Picking the perfect fruit at the grocery store may seem like a lost art in the age of grocery delivery. But with a few tips, your melons of choice can be the talk of the town on any fruit platter you bring to a summer barbecue. Choosing a good cantaloupe means walking the line between not being too mushy and not too ripe, but not so lush that you have to wait too long to enjoy it.
Cantaloupe is a large, heavy fruit with an orange interior and a reticulated yellow-brown skin. Known as a sweet summer indulgence, it is a nutritious, ripe, low-calorie snack containing vitamins A and C, potassium, fiber, and other phytonutrients and antioxidants.
But there are some tips to avoid disappointment at the grocery store.
How to tell if a cantaloupe is ripe
Don’t be shy; choose one! “A ripe cantaloupe feels heavy, but when you press it, it shrivels a little,” says Lisa Valente, a registered dietitian based near Burlington, Vermont. From there, look for dents, soft spots, and cracks. These can be signs that bacteria or mold is starting to grow in the fruit, she says. Moldy fruit should be foregone, or thrown away if you’ve already bought it, she says.
Next, think about color. “Muskmelons should be golden on the outside; you don’t want too much green under the husk or netting,” Valente advises.
Finally, use all your senses. “If you smell the floral end of a cantaloupe, the end opposite the stem, it should smell sweet and floral, almost like honey. If it doesn’t smell, it’s probably not ripe.”
How to make cantaloupe last longer
Once you get your chosen cantaloupe home, keep in mind that its shelf life depends on its ripeness at the time of purchase. “Cantaloupes can last for a few days in the store, but whole melons can be stored in the refrigerator for about seven days. Once cut, they can be stored in the refrigerator for about five days,” Valente says. “In my house, this situation passes so quickly that it never lasts more than a day or two.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, just because you don’t eat the skin doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wash it. This reduces the risk of contamination passing from the outside of the fruit to the edible parts.
Once you know how to pick them well, consider purchasing cantaloupe as part of your regular grocery routine for its health benefits, great color, and summer flavor.
