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July 28 - Cantaloupe Selection & Ripening Tips:

Good-quality cantaloupe will have large webbing or netting on the skin, will have yellow/orange coloring and be slightly soft on the stem end (firm elsewhere). They will also have a good cantaloupe smell on the stem end (if it is not too cold), and the scar at the stem end should be a smooth and well-rounded cavity . Often, melons will have a decidedly bleached side that rested on the soil if they were mature enough for harvesting. Finally, you can hear the seeds rattle inside a juicy melon when shaken.

For perfect flavor, let your cantaloupe sit at room temperature (not in the window) until you can tell it is ripe according to the tips listed above. If you like your cantaloupe cold, put it into the refrigerator after it has ripened.

Avoid product with a rough stem end with portions of the stem remaining - this means the melon was harvested too early. Product with green coloring, soft or sunken spots or dark and dirty spots that look moldy are all signs of poor quality.

OASIS has much more information on melons.

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