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Have you wondered what the secret is to choosing ripe cantaloupe melons?
Here are a few guidelines that help us choose the best ones:
- Look for cantaloupes with the orange melon color (NOT green) showing through the skin.
- The veins on the ripe melons are smoother and more worn down than the not yet ripe ones.
- When squeezed, the ripe cantaloupes give just a little under the pressure. Think of the feel of a kickball as opposed to a baseball.
If you happen upon a sale, like we did recently, where you can get these melons for as low as $1 each, you can stock up on them, cube them, and flash freeze for a cool snack later.
This post is linked at Works For Me Wednesday.
{ 17 comments }
Genius, Connie! Great post!
Very helpful post! Never thought to freeze catalope!
BTW, has Tutorial Tuesday gone away?
Alicia
@Alicia’s Homemaking, Tutorial Tuesday is taking a break. It is tired and sometimes cranky. I have put it in timeout as it needs some time to itself.
@Smockity Frocks, Ahhh! Well, we’ll give it it’s space, then.
Excuse me, cantaloupes, that is. *sheepish*
Great tips! The melon guy at the store told me to always look for a melon that is heavy for its size too
Excuse the blank expression on my face, but I don’t understand this ‘flash freeze’ you speak of. Care to illuminate me, Dear?
@Aubrey, Flash freezing is when you lay a food out on a tray – like a cookie sheet to freeze in pieces. Then when the pieces are frozen you can pop them into a bag or container for longer storage. This way they don’t freeze together in one big lump the way they would if you put them into the bag and then froze them.
@Sharon @ UnfinishedMom, oh, well, I do that all the time. I didn’t know it had a name. Thanks!! I’ll try not to feel smug when I use that little phrase from now on.
Great tips and I never thought of freezing it- thanks for the idea!
Flash freezing cantaloupe – I didn’t know you could do that! Wow. I’m so glad to find out.
My dad taught me to smell the stem end. It should smell like a fresh cantelope. And he taught me to push the other end. It should give a little, but not too much.
Mmmm these are my favorite melons, well they’re actually the only melon that I like!! Useful post
)
I use the same tips to pick good cantaloupe. I weigh heavily on the scent or lack thereof.
It’s my favorite melon, and we found them for 48 cents at a local health food store! We’re munching our way through the second dozen in record time – no room in the fridge or freezer, but that’s ok with us!
Thanks for the tips. I despise cantaloupe, but my boys (dh and ds) love them. I’d always heard that you should sniff them and they should smell like a cantaloupe. I’ll add these tips to my sniffing inspection.
Even though I don’t like them, I can totally get the squishy or unripe cantaloupes are even nastier than a ripe one.
I did not know that about the veins! And freezing the cubes….duh! Why didn’t I think of that?!?!
I would have never thought to freeze cantaloupe! Thanks for the tips!
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