Honeydew Melon
(Scientific Binomial Name: Cucumis melo)
Selection Information
Usage: Raw in fruit salads, yogurt, or in fruit platters.
Selection: Honeydew melons are a variety of Muskmelon and are considered the sweetest of all melons. 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.
Storage: Uncut Honeydew melons can be kept at room temperature for two to four days or until ripe. Ripe Honeydews can be refrigerated for an additional 5 days. Cut melons should be placed in a covered container and refrigerated for no more than three days. Keep in mind that Honeydws have a strong odor that will saturate other foods.
Preparation - Wash honeydews in warm soapy water prior to cutting to eliminate impurities on the rind that could be transferred from the knife to the melon's flesh. Next, slice the Honeydew in half and remove the seeds and strings. Melons can be cut into halves, quarters, wedges, cubes, or scooped into balls with a melon baller. Most melons will benefit from a squeeze of lemon or lime juice to enhance the flavor and served at room temperature.
Seasonal Information
Honeydew is available year round. Beginning in May and through October Honeydew arrives from California, Arizona and Texas. Mexico supplies product during the winter months.
Honeydew Melon Nutritional Information
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Honeydew melons are low in Sodium, and very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. Honeydews are a good source of Vitamin B6, Folate and Potassium, and a very good source of Vitamin C.
Honeydew Melon Tips & Trivia
- The Honeydew was revered as a sacred food by the ancient Egyptians.
- Napolean and Pope John Paul II both considered Honeydew melons their favorite fruit.
- Honeydew is a cultivar group of muskmelon, Cucumis melo Inodorus group, which includes crenshaw, casaba, Persian, winter, and other mixed melons.
- Honeydew is the American name for the cultivar White Antibes which has been grown for many years in southern France and Algeria.
- The name casaba comes from the Turkish city Kasaba.
Honeydew Melon Recipes
- Honeydew Melon Soup
- Honeydew Melon Salad with Vinaigrette
- Honeydew Melon Smoothie
- Prosciutto Wrapped Honeydew Melon Balls
- Prosciutto with Honeydew Melon
Suggested Reading About Melons on Amazon.com:
- Melons for the Passionate Grower
- A Tale of Two Melons: Emperor And Subject in Ming China
- Cucumbers, Melons & Gourds From Seed To Supper
