Photo credit: How Sweet It Is, The Almond Eater, A Beautiful Mess, Cookie + Kate, Foodie Crush
The spot-on sweetness of a perfectly ripe melon and its thirst-quenching qualities totally make it worth the mess, as its juices drip down your chin and all over your hands. On the hottest of days, it's so good that you could eat it for every meal, but first one needs to get their hands on the ripest of melons.
To make sure you score perfectly ripe cantaloupes and honeydews, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- First, choose a melon that is richly colored (a ripe cantaloupe will be have an orange blush and a ripe honeydew will have a yellowish hue).
- Next press the stem end with your thumb -- if it gives a little, it's ripe.
- And lastly, give it a sniff -- a ripe melon will have a wonderful aroma.
With this knowledge in hand, go forth and use all the ripe melons to make these recipes below (that aren't just fruit salad). Cantaloupe and honeydew have the unique versatility to go sweet or savory, tasting great in salads or salsas, but also are lovely as cocktails and sorbets.
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1
Goat Cheese Stuffed Fig, Melon And Prosciutto Salad
Foodie Crush
2
Melon Sorbet (Without An Ice Cream Maker)
A Beautiful Mess
3
Fresh Honeydew Margaritas
Cookie + Kate
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4
Cantaloupe Cupcakes
Cupcake Project
5
Honeydew Bubble Tea
Munchin with Munchkin
6
Melon And Cucumber Mint Salad
Bakers Royale
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7
Cucumber Honeydew Salad With Feta
Two Peas And Their Pod
8
Cantaloupe Coconut Lassi
How Sweet It Is
9
Honeydew Mint Ice Pops
Hungry Girl Por Vida
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10
Cucumber Melon Spa Salad
Boulder Locavore
11
Cantaloupe And Thyme Agua Fresca
A Beautiful Mess
12
Honeydew Smoothie Bowl
The Almond Eater
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13
Spicy Melon Salsa
How Sweet It Is
14
Honeydew Hefeweizen Smoothie
Adventures in Cooking
15
Two Melons Soup
Petit World Citizen
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16
Prosciutto, Cantaloupe & Cashew Salad
Iowa Girl Eats
17
Cantaloupe Fiesta Cocktail
Cookie + Kate
18
Avocado Melon Salad
aubrey | drum beets
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19
Chilled Cantaloupe Soup
Food52