The sweet flesh of honeydew is typically light green, while its skin has a white-yellow tone. Its size and shape are similar to that of its relative, the cantaloupe. Honeydew melon is available worldwide and can be eaten by itself or used in desserts, salads, snacks and soups.
Can you eat unripe cantaloupe?
If your cantaloupe isn’t ripe yet (read the section above if you’re not sure), put it on the counter or in a fruit bowl until it ripens. Eating it unripe isn’t unsafe, but its quality won’t be that great.
What happens if cantaloupe is green?
A ripe cantaloupe will have beige, tan, creamy yellow or golden rind. Green rind indicates that the fruit is unripe. The fruit will have a raised, textured webbing on its exterior. Don’t be concerned with discoloration – this is usually just the spot where the melon rested on the ground while being grown in the field.
Is green cantaloupe good for you?
It also packs: 100% of the daily value for vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that protects your cells from damage. All your daily need for vitamin A, which helps keep your eyes, skin, bones, and immune system healthy. About 12% of your recommended daily potassium, important for your heart, muscles, and blood pressure.
When should you not eat cantaloupe?
Check the cantaloupe’s smell
Smelling a cantaloupe (also known as a muskmelon or a rockmelon) is one of the recommended ways to tell if it is ripe or has gone bad. A perfectly ripe melon will have a sweet, kind of musky aroma that you can gather emanating through the rind.
What can I do with under ripe cantaloupe?
Turning it into a soup — with mangos, or a white gazpacho with grapes and almonds. Making a melon jam or chutney. Using it as a thick base for a smoothie, or blending it with lime juice and honey for cantaloupe agua fresca. Grilling the melon with a touch of salt to bring out its sweetness, from AniQuadros.
Can cantaloupe ripen after you cut it?
Can a cantaloupe ripen after it was cut? Yes. Cantaloupe will ripen after being cut from the vine, but will not increase in sweetness.
Can cantaloupe be green on the inside?
A cross between a honeydew and a cantaloupe, a Galia melon’s rind is netted like a cantaloupe, but the smooth lime-green flesh is like a honeydew. Unlike many other melons, the tenderness of the stem end is not a good indicator of ripeness. Instead, use your nose to smell for its distinct tropical aroma.
Should cantaloupe be green or yellow?
It should be a lighter green, turning yellow. The most important thing to look for is to look at the stem end.
Why is cantaloupe bad for you?
Having too much potassium in your blood increases your risk of a heart attack. Eating too much cantaloupe may also be hard on your intestines and cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, and other digestive problems.
Can cantaloupe make you sick?
Melons and food poisoning
While melons do not naturally contain bacteria that can make you sick, their outer skin or rind can become contaminated because melons are grown close to the ground. Eating melons that have been contaminated with harmful bacteria can make you sick.
Does cantaloupe burn belly fat?
Cantaloupe doesn’t burn fat, but it can help you get leaner by reducing your energy intake. For example, you can use it as a substitute for bagels, chips, cookies and other snacks to cut back on carbs and stay full longer.
Can you get Salmonella from cantaloupe?
Unlike other fruits, cantaloupe are not acidic and readily support the growth of pathogens once they are sliced open. Outbreaks of illness linked to melons contaminated with Salmonella are an unfortunate occurrence each year.
How do I know my cantaloupe is ripe?
Cantaloupe is a seasonal fruit and warm spring weather brings the right time to start purchasing cantaloupe. To select a ripe cantaloupe, look for tan cantaloupe with light green lines across it, and avoid choosing melons with brown or soft spots. The melon should be firm but not too soft or too hard.
How do you make unripe 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.
Can melon ripen after you cut it?
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. But if you slice into a honeydew and it happens to be underripe, don’t despair.
How long does it take for a cantaloupe to ripen?
Melons typically ripen over a short period of time, up to 3 to 4 weeks for cantaloupes. As soon as one melon is ripe, the others won’t be far behind. About a week before a melon is ripe, minimize watering to just enough to keep vines from wilting.
How do you sweeten an unripe 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.
Should uncut cantaloupe 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.
Can you ripen fruit after cutting it?
Q Why do fruits such as peaches and melons stop ripening when they are cut 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.
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.
Justin Shelton is a professional cook. He’s been in the industry for over 10 years, and he loves nothing more than creating delicious dishes for others to enjoy. Justin has worked in some of the best kitchens in the country, and he’s always looking for new challenges and ways to improve his craft. When he’s not cooking, Justin enjoys spending time with his wife and son. He loves exploring new restaurants and trying out different cuisines.