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To
prepare melon for serving at a party, slice it under cool water. This
lets you prepare ahead of time, keeping the melon fresh and flavorful
for several hours, or even a day.
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See also watermelon.
These large, sweet, perfumy fruits belong to the gourd family,
along with
squash and
pumpkins. They can be divided into two broad
categories:
watermelon and muskmelon (which we'll discuss here).
Muskmelons have a refreshingly exotic flavor and aroma, and are favored
for
fruity salads,
chilled soups and simply slicing and eating.
A Little Bite of History
It's said that Roman emperor Tiberius was so fond of melons that he
built the world's first greenhouses so he could enjoy the fruit
year-round. Centuries later, Christopher Columbus made sure he would
have melons too. He first planted the fruit in the New World on March
29, 1494, an event he considered important enough to note in the record
of his expedition.
Varieties
The two main varieties of muskmelons are characterized by those with netted skins and those with smooth skins.
Netted melons include:
Cantaloupe—Ivory to light green surface with sweet, juicy, orange-colored flesh. (Also known as nutmeg, netted or rockmelon.)
Persian Melon—Larger than the cantaloupe, with green rind and very sweet, salmon-colored flesh.
Santa Claus Melon—Long and oval in shape, with splotchy green and yellow skin. The yellow-green flesh looks and tastes similar to honeydew.
Smooth-skinned melons include:
Honeydew—Slightly oval with a creamy yellow rind and juicy-sweet, pale green flesh.
Casaba—Large and round with a thick, furrowed, yellow rind. The
cream-colored flesh is extremely juicy with a distinctive, yet mild
cucumber-like taste.
Crenshaw—Large, with a rounded oval shape that's slightly
pointed at the stem end. The rind is golden-green and the salmon-orange
flesh is considered one of the most sweetly succulent.
Buying Tips
Muskmelons of one variety or another
are usually available throughout the year, but they're most abundant
from late summer to early fall. Choose melons that are heavy for their
size, avoiding those that are
soft or shriveled. Ripe muskmelons will give slightly when pressed at
the blossom end, and their odor will be sweet and perfumy.
This is important because melons picked before maturity will never
reach their full flavor potential. To check if a melon was picked
before its prime, inspect the perimeter of the crater at the stem end.
If it has jagged edges, the melon was picked from the vine before it
was ready.
Storage Tips
Whole, ripe melons may be refrigerated for up to five days. Cut melon
should be sealed in a plastic bag, refrigerated and used within three
days. Make sure cut melon is stored airtight, as it easily absorbs
other food odors (and spreads its odor to other foods, too).
Slightly underripe melons can be kept at room temperature. To speed softening, put the melon in a paper bag with an
apple.
Preparation Tips
Because melons are grown on the ground, their skins can easily be
contaminated with bacteria (including
salmonella). Therefore, it is
very important to scrub melons with a soft brush and tepid water before
slicing. Also remember to wash all surfaces that came in contact with
the melon, like cutting boards and your hands.
After washing, slice in half and use a large spoon or ice cream
scoop
to remove the seeds. If you're not eating it right away, slice the
melon
under cool running water to keep it fresh and flavorful longer. This is
a great way to prepare sliced melon several hours ahead of serving.
Usage Tips
• Leave seeds in a halved melon during storage to keep it moist.
• For the best taste, serve melon at room temperature or barely chilled.
• Sprinkle melon slices with
salt or drizzle with
lemon or
lime juice for enhanced flavor.
• Mix fresh-squeezed cantaloupe juice with sparkling water for a refreshing warm-weather drink.
• Top melon with
yogurt and fresh
mint.
• Purée melon with peeled
peaches,
honey and lemon juice for a delicious cold soup.
• Slice melons in half, scoop out the seeds and use as a serving bowl for fruit salad.
Try one of our favorite melon recipes:
Melon with Chile, Salt and Lime
Golden Mango Gazpacho
Melon Balls with Port
