What season is the best time to buy cantaloupe? From June through August, cantaloupes are at their peak of flavor. Along with tasting great, they’re an excellent source of vitamin A, beta-carotene and vitamin C. Whether you enjoy them sliced, cubed or halved, cantaloupes are a refreshing, healthy addition to salads, desserts, beverages and more.
Can you get cantaloupe year round? These melons are referred to as “Westside” cantaloupes and they are available from June through October. … All cantaloupes produced in California are grown in regions where the weather is hot and dry.
What melon is in season now? Honeydew is available all year round, with peak season running between June and October in the northern hemisphere. One of the trickiest parts of buying large fruits such as melon and watermelon is to tell whether they’re ripe or not.
What season is best for melons? During the months of May to September, melons are in season. While available year-round in a supermarket, melons are much more affordable during the summer season. The three most popular melons in America are cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew.
What season is the best time to buy cantaloupe? – Related Questions
Where does cantaloupe come from?
The cantaloupe most likely originated in a region from South Asia to Africa. It was later introduced to Europe, and around 1890, became a commercial crop in the United States. Melon derived from use in Old French as meloun during the 13th century, and from Medieval Latin melonem, a kind of pumpkin.
What is cantaloupe fruit good for?
100% of the daily value for vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that protects your cells from damage. All your daily need for vitamin A, which helps keep your eyes, skin, bones, and immune system healthy. About 12% of your recommended daily potassium, important for your heart, muscles, and blood pressure.
How to fertilize cantaloupe?
Cantaloupe plants can be fertilized again after the blossoms appear. At this point, you want to use a fertilizer with much less nitrogen than phosphate and potassium. If using a granular type fertilizer, choose a formula such as 5-10-10 or 2-12-12. More potassium and phosphate will help you plants develop fruit.
How to prepare cantaloupe seeds for eating?
But how do you eat cantaloupe seeds? … You can eat them raw. You can roast them in the oven — similar to roasting pumpkin seeds. Use as an ingredient in a smoothie.
Does cantaloupe lower blood sugar?
Being a strong source of fiber, B vitamins and electrolytes, and having a low glycemic load makes cantaloupe a great food for maintaining energy within cells and controlling blood glucose levels.
Is muskmelon or cantaloupe good for dogs?
So, can dogs eat cantaloupe? Yes, the tasty melon is safe for pups to eat in moderation and can be a healthy alternative to traditional treats, especially if your dog is overweight. Even the seeds are harmless, but you should avoid feeding them to your dog intentionally, as they can be a choking hazard.
What is a cantaloupe fruit or vegetable?
The cantaloupe is a juicy, orange summer fruit that’s related to the watermelon and honeydew melon. It also belongs to the same plant family as cucumbers, pumpkins, squashes, and gourds. The semi-sweet cantaloupes most familiar to people in the U.S. are a type of muskmelon called Cucumis melo reticulatus.
How to tell when a cantaloupe is ready?
A ripe cantaloupe should have a beige webbing pattern. That netting should look like raised ridges. And underneath, the cantaloupe should either be cream-colored, sandy gold, yellow, or tan. If the rind is still green or grey, it’s not ripe enough.
How to harvest seeds from cantaloupe?
Wait until the fruits are fully ripe and separated from the vine before collecting seeds from melons. In cantaloupe, for example, look for thick netting and a pungent melon smell from the stem end. To start saving melon seeds, cut open the fruit lengthwise and scoop out the seed masses into a jar.
Should cantaloupe be mushy?
How To Tell If Cantaloupe Is Bad? Discard cantaloupes that: Feel light, hollow, or super soft. If the melon seems empty inside or the rind is soft, it’s lost most of its water and it’s no good.
Will a cantaloupe ripen after you cut it?
Can a cantaloupe ripen after it was cut? Yes. Cantaloupe will ripen after being cut from the vine, but will not increase in sweetness.
How to buy and store cantaloupe?
The best way to pick a cantaloupe is by smell. The fruit should have a sweet, slightly musky scent. A good cantaloupe feels heavy for its size, has a rind that resembles raised netting, and has a stem end that yields slightly when pressed with your thumb.
How do i grow cantaloupe from seed?
Most cantaloupe cultivars take between 65-90 days from germination to reach maturity, so let that be your guide. To sow in seed trays, add a good quality potting mix to each cell and then use your finger to make a 1/2-inch-deep hole in each one.
How to grow cantaloupe in georgia?
Plant cantaloupe in an area with warm soil (70°F+) and plenty of sun. Cantaloupes are sprawlers, so plant them 36 to 42 inches apart in fertile, well-drained soil. Growing cantaloupes require a lot of nutrients, so it’s best to improve your soil by mixing in several inches of compost or other rich organic matter.
Can my puppy eat cantaloupe?
So, can dogs eat cantaloupe? Yes, the tasty melon is safe for pups to eat in moderation and can be a healthy alternative to traditional treats, especially if your dog is overweight. Even the seeds are harmless, but you should avoid feeding them to your dog intentionally, as they can be a choking hazard.
How to prepare soil for cantaloupe?
Cantaloupes need nutrients, so incorporate about 4 inches of organic matter in the form of aged manure or compost into the soil before planting and follow this with the application of 4 to 6 cups of a complete granular fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, per 100 square feet of planting area.
How do you pick out a ripe cantaloupe?
The melon should be firm but not too soft or too hard. Smell the melon at the stem core (where it was cut) and it should have a good cantaloupe smell; those without smell are under-ripe, and those with unpleasing odor are over-ripe.
Is cantaloupe a raw fruit?
Cantaloupes are sweet when eaten raw, and because the flesh of the fruit is so soft, can be easily blended into a smoothie. It can also be mixed into a fruit salad with other easy to digest fruits, or eaten with yogurt.
When is the ideal time to pick cantaloupe?
When rinds begin to change from green to tan or yellow, the melon is typically ripe enough to pick. Be careful not to pick too early, however. Look for a crack in the stem where it attaches to the fruit. This is a sign of ripeness as well.
Why wont my cantaloupe grow?
High temperatures or high fertility can cause the cantaloupe to produce only male blooms which results in poor fruit set. Nematodes can also cause small plants, profusion of blooms and no fruit. … It restricts the uptake of nutrients from the root system to the foliage, resulting in a yellow and stunted plant.
Can birds eat cantaloupe seeds?
The seeds contained in grapes, cantaloupe, cranberries, watermelon and pomegranates are all safe for birds to eat as well as the seeds of citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits and lemons. While they are not fruits, the seeds from squashes and pumpkins are also safe.