The Canary melon (Cucumis melo (Inodorus group)) or winter melon is a large, bright-yellow elongated melon with a pale green to white inner flesh. This melon has a distinctively sweet flavor that is slightly tangier than a honeydew melon. The flesh looks like that of a pear but is softer.
Is honeydew a winter melon?
Honeydew, casaba, and Cavaillon melons are classed as winter melons because they ripen more slowly than other melons and are usually not ready until late fall. After harvest, they even continue to ripen in storage. Honeydews should have a smooth, evenly yellow rind that is slightly green at the stem end.
What is another name for winter melon?
Ash gourd, also known as Benincasa hispida, winter melon, wax gourd, white pumpkin, and Chinese watermelon, is a fruit native to parts of Southern Asia (1). It grows on a vine and matures into a round or oblong melon that’s approximately the same size and color as a watermelon.
What is the another name of honeydew melon?
Honeydew melon, or honeymelon, is a fruit that belongs to the melon species cucumis melo (muskmelon).
What is winter melon in English?
Definition of winter melon
1 : any of several muskmelons (such as a casaba or honeydew melon) that are fruits of a cultivated vine (Cucumis melo indorus) 2 : a large white-fleshed melon that is the fruit of an Asian vine (Benincasa hispida) and is used especially in Chinese cooking.
Can I eat winter melon raw?
Unlike a watermelon, the flesh and seeds are white, it’s relatively tasteless, and it cannot be eaten raw. Instead, recipes with winter melon often call for steaming, simmering, or parboiling, but be careful not to overcook it—it can get mushy.
What season is honeydew?
Honeydew is available all year round, with peak season running between June and October in the northern hemisphere. One of the trickiest parts of buying large fruits such as melon and watermelon is to tell whether they’re ripe or not. There are 2 important stages in the life of a honeydew melon: maturity and ripeness.
What is winter melon good for?
Winter melons, in addition to vitamin B and C, have high quantities of zinc, potassium, phosphorus, iron, dietary fiber, and other vitamins and minerals in trace amounts. These nutrients together make for a very strong dietary supplement, which is why winter melon is a widely respected plant throughout the world.
What does winter melon taste like?
Wintermelon by itself has a very mild and somewhat bland flavour when the fruit is still unripe. The taste is similar to that of cucumber – refreshing and vegetal, with a slight grass-like flavour. When aged, wintermelon loses some of its taste and becomes slightly bland but still retains its refreshing properties.
How do you eat Wintermelon?
Winter melon should not be consumed raw. First, the skin and seeds must be removed. Then the flesh of the fruit can be sliced or cubed and lightly cooked. The fruit can be simmered, steamed, grilled, roasted and parboiled for about five minutes.
What is the healthiest melon to eat?
Watermelon contains the least amount of calories, coming in at 46 calories per one-cup serving. However, it’s loaded with the antioxidant lycopene, which is linked to decreased risk of cancer, heart disease and age-related eye disorders, and contains a good amount of vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium.
Is honeydew good for diabetics?
Though honeydew melon contains carbs that can raise your blood sugar temporarily, it also provides fiber and other nutrients that may help improve blood sugar control over time. Summary Regularly eating fruit, such as honeydew melon, is associated with a lower risk of diabetes and related health complications.
Which is the sweetest melon?
Honey Globe Melon
Many describe this type of melon as one of high quality and extremely sweet. And it’s the delicious taste of the Honey Globe that sets this apart from other melons. The light green flesh is thick and succulent and, because over 15% of its weight is sugar, it’s one of the sweetest melons.
What is winter melon called in Chinese?
Winter Melon (冬瓜)
How can you tell when a winter melon is ripe?
You should be ready to harvest after about 110 days of growth. Winter melons are ready to harvest when the mature fruit has an ashy appearance, and the stem has withered and turned brown. The ripe melon will smell sweet on the stem end and will be large and heavy.
Why is winter melon tea sweet?
But winter melon tea is not actually tea—it’s just marketed that way. Instead, it’s a mildly sweet, instantly refreshing drink made out of little cubes that combine winter melon juice and sugar. In my opinion, it’s a superior drink compared to soda—it’s healthier, tastes more natural, and can be served cold or hot.
What is that white stuff on winter melon?
The immature melon has thick white flesh that tastes sweet. By maturity, the fruit loses its hairs and develops a waxy coating, giving rise to the name wax gourd. The wax coating helps to give the fruit a long shelf life of up to a year.
Does winter melon need to be refrigerated?
Store. Unwashed whole winter melon can be stored in a cool, dark, dry place for up to 5 months. Once sliced, you should always wrap it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge, where it will last up to 1 week.
Can I freeze winter melon?
If you’re not going to use all of it, wrap peeled and seeded chunks in plastic and freeze. Winter melon is best eaten cooked, not raw. Recipes abound on the Internet for winter melon soup, stir fry, drinks and even pickles. You can also freeze peeled and seeded chunks for later use.
Which is better cantaloupe or honeydew?
In vitamin A, Cantaloupe wins again with 68% DV compared to 1% DV in honeydew. Both are based on a 3.5 ounce serving. If it is beta carotene you are wanting, cantaloupe is the melon you want.
Is honeydew melon good for weight loss?
Q. Is honeydew melon good for weight loss? A. They are a great source of fibre, are low in calories and have a great water content of around 90%, making them an excellent choice for weight-loss-friendly fruit.
Lorraine Wade is all about natural food. She loves to cook and bake, and she’s always experimenting with new recipes. Her friends and family are the lucky beneficiaries of her culinary skills! Lorraine also enjoys hiking and exploring nature. She’s a friendly person who loves to chat with others, and she’s always looking for ways to help out in her community.