Find tips to pick & prepare this summertime tradition
Cut & clean
Rinse off any remaining dirt and slice as you like! Cut into small pieces using the rind as a
handle, or slice, scoop, or cube flesh.
To seed or not to seed
For melons with seeds, cut in half to scoop out seeds and then slice. Or cut in half, then in
half again, and slice out seeds at a 45-degree angle.
A sweet snack
Cut in half, slice widthwise, and then halve again for an old-fashioned wedge.
Quick & easy recipe
Cut in half, remove seeds, and use melon-baller to scoop balls or shave delicate slices with
knife, and toss with fresh baby romaine, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.
Also indexed as: Canary Melons, Cantaloupe, Casaba Melons,
Cranshaw Melons, Galia Melons, Honeydew Melons, Muskmelons, Ogen Melons, Persian Melons,
Prince Melons, Santa Claus Melons, Watermelon
Melons are often served for breakfast, as an appetizer, dessert, or snack. Larger melons
are sliced in serving-size portions; smaller melons are typically cut in half and the pulp and
seeds are scooped out before serving. Depending on their size, melons can be served in their
skins, halved or cut in wedges, or peeled for used in salads or appetizers. The flesh can also
be cut into cubes or scooped into balls with a melon-baller.
Buying and storing tips
Melons are often available year-round; however they are most delicious in specific
seasons:
Watermelon: May to August
Cantaloupes and muskmelons: June through August
Cranshaws: July through October
Honeydew and prince: June to October
Most others July to November
Because melons are highly perishable, growers pick them early, making it difficult to
choose a flavorful melon. Choose melons that are heavy and free of bruises. Look at the navel,
where the stem attached, to detect mold, excessive softness, or evidence that may show when
the melon was harvested. If a shriveled stem is still attached, it was picked too soon. Melons
do not ripen after picking, and only keep for about two weeks after that, instead only growing
softer. A melon’s ripeness can sometimes be detected by a delicate aroma, or by tapping
it lightly for a hollow sound. Hard melons can be good if left to soften at room temperature
for a couple of days. Store ripe melons in the refrigerator and, if cut, be sure they are
tightly covered.
Varieties
Summer melons include the following:
Watermelon
This large melon can weigh from just a few pounds (about 454 to 1,360 grams) to up to 90
pounds (40.5 kg). It has a water content of up to 95 percent and is a popular summer treat,
eaten sliced, or cut into fruit salad. It wears a green rind (some varieties have pale green
stripes), with red, white, yellow, or pink flesh, and can be found in a round, oval, or oblong
shape, with seeds and seedless. The watermelon is said to be African in origin, with over 50
varieties in existence worldwide.
Cantaloupe
Called Charentais in France, cantaloupes have orange flesh and a distinctive taupe,
rough-surfaced rind, sometimes with green stripes. What Americans call cantaloupes are in
reality a variety of muskmelon.
Muskmelon
Also called netted melons, muskmelons are round, with orange flesh and a ruddy beige
“netted” skin. Several hybrid varieties exist that combine desirable
characteristics of the muskmelon and cantaloupe.
Cranshaw
This is an oval-shaped summer melon with a golden-yellow rind.
Winter melons (available in American markets, but imported from tropical climates) include
the following:
Honeydew
These melons have a smooth, pale-green to creamy yellow skin with sweet, pale-green flesh.
Honeydews can range in shape from round to oval and usually weigh from 3 to 6 pounds (about
1,362 to 2724g).
Casaba
Casabas are round or oval melons with yellow or orange skin that is green at the ends. The
flesh is creamy white.
Canary
Fragrant when ripe, these oblong melons have bright yellow rinds and sweet, off-white
flesh.
Persian
This variety looks like a large muskmelon. It has dark green skin with taupe netting and
firm orange flesh.
Prince
Similar to a honeydew in outer appearance, the round Prince melon has orange flesh.
Ogen
This is a small, round, hybrid melon created in the 1960s on an Israeli kibbutz. It usually
has green to yellow skin with juicy pink or light green flesh.
Galia
Also an Israeli hybrid, this melon has a beige rind and aromatic, light green flesh.
Santa Claus
This oblong melon has yellow skin with prominent green and black stripes. The Santa Claus
melon has a pale green flesh similar to that of a honeydew.
Nutrition Highlights
Melon (cantaloupe), 1 cup (cubes) (160g)
Calories: 54
Protein: 1g
Carbohydrate: 13g
Total Fat: 0g
Fiber: 1g
*Excellent source of: Vitamin A (5,411.20IU),
and Vitamin C (58.72mg)
*Good source of: Potassium (427.20mg)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular
nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good
source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily
Value.
The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes
only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult
your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any
supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications.
Information expires February 2010.
