Fruits · Melons
Melon
Sweet, fragrant orange- or green-fleshed melons such as cantaloupe, honeydew and galia; eaten fresh and chilled.
Also called: cantaloupe, rockmelon, kavun, muskmelon
Photo: Atomicbre at English Wikipedia, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-3.0)
What it is
Melons in this sense are muskmelons: round fruits with netted or smooth rinds and soft, perfumed flesh around a seedy centre. Cantaloupe has netted skin and orange flesh; honeydew is smooth and pale green; galia is netted with green flesh. Ripe melons smell sweet at the stem end. Watermelon is a separate plant.
Cucumis melo
How it’s used
- Sliced and wrapped in prosciutto
- Cubed into fruit salads and salsas
- Blended into chilled soups and smoothies
- Served with feta, mint or chilli and lime
Characteristics
Storage
At room temperature. Ripen whole at room temperature, then refrigerate. Keep cut melon covered in the fridge and eat within a few days.
Diet, allergens and safety
No major allergens in typical versions.
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
- Soy-free
- Caffeine-free
- Scrub netted rinds before cutting, as they can carry bacteria; refrigerate cut melon promptly.
Nutrition per 100 g
- Energy
- 34 kcal
- Protein
- 0.84 g
- Carbohydrate
- 8.16 g
- Fat
- 0.19 g
- Fibre
- 0.9 g
- Sugars
- 7.86 g
USDA FoodData Central: Melons, cantaloupe, raw.
Related ingredients
Recipes with melon
Agua de melón
Mexican · 10 min · 73 kcal · Vegan