There’s nothing that screams summer more than biting into a ripe and juicy piece of melon and in this case, cantaloupe. For those of you that live in Colorado, you’re in luck because as the country’s fifth largest producer of cantaloupes, Colorado boasts some of the sweetest in the nation. Grown in Rocky Ford, about 50 miles outside of Pueblo, these cantaloupes are characteristically sweeter than most due to the region’s high fluctuation in temperature swings. The hot days help increase sugar production while the cool nights help slow that process down, causing sugar to build up in the fruit. The season lasts from July until the first frost (about the end of September), but the prime picking season is from August 15th to September 1st so get to the store now to get them at their sweetest!
- How to Pick: Look for a cantaloupe with a yellow/orange coloring in between the white netting. Avoid ones with green coloring or ones with too many soft or dark spots, as these are of poorer quality. It should also have a little give at the stem but firm elsewhere. If a cantaloupe smells sweet like honey then you can be sure that it will be sweet and juicy.
- How to Store: Cantaloupes will continue to ripen once picked so just store on a countertop until ripe. Once ripe, a cantaloupe should stay fresh in a refrigerator for up to three days.
- How to Use: Cantaloupes are an easy crowd pleaser. Just slice them up and serve alongside other fruit for breakfast or a snack. They also hold well on high heat so throw them on a grill to serve alongside a main dish or dessert.
- Recipe Ideas: My favorite way to eat cantaloupe is sliced up in giant pieces and eaten sans utensils. But for those of you looking for a more refined way of eating cantaloupe, feel free to cut up into fruit salads or serve alongside ice cream. For a spin on a classic, check back Friday for my Cantaloupe Chicken Curry Salad Sandwiches.
- Fun Fact: Cantaloupe are known as muskmelon almost everywhere else outside the states.
- For the Coloradoan’s: US commercial cantaloupe production began in the Arkansas Valley near Rocky Ford.
Sources: NPR, The Packer,ProduceOasis.com, RockyFordMelon.com
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