Melons are classified as fruit, and although they are certainly sweeter than their squash and cucumber cousins, they belong to the same gourd family. Melons are used in a variety of recipes but are perhaps most often enjoyed around the world in their natural, fresh state.
Watermelon is the most common variety of melon, with approximately 50 sub-types available. It originated in Africa, and evidence suggests its cultivation dates back to the Bronze Age. China is the leading producer of watermelon today, though several regions in the United States also grow watermelons commercially. With the highest water content of any fruit, watermelon’s juicy red flesh has become synonymous with summer fun and refreshment.
Cantaloupes are the most nutritious of all melon varieties, packed with vitamin C, beta-carotene, and potassium. They have a netted cream and green skin with sweet orange flesh. Other melons with netted skin include the Persian melon (rounder and larger than the cantaloupe, with firmer flesh) and the Santa Claus or Christmas melon (with dark green and yellow striped skin, and a flavor similar to Casaba but not as sweet). Cantaloupes are in peak season during the summer.
Choosing and Storing Melons
Honeydew is a smoother-skinned melon, with light yellow skin and pale green flesh. It has the sweetest flavor of any melon. Other smooth-skinned melons include the Crenshaw (a cross between Casaba and Persian, with lightly spicy flesh) and the Casaba (round with yellow skin and green, sweet flesh).
While watermelons closely resemble their cucumber cousins, with seeds scattered throughout the fruit, other melons tend to resemble squash with seeds gathered in a cavity at the center.
Although melons come in a wide range of varieties and sub-types, they all require similar shopping guidelines. When selecting a melon, look for one that is heavy for its size, as a hefty weight typically indicates plenty of flavorful juice. Also, check for a strong fragrance, as fragrance often equals flavor. The melon should be firm but slightly springy when you apply gentle pressure with your fingers. The skin should be whole, free of bruises, cracks, or shriveling. Avoid any melon that feels mushy.
If your melon isn’t ripe when you purchase it, you can ripen it at home. To speed up the process, place the melon in a paper bag with an apple, banana, pear, or tomato. These fruits emit ethylene gas, which hastens ripening. This process may take up to four days, so check your fruit frequently to prevent over-ripening.
Uncut melons can keep for up to two weeks at room temperature. However, once you cut them, wrap and refrigerate the melon. Cut melon will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator, but it tastes best if allowed to reach room temperature before serving.
Most melons are perfectly delicious when served fresh. You can slice them, cube them, serve them as halves with seeds scooped out, or shape them into balls with a melon baller. A scooped-out melon shell makes a lovely bowl for fruit salad. A particularly crafty cook can carve a handle from the top half of the melon while preserving the bottom as the bowl.
Here’s a recipe for a simple yet elegant appetizer. Feel free to experiment by adding other fruits or drizzling with a balsamic vinegar reduction.
Prosciutto-Wrapped Melon
– 1 melon, cut into 6 wedges – 18 paper-thin prosciutto slices
Wrap one melon wedge in three slices of prosciutto.
Repeat with the remaining melon wedges and prosciutto slices.
If desired, garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley or other garden green.
Breakfast shakes are usually the domain of berries or citrus, but here’s something new to try. The result is a refreshingly delicious and nutritious drink.
Summer Melon Smoothie
– ¼ cantaloupe – ¼ honeydew – Juice of 1 lime – Optional garnish: lime wedges or mint sprigs
Peel and seed the melons.
Cut them into 1-inch cubes.
If time allows, freeze the melon cubes. Otherwise, use them fresh. (Freezing the melon will make your smoothie thicker.)
Combine the melon and lime juice in a blender.
Blend until smooth.
Pour into a tall glass. If desired, garnish with a lime wedge or mint sprig before serving.
