The melon should have a robust and sweet fragrance. If you get any hint of rotten fruit or a funky, garbage-like smell, avoid it as it means the fruit is starting to rot.
Is cantaloupe supposed to smell?
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 does a cantaloupe smell like?
musky aroma
Smell: A ripe cantaloupe will have a sweet, almost musky aroma. According to culinary scientist Harold McGee’s Keys to Good Cooking, you should give it a whiff by finding the blossom end (it’s opposite the stem end). If it smells cloying, fermented or just plain bad, it’s probably overripe.
How can you tell if cantaloupe is bad?
How To Tell If Cantaloupe Is Bad?
- Feel light, hollow, or super soft. 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.
- Smell off.
- Are cut up and sit in storage for too long or are moldy.
Why does my cantaloupe smell sour?
If your cantaloupe is fermenting, you may experience a slight fizziness in your mouth and an astringent, sour smell and taste. Due to the sugars in cantaloupe, yeasts can cause it to ferment. It is sadly usually best to instead toss a fermented cantaloupe.
Can spoiled cantaloupe make you sick?
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.
Can overripe cantaloupe make you sick?
Overripe fruits are prone to developing moldy patches. But that doesn’t mean you can’t eat them or that they will make you sick if you do. According to the Food and Drug Administration, it’s fine to eat fruit with moldy patches as long as you remove the affected area.
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.
How long does cantaloupe last in the fridge?
seven to 10 days
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.
Can you eat the peel of a cantaloupe?
Eating thin skin of various fruits and vegetables increases the nutrient and fiber content, however, thick skins such as those found on melons are not intended to be eaten. Be sure to rinse melons under cold running water to remove any bacteria or dirt on the surface of the skin.
Should you put cantaloupe in the refrigerator?
If buying fresh-cut cantaloupe, be sure it is refrigerated or surrounded by ice. After purchase, refrigerate cantaloupes promptly. Wash hands with hot, soapy water before and after handling fresh cantaloupes. Scrub whole cantaloupes by using a clean produce brush and cool tap water immediately before eating.
What happens if you eat moldy cantaloupe?
Richards says it’s unlikely that you’ll experience side effects as a result of eating moldy fruit. She does note, however, that there are a few symptoms to keep an eye out for, such as nausea, vomiting, gas, and diarrhea. These, she says, could be signs of gastrointestinal distress.
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.
How do you keep cantaloupe fresh?
The optimal relative humidity is 95 to 100 percent, which prevents drying. If possible, place cantaloupe in the refrigerator crisper, where the humidity tends to be higher. Under these conditions, freshly harvested cantaloupe, picked at full slip, lasts about 5 to 15 days, depending on variety and growing conditions.
Should you wash cantaloupe?
Washing and serving
To prevent spoilage and mold growth during storage, it is best to wash cantaloupes just before you eat or prepare them. Even though you do not eat the rind, it is important to wash the cantaloupe before you cut it. First, wash your hands with hot, soapy water for 20 seconds.
Can cantaloupe give you Salmonella?
Still, you should take food safety precautions when preparing any produce—especially cantaloupe, because its rough rind can trap salmonella and some other types of harmful bacteria, according to the FDA.
Can you get e coli from cantaloupe?
Cut melon processing
Epidemiological and laboratory evidence in an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections associated with cut cantaloupe suggested that contamination may occur not only by cutting through contaminated rinds but also by cutting with contaminated utensils [16].
Can cantaloupe have E coli?
While bacteria normally cannot grow on fruits or vegetables after they are picked due to a lack of moisture and nutrients, E. coli has been shown to multiply on the surface of cantaloupe and watermelon, according to an FDA article on fresh produce safety.
Do cantaloupe ripen after you pick them?
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 do you 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.
How do you know if a watermelon is injected?
Often injected watermelons will appear too red. You will feel redness and sweetness more than usual while cutting into it. Also, while reaching the middle, you will see a slightly burnt mark due to chemicals. In the first go, the watermelon may seem red and fresh, but it would be rotting.
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.