Cantaloupe Season Is Here

Whether you enjoy them sliced, cubed or halved, cantaloupes are a refreshing, healthy addition to salads, desserts, beverages and more. Try our favorite ways to serve.

It’s summer melon season and I plan to take advantage of my fair share of luscious cantaloupes.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. Here are some of our favorite ideas:

Cantaloupes range in color from yellow-orange to a deeper, pink-orange salmon-like color. Choose melons that are heavy for their size with no soft spots or bruising. A ripe cantaloupe will be mildly flowery and fragrant. Be mindful that the surface of a cantaloupe can contain harmful bacteria. Always thoroughly wash before cutting and consuming.
Most ripe melons can be refrigerated for up to two or three days. Once cut, melons should be wrapped tightly in plastic and refrigerated for no more than four days. Pre-cut melon should be eaten within three days. Here’s a little food trivia: after a worldwide search in 1941, a moldy cantaloupe sitting in a Peoria, Illinois market was found to have the best and highest quality penicillin. Pretty cool stuff!

Got a crush on cantaloupe? What about a favorite recipe? I’d like to know.

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