Pepino Melon Selection Information | Nutritional Information | Tips & Trivia

Pepino may look a lot like a melon, but it's actually related to nightshades which include the tomato and eggplant. Its flavor is described as a delicious blend of cucumber and honeydew.

Scientific Binomial Name: Cucumis melo

SELECTION INFORMATION

Usage

Eaten raw for breakfast, in fruit and spinach salads. Pepinos are great served peeled and cubed or sliced.

Selection

Also known as melon pear, pepino dulce and mellowfruit, good-quality Pepino melon will be smooth-skinned, have a sweet smell on the stem-end and be as firm as a partially ripe plum.

The coloring of ripe fruit will be ivory to pale yellow with purple stripes.

Avoid

Avoid product that is soft, dented or light for its size.

Storage

Ripen Tropical fruit at room temperature and then refrigerate until ready for use.

Ripening

Ripen at room temperature until as firm as a slightly ripe plum, then refrigerate ripe fruit for up to 3 days.

Nutritional Information

Pepinos are are low-fat, sodium-free, and cholesterol-free. They're also a great source of fiber.

Tips & Trivia

Pepino melons originally come from the higher elevations of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile in the Andean Mountains.

Pepino melons are also grown in Hawaii, California, New Zealand, Western Australia, Morocco, Spain, Israel, and the highlands of Kenya.

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