How Do You Pick A Sweet Cantaloupe?

The best way to pick a cantaloupe is by smell. The fruit should have a sweet, slightly musky scent. A good cantaloupe feels heavy for its size, has a rind that resembles raised netting, and has a stem end that yields slightly when pressed with your thumb.

How can you tell if a cantaloupe is sweet?

You should pick the cantaloupe up and gently twist its stem. If it detaches easily, then that’s the plant telling you that you’ve got yourself a sweet, juicy cantaloupe! If the stem resists, then it’s probably not ready yet, and you should try again a couple of days later.

How do you get the sweetest cantaloupe?

8 Tips for Growing The Sweetest Melons

1. Start with the Sweetest Varieties.
2. Sow Seeds Early.
3. Find Your Warmest Microclimate.
4. Accentuate the Sun’s Rays.
5. Don’t Crowd Your Melons.
6. Sweetness Starts in the Soil.
7. Water Heavily – But not During Ripening.
8. Pick at the Pinnacle of Ripeness.

Which cantaloupe is sweetest?

Crenshaws also have peachy flesh, similar to a cantaloupe’s, which is juicy and sweet to taste. In fact, it is known to be one of the sweetest melons there is.

What are 3 things to look for when picking a cantaloupe?

3 Simple Tips for Picking Ripe Cantaloupe

• LOOK – Cantaloupe should be a nice golden yellow color. Don’t pick cantaloupe that are greenish.
• FEEL – You should be able to feel the edges of the outer skin.
• SMELL – Place the flower end or the “button” of the cantaloupe just under your nose and take a whiff.

How do I pick a good cantaloupe at the grocery store?

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.

Why are my cantaloupe 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 can you tell if a cantaloupe is ripe and ready to eat?

As with cantaloupe, color is your first sign of ripeness. The melon’s green rind will take on a creamy yellowish color. If the color is right, gently push on the end of the melon opposite from the stem. If there is a slight give, the melon is probably ripe.

Can cantaloupe ripen on the counter?

A: You can ripen cantaloupe at room temperature, but it will go quickly from ripe to overripe. Melon stored in the fridge can develop a rubbery texture and lose a lot of flavor quickly, so keep them at room temperature.

What’s the best tasting cantaloupe?

11 of the Best Cantaloupe Cultivars

• Charentais.
• El Gordo Hybrid.
• Hearts of Gold.
• Olympic Express Hybrid.
• Planters Jumbo.
• Sarah’s Choice Hybrid.
• Top Mark.
• Zena.

What does a ripe cantaloupe look like?

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.

What’s the difference between a cantaloupe and a Tuscan cantaloupe?

Tuscan Style® cantaloupes have a rich, subtly earthy, and exceptionally sweet flavor, containing 14 to 16 Brix sugar levels. This Brix content is higher than traditional cantaloupes, which commonly have around 9 to 10 Brix.

How do you ripen a cantaloupe quickly?

Set the cantaloupe in a paper bag once you want to speed up the ripening process. Keep it at room temperature during this process. Place ethylene-producing fruits such as an apple or banana in the paper bag with the cantaloupe to further speed up the ripening.

Do cantaloupes ripen after picked?

However, cantaloupe and similar fruit will continue to ripen after harvest. Once into the ripening process, fruit will gain sugar, flavor will improve and flesh soften.

How long does cantaloupe take 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.

Do cantaloupes ripen in the fridge?

Will a cantaloupe ripen if it is in the refrigerator overnight? No, it will not ripen once it is in the refrigerator.

Does uncut cantaloupe 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.

Does Cut cantaloupe need to be refrigerated?

Leftover cut cantaloupe should be discarded if left at room temperature for more than two hours. Use a cooler with ice or use ice gel packs when transporting or storing cantaloupes outdoors. Sliced or cut melon should never be out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours, 1 hour when it’s above 90 °F.

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.

Why does my cantaloupe taste sour?

Typically, if your cantaloupe is sour, it is unripe and has not been allowed to develop its sweetness fully. Early harvesting or improper gardening techniques can leave you with a sour, crunchy cantaloupe melon.

What does unripe cantaloupe taste like?

It has a distinctive sweet flavor, and should not be sour or bitter. Unripe fruit has not fully developed its sweetness and tends to be lacking in flavor and crunchy, while overripe fruit has a mushy, mealy texture.