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Melons - (Back To Fruit Info)
Usage: Raw in fruit salads or in fruit platters. Selection: Good-quality cantaloupe will have large webbing or netting on the skin, will have yellow/orange coloring and be slightly soft on the stem end (firm elsewhere). They will also have a good cantaloupe smell on the stem end (if it is not too cold), and the scar at the stem end should be a smooth and well-rounded cavity. Finally, you can hear the seeds rattle inside a juicy melon when shaken. Often, melons will have a decidedly bleached side that rested on the soil - this does not affect the quality of the melon. Avoid: Avoid product with a rough stem end with portions of the stem remaining - this means the melon was harvested too early. Product with green coloring, soft or sunken spots or dark and dirty spots that look moldy are all signs of poor quality.
Usage: Raw in fruit salads or in fruit platters. Selection: Good-quality Casaba melons will be fairly large and firm with a small amount of softness at the stem end. The coloring will be rich yellow with very little green on the skin. The rind will be ridged when the melon has been allowed to ripen on the vine and the skin will have a slightly waxy feel when the melon is ripe. Avoid: Avoid product that is too firm, too soft, has dark blemishes on the skin or is extremely green-colored.
Usage: Raw in fruit salads or in fruit platters. Selection: Good-quality Crenshaw melons will be fairly large and firm with a small amount of softness at the stem end. The coloring will be rich yellow with green tinges on the skin. The skin will have a slightly waxy feel when the melon is ripe. Avoid: Avoid product that is too firm, too soft, has dark blemishes on the skin or is extremely green-colored.
Usage: Raw in fruit salads or in fruit platters. Selection: Good-quality Honeydew melons will turn a creamy yellow color and the skin will have a slightly waxy feel when ripe. They will be firm with a small amount of softness at the stem and will be fairly large - those weighing about 5 pounds have the best flavor. Sometimes, the seeds of an especially juicy melon will rattle if the melon is shaken. Avoid: Avoid product that is too firm, too soft, has dark blemishes on the skin or is green-colored.
Usage: Raw in fruit salads or in fruit platters. Selection: Good-quality Canary melons will be fairly large and firm with a small amount of softness at the stem end. The coloring will be canary yellow with no green on the skin. The skin will have a slightly waxy feel when the melon is ripe. Avoid: Avoid product that is too firm, too soft, has dark blemishes on the skin or is green-colored.
Selection: Good-quality Orange-flesh Honeydew melons will turn a creamy yellow color with a slight orange tinge and the skin will have a slightly waxy feel when ripe. They will be firm with a small amount of softness at the stem and will be fairly large. Sometimes, the seeds of an especially juicy melon will rattle if the melon is shaken. Avoid: Avoid product that is too firm, too soft, has dark blemishes on the skin or is green-colored.
Usage: Eaten raw for breakfast, in fruit and spinach salads. Selection: Also called melon pear, melon shrub and mellowfruit, good-quality pepino melon will be smooth-skinned, have a sweet smell on the stem-end and be as firm as a partially ripe plum. The coloring of ripe fruit will be pale yellow with purple stripes. Avoid: Avoid product that is soft, dented or light for its size.
Selection: Good-quality Persian melons will be fairly large and firm with a small amount of softness at the stem end. The coloring will be dark green and turn lighter green as the melon ripens. The netting is finely-textured and will be slightly brown when ripe. Avoid: Avoid product that is too firm, too soft, has sunken spots on the skin or is dark-green colored.
Usage: Raw in fruit salads or in fruit platters. Selection: Good-quality Santa Claus melons will be fairly large and firm with a small amount of softness at the stem end. The coloring will be mottled yellow and green. The skin will have a slightly waxy feel when the melon is ripe. Avoid: Avoid product that is too firm, too soft, has dark blemishes on the skin or is extremely green-colored.
Usage: Raw, in fruit salads or in fruit platters. Selection: Good-quality watermelon will be firm, evenly-shaped, heavy for its size and have a deep-pitched tone when slapped with an open palm. Medium to large melons are generally easier to tell when ripe. Yellow on one side of the melon is where the fruit contacted the ground and does not affect quality. Seedless watermelon are not completely seedless, they just have the small white seeds that most people consider edible. Avoid: Avoid product that is partially white or pale green, soft overall, has soft spots or is leaking a milky-white fluid. When using the open palm technique for ripeness, avoid melons with a high-pitched tone or a dead, thudding sound.
Usage: Raw in fruit salads or in fruit platters. Selection: Good-quality watermelon will be firm, evenly-shaped, heavy for its size and have a deep-pitched tone when slapped with an open palm. One of the easiest methods is to simply turn the melon over. If the underside is yellow, and the rind overall has a healthy sheen, the melon is most probably ripe. The flesh of cut melons should have a fresh, firm texture, and the seeds should be fully mature and hard. Watermelons do not ripen any further once they are cut from the vine. Avoid: Avoid product that is partially white or pale green, soft overall, has soft spots or is leaking a milky-white fluid. Melons shouldn't have any dents, bruises or cuts, but marks left from insect bites will not affect the melon's flavor. When using the open palm technique for ripeness, avoid melons with a high-pitched tone or a dead, thudding sound.
Usage: Raw in fruit salads or in fruit platters. Selection: Good-quality watermelon will be firm, evenly-shaped, heavy for its size and have a deep-pitched tone when slapped with an open palm. Medium to large melons are generally easier to tell when ripe. Yellow on one side of the melon is where the fruit contacted the ground and does not affect quality. Avoid: Avoid product that is partially white or pale green, soft overall, has soft spots or is leaking a milky-white fluid. When using the open palm technique for ripeness, avoid melons with a high-pitched tone or a dead, thudding sound. |
CANTALOUPE
CASABA
CRENSHAW
HONEYDEW
JUAN CANARY
ORANGE-FLESH HONEYDEW
PEPINO
PERSIAN
SANTA CLAUS
SEEDLESS WATERMELON
WATERMELON
YELLOW-FLESH WATERMELONWebsite Provided By Electric Boogaloo Design™ through Abica™