Cantaloupe Information

[cat lover]

Cantaloupes


Cantaloupe originated in Asia. European settlers brought the first ones to America. A true cantaloupe has a smooth surface, the melons we typically call cataloupes in the United States are actually Musk Melons, but the two can be used interchangeably.

These melons pack a nutritional powerhouse with a single serving provising 80% of your dailey recommended allowances for Vitamins A and C. Best of all, they're fat and cholesterol free and very low in calories (about 50 calories for about 1/4 of a small melon.


Look for a nice rounded shape.
Golden colored melons are at the peak of ripeness.
Green melons will ripen at room temperature in a couple of days.
Choose a cantaloupe with evenly distributed "netting" or the markings on the fruit's surface.
If your melon has a stem or rough stem area, the cantaloupe may have been harvested too early and may lack sweetness.
Cantaloupe is grown on soil, so you may see a slightly whitened area on one side of the cantaloupe which does not affect the quality of the product.
A ripe cantaloupe should give off a mild melon aroma.

[cat lover]

Some more Melon Facts



Watermelon—

Seeds are edible (crack and eat the inside)
There are over 200 varieties, almost all of them edible including the white part of the rind.
Four categories that stand out are Picnic—the kind you most often buy with striped green skin, and normally long like a squash: Seedless—smaller, round: Icebox—smaller, solid green skin: Yellow Flesh—smaller than picnic but same in outside appearance.
Ripe? If so, watermelons have a waxy look and a yellow patch on the belly. The “thumping” is a wives tail, so I’ve heard (although thousands will be thumped this summer so …)

Cantaloupe and Honeydew—

How do you pick a ripe melon? Muskmelons (Eastern melon) or cantaloupes (Western melon) should be tan or gold under their netting; honeydews should be velvety and creamy yellow; for most melons, the blossom end should be fragrant and give slightly to pressure.
Seeds can be toasted and eaten.