Have you ever wondered how to find a good cantaloupe in grocery stores or a farmers’ market? When searching for that perfectly ripe fresh cantaloupe with delicious flavor, there are a few things to help you make the right choice.
First, the fruit should be rather heavy. This means the melon has a high water content and lots of fresh orange flesh.
Second, look for an outer skin color that is a golden beige under the webbing. An unripe cantaloupe will have a green hue to the skin color.
Next smell the cantaloupe. If you hold the stem end of the fruit close to your nose, it should smell like a sweet cantaloupe. They have a rather distinctive smell, once you have had the pleasure of smelling a ripe fruit, it will help you choose well.
When you cut into the melon it should have a soft and slightly firm texture. Fruit that is tough is underripe, too mushy and it is either overripe or on rotting.
The heft, color, and smell of the fruit will tell you if you have chosen the best cantaloupe.