Cantaloupe Fruit
Cantaloupes are a type of melon with a tan-green rind.
Typically, the rind is covered in a spider web-like pattern, though some
varieties may also be striped. Inside, the flesh is bright orange and sweet.
Their growing requirements are similar to that of other popular melons, such as
watermelons and honeydew melons.
Cantaloupes range in weight from 0.5 to 5 kilograms.
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. This fruit is a species of musk melon, as are
honey dew and casaba melons. All musk
melons are part of the larger botanical family cucurbitaceae, which includes almost
all species of squashes and melons.
The Cantaloupe derives its name from the Italian village
of Cantalupo, where it was cultivated upon the fruit's seeds being brought
there from Armenia. The original variety has had its seeds dispersed and
cross-cultivated throughout Europe and the Americas. The original Cantaloupe
was smaller than and not quite as sweet as modern cultivars. Cantaloupes have
been developed over time to achieve uniform size, improved flavour and disease
resistance. This high level of consistency has contributed to the Cantaloupe
becoming the most widely eaten melon variety.
The Cantaloupe is defined by two elements: it’s roughly
netted stone and green coloured skin and its aromatic orange-coral coloured
flesh. When perfectly ripe, the flesh is juicy and sweet. The Cantaloupe will
feel heavy versus hollow, a weightiness which is an indicator of its water
content. The ripe fruit releases its trademark floral musky aroma. It should
yield just slightly to finger pressure at its blossom end, which is opposite of
its scarred end, where it was removed from the stem. Like other melons, the
Cantaloupe's flesh bears a central seed cavity. The Cantaloupe is unique to
other melons in both fragrance and its flesh's texture. Most melons simply do
not have the same dense and sticky flesh that a cantaloupe does.
Cantaloupe is principally cultivated in two varieties;
the North American cantaloupe, Cucumis melo reticulatus, and the European
cantaloupe, Cucumis melo cantalupensis. The North American cantaloupe can be
distinguished by its skin, which has the geometric configuration of a net
(hence the name reticulatus). The skin of the European cantaloupe is slightly
ribbed and has a pale-green skin. Both varieties have solid orange flesh with
medium sweetness, and a high content of water.
The ripe flesh of a cantaloupe can vary in colour
depending on the hybrid. Cantaloupes
have a hollow cavity in their center that is filled with edible seeds. In some
parts of the world, cantaloupes are known as "rockmelons." Cantaloupes (Cucumis melo var cantalupensis)
typically lack extensive, orderly netting and they have ribs (also called
"sutures") that are much heavier and more deeply grooved. In
addition, true cantaloupes are grown almost exclusively in other parts of the
world.
When the time comes for you to slice open your
cantaloupe, it's important for you to be equally careful about this process.
Risk of bacterial contamination in cut cantaloupe is significant and public
health organizations stress the importance of safe handling practices. Be sure
to wash your hands and all utensils before and after cutting cantaloupe. Recommend
that you rinse a whole cantaloupe under cool running water, gently scrub the
rind with a natural bristle brush, and then pat dry before you slice it open.
This rinsing process with help remove unwanted bacterial contamination. Next,
place the whole cantaloupe on a clean cutting surface. Cut off the top (stem
end, where the vine was attached) of the cantaloupe and discard. (Research
shows that bacterial contamination is more likely to occur in this spot.) Next,
scoop out the seeds and slice your cantaloupe in whatever size sections you like.
Since the rind is not going to be eaten, we also recommend that you cut it off
at this time.
Public health organizations do make allowances for cut
cantaloupe to be kept at room temperature for a very short period of time, and recommend
that you limit this time period to two hours. Cut cantaloupe left sitting at
room temperature for more than two hours should be discarded. The risks here
involve contamination by one of several micro-organisms, including Salmonella,
Listeria, or E. coli. To widen the safety margin for cantaloupe even further,
we recommend that you actually avoid leaving cut cantaloupe at room temperature
for any period of time, and keep all cut cantaloupes in the refrigerator.
The key to purchasing a good quality melon is to find one
that is ripe, which is sometimes a challenge because oftentimes they are picked
while still unripe in order to ensure that they make it through the shipping
process undamaged. There are many clues that look for to find a melon that is
ripe. The first is by simply picking it up and feeling its weight. Does it feel fuller and heavier, that's a good
thing, because it is an indication of the cantaloupe's ripeness. Next, tap on the cantaloupe and listen to the
sound it makes. If the sound is dull and also deep, that's another indication
that it is a ripe cantaloupe. But if the sound is higher and hollow, the
cantaloupe is probably not ripe.
Press gently on the top of a ripe cantaloupe (the stem
end, where the vine was attached) with thumb, feel it give way very slightly.
If that spot gives way substantially, to the point of feeling genuinely soft or
even squishy, the cantaloupe is probably overripe. A quick check around
different areas of the cantaloupe is also a good idea at this point can make
sure that there is no bruising or damage.
The appearance of a ripe versus unripe cantaloupe is also
different. The rind of a ripe cantaloupe (meaning the outermost layer beneath
the netting) is typically going to be cream-coloured or yellow or golden but
not green or gray. The rind of an unripe cantaloupe is more likely to contain
some green or gray. (Don't rely too heavily on this ripeness indicator,
however, since some varieties of cantaloupe have rinds that stay green or
gray.)
Smelling the bottom of the cantaloupe (also called the
blossom end, opposite from the stem end where the vine was attached) can also
be helpful in determining its ripeness. Unripe cantaloupes are likely to have a
very faint smell or no smell at all. Ripe cantaloupes are likely to have that
spectacular cantaloupe aroma—but not in an overpowering way. If the fragrance
is overly strong, the cantaloupe may be overripe.
After scooping out the cantaloupe seeds, you can use them
to make a great snack food. Place the seeds in a fine mesh wire strainer and
rinse under cool running water while gently pressing the seeds against the mesh
to help remove the pulpy fibers. Once the seeds have been thoroughly cleaned,
let the water completely drain and gently shake the strainer to help the seeds
dry. Next, place the seeds in a single layer on a cookie sheet and lightly
roast them at 160-170°F (about 75°C) in the oven for 15-20 minutes. By roasting
those for a relatively short time at a low temperature you can help minimize
damage to their healthy oils.
Cantaloupe contains a wide variety of antioxidant and
anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, including the carotenoids alpha-carotene,
beta-carotene, lutein, beta-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin; the flavonoid luteolin;
the organic acids ferulic and caffeic acid; and two cucurbitacins—cucurbitacin
B and cucurbitacin E. Cantaloupe is an excellent source of vitamin A (in the
form of carotenoids) and vitamin C. It is also a good source of potassium,
dietary fiber, vitamin B1, vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B6, folate, magnesium,
copper and vitamin K.
Vitamin C is found mainly in fruits and vegetables with
the highest concentrations in cantaloupe. Eating cantaloupes has a wide range
of both immediate and potentially long-term health benefits. 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. So cantaloupe
helps one to stay hydrated, active and alert.
Research has also connected the consumption of cantaloupe
to preserving skin and hair health, lowering blood pressure and supporting
heart health, preserving eyesight during aging, improving blood-glucose
metabolism and reducing oxidative stress in the kidneys in diabetics.
Eating cantaloupe is not only a refreshing, low-calorie
dessert, its high-water content helps keep hydrated, especially on hot summer
days or after an intense workout. Eating cantaloupe, high in potassium as a
post-workout snack helps our body recover and lessens the chance for muscle
cramps and fatigue.Cantaloupe helps with digestion. Cantaloupe contains both soluble and
insoluble fibre, which work together for bowel health, helping to prevent
constipation and maintain a healthy digestive tract.
Cantaloupe is good for hair. Cantaloupe’s most potent vitamins A and C are
essential to helping us maintain strong, healthy hair and just one serving
(about one- quarter of a melon) contains 100 per cent of the
recommended daily allowances of both. Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is
required for sebum production, a compound that keeps our scalp and hair
moisturized and healthy while vitamin C is needed for the building and
maintenance of collagen, which provides structure to skin and hair.
The Cantaloupe can be used in fresh or raw preparations,
both sweet and savoury. It is not found to be suited well for cooking. Fresh
Cantaloupe can be used as a breakfast fruit and as a salad ingredient. It makes
a perfect element in cold or fresh desserts. It also can be used as an
ingredient in drinks.
Cantaloupe's flavour is unique to all other melon
varieties, making substitutes somewhat incomparable. To store, keep unripe
Cantaloupes at room temperature. When ripe, refrigerate. Remove melon an hour
before serving to bring out its best flavour. Cut Cantaloupe will keep refrigerated
in a sealed container for three days.
This fruit is normally eaten as a fresh fruit, as a
salad, or as a dessert with ice cream or custard. The seeds are edible and may
be dried for use as a snack. Because the
surface of a cantaloupe can contain harmful bacteria in particular,
Salmonella. it is recommended that a
melon be washed and scrubbed thoroughly before cutting and consumption. The
fruit should be refrigerated after cutting it and consumed in less than three
days to prevent risk of Salmonella or other bacterial pathogens.
In 2016, global production of melons, including
cantaloupes, totalled 31 million tons, with China accounting for 51% of the
world total (15.9 million tons). Other significant countries growing cantaloupe
were Turkey, Iran, Egypt, and India producing 1 to 2 million tons, respectively.
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