Whole melon should be left at room temperature until ripe. Once ripe, place whole, uncovered melons, in the refrigerator. To store melon halves, cover tightly with either ClingWrap or Press’n Seal^® wrap. To store cut melon, seal in a GladWare^® food protection container and refrigerate.

How long will melon keep once cut?

Refrigerate cut melon in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Place cut melon pieces in a resealable, airtight plastic container. Keep it in the fridge for no more than 3 days before discarding it. Ripe, cut melon will start to disintegrate after this time.

Do melons need to be refrigerated?

Keep whole melons like watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew on the counter for best flavor. USDA research found that storage at room temp may even help keep the antioxidants better intact. Once cut, store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Why does my cantaloupe taste like nail polish remover?

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.

Can you get sick from eating overripe cantaloupe?

The bacteria have a long incubation period, which means that it may take as long as four weeks for people who have eaten contaminated cantaloupe to feel ill. Listeriosis typically causes fever and muscle aches, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.

What happens if you eat spoiled cantaloupe?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a person infected with the bacteria usually has a fever and muscle aches, which are often preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Additional symptoms can be a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.

Can bad melon make you sick?

Melons and food poisoning
Eating melons that have been contaminated with harmful bacteria can make you sick. Contaminated melons have been linked to cases of food poisoning caused by Salmonella bacteria.

Can out of date melon make you ill?

This is often the case with cut melon that’s been sitting in a container in your fridge for a week or so. Though the sealed container has prevented the fruit from getting slimy or growing mold, the melon can still be bad, and could potentially make you sick.

What does mold look like on cantaloupe?

Blackish to blackish-green mold, typically Alternaria spp, will invariably develop over time on cantaloupes, sometimes first observed at the stem scar where nutrients are exuded at the moment of “slip” or harvest.

Will a honeydew melon ripen on the counter?

The difference is that a mature honeydew will begin to ripen if left to do its thing on your kitchen counter, whereas an immature one will never turn into the soft, luscious, juicy, tender fruit we all know and love.