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Wednesday 29 June 2022

Melon is marvellous and so many different types


Do you like melon? We certainly do and there are so many different types:

Cantaloupe
The Cantaloupe melon is named after a small town near Rome, Cantalupa, and is appreciated everywhere for its exceptionally juicy, sweet, orange flesh. Like all melons, it can be used in sweet and savoury dishes, but its flavour is always enhanced by serving well chilled. It is available all year.
Uses: It is ideal in fruit salads, fish or poultry dishes and can be eaten on its own.
To store: Keep uncut melons at room temperature until fully ripened, then store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Cut melon should always be covered with clingfilm and used within 3 days.
To prepare: Halve and remove the pips and fibres. Use a melon baller to scoop out the flesh or slice and cut the flesh away from the skin.

Charentais
The small charentais melon is grown mainly in France and Spain and has a smooth pale green to cream skin. The very juicy flesh is deep orange in colour and it is one of the best dessert melons. They are available all year.
Uses: Serve chilled on its own, or as part of a fruit salad. Serve chunks of melon with black olives with pre-dinner drinks, or wrap melon cubes in smoked salmon and serve on cocktail sticks.
To store: Keep uncut melons at room temperature until fully ripened, then store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Cut melon should always be covered with clingfilm and used within 3 days.
To prepare: Halve and remove the pips and fibres. Use a melon baller to scoop out the flesh or slice and cut the flesh away from the skin.

Galia
This variety of melon has a thick green skin and sweet yellow flesh, which is full of flavour. It is available all year.
Uses: Serve on its own or in slices with a selection of cold meats. Add to fruit salads or purée the flesh and stir into orange juice for a delicious non alcoholic cocktail.
To store: Keep uncut melons at room temperature until fully ripened, then store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Cut melon should always be covered with clingfilm and used within 3 days.
To prepare: Halve and remove the pips and fibres. Use a melon baller to scoop out the flesh or slice and cut the flesh away from the skin.

Honeydew
An oval-shaped melon with yellow or green wrinkled skin, Its flesh may be pale green, yellow or pink, depending on type. It has a subtle, refreshing sweet flavour. It is available all year.
Uses: Cut into slices and sprinkle with a little ground cinnamon or ginger for a simple starter or dessert.
To store: Keep uncut melons at room temperature until fully ripened, then store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Cut melon should always be covered with clingfilm and used within 3 days.
To prepare: Halve and remove the pips and fibres. Use a melon baller to scoop out the flesh or slice and cut the flesh away from the skin.

Piel de Sapo
A Spanish melon whose name means 'toad's skin' - a reference to its dark green roughly textured surface. Inside the pale yellow to green flesh has a distinctive, delicate sweet flavour. It is available all year.
Uses: Delicious eaten Italian-style with thinly sliced prosciutto. Or serve with after-dinner cheese - it is especially good with salty feta or extra mature Cheddar.
To store: Keep uncut melons at room temperature until fully ripened, then store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Cut melon should always be covered with clingfilm and used within 3 days.
To prepare: Halve and remove the pips and fibres. Use a melon baller to scoop out the flesh or slice and cut the flesh away from the skin.

Watermelon
Quite different from the other types of melon available, water melons are usually quite large, with a dark green skin. The flesh is a bright pinky red colour and has a quite bland sweet flavour, it contains black seeds which provide a direct contrast in colour and texture to the flesh. Slices of water melon are especially popular in warm countries where they are served chilled as a refreshing alternative to a long, cool drink to help quench thirst. It is available all year.
Uses: Serve chilled and sliced as part of a fresh fruit platter.
To store: Keep uncut melons at room temperature until fully ripened, then store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Cut melon should always be covered with clingfilm and used within 3 days.
To prepare: Halve and cut into thick slices
Above taken from article here

Sharing one of our favourite melon recipes
Melon and Parma Ham


A gorgeous pairing of two delicate flavours - sweet and juicy melon with smoky slices of Parma ham. This makes a great starter dish for a dinner party, but could also be enjoyed as a light lunch,
and is such a refreshing combination of tastes.

Ingredients
Serves Four
1 honeydew melon
2 x 88g (2oz) packs of Parma ham, torn
50g (2oz) wild rocket (arugula)
pinch ground black pepper
4 tsp oil
Method
can be seen here

Of course there are many delicious recipes that use melon too, and you may have your own favourite, why not share it in the comments section.

A variety of recipe ideas/articles are found within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health it is always advisable to consult your Doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan

30 comments:

R's Rue said...

I want cantaloupe now. Love to you friend.

Ananka said...

Oh I do love a good bit of melon. They are so tasty. :-D

Practical Parsimony said...

From the Deep South, Alabama in the US. We know watermelons! They are actually best when served room temperature. If served in the yard, there is no mess to worry about and clean up. We have put them in the refrigerator but served in their wild state is really delicious. Neither of us can lift or safely cut any size watermelon. So, I have to buy the tubs of cut melon in the store. Watermelon is the only melon I will eat. My mother would take half a cantaloupe with the seeds cleaned out and put cottage cheese in it and have it for breakfast. No watermelon equals the fresh watermelon chosen ourselves from a Farmer's Market. These are a tradition here for the 4th of July.

Bill said...

I love melons. Haven't had a honeydew in a long time.

Tom said...

...Cantaloupe and Watermelon are the other ones that I know.

Christine said...

Love melons!

happyone said...

Oh I love cantaloupe. I like to cut it in half and put a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the center. Delicious!!!

J.P. Alexander said...

El melón es muy bueno para los diabeticos. Lastima que no me gusta mucho. Te mando un beso.

My name is Erika. said...

Some of these melons are new to me. But in the warm weather, it is really refreshing, isn't it?

Margaret D said...

Good article about melons.

Elephant's Child said...

You seem to get a wider range of melons than we do - and we are of course getting none at the moment.

Francisco Manuel Carrajola Oliveira said...

É uma fruta que muito aprecio.
Um abraço e continuação de uma boa semana.

Andarilhar
Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
O prazer dos livros

Breathtaking said...

Hello Jan, :=) I tend to eat Cantaloupe melon, because they are small,and so sweet when fully ripe. After cutting in halve and preparing each halve, I usually eat one halve for desert, and keep the other to mix with fruit salad. I like the idea of the Honeydew Melon with Parma ham.

Many thanks for your two visits with well wishes, ...I am not fully recovered yet, but was well enough to make a blog post yesterday.
All the best.

eileeninmd said...

Hello,
I have been enjoying the cantaloupe and watermelon.
The melon and ham looks yummy.
Take care, have a happy day!

CJ Kennedy said...

Many years ago at Italian family weddings, it was fashionable to serve cantaloupe wedge with a slice of prosciutto wrapped around as the appetizer.

Anne C said...

I've been on a cantaloupe kick lately. I usually cut it into cubes when I get it home so I can easily enjoy it for a few days. I pack some in my lunch with some cottage cheese... heavenly. Toward the end of summer, there's a variety that grows not far from here called Woonsocket, and if you ever get the chance to try it I'd encourage you to do so.
My grandmother was from Pennsylvania and never called them cantaloupes; she knew them as muskmelons. She'd eat them with a sprinkle of salt, which really brings out the sweetness somehow.

Donna said...

These all sound wonderful but I'm now doing Carnivore...and I found your comment in the darn spam folder!! Sorry I'm so late responding!!
hugs
Donna

Bob Bushell said...

I love the Melon, pure excellent.

Giorgio said...

I would have never thought of so many different types of melon.
There is also a particular lettuce in that delicious dish of juicy melon with smoky slices of Parma ham. What's the English name of that veggie? (in Italy that lettuce is called "rucola")
Great post, Jan :-)

Lowcarb team member said...

Hello Giorgio

Many thanks for your comment and question about the lettuce.

It is wild rocket, which is sometimes known as Arugula, and you can read more about it here:-
https://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.com/2017/06/melon-and-parma-ham.html

All the best Jan


Jeff said...

Melons are coming in from South Carolina now, soon we'll have local ones. They're one of the few things I like about heat and summer! Green River, Utah, grows more kind of melons than anyplace else I know, all grown right along the Green River which flows through the desert.

It's me said...

I love Mellon…but I am allergic for it …I can eat a little bit at the time….mmmmmmmm…but now I am going to sleep it is bedtime here in Holland love from me and Leaf 🍀🐾💗🍀

DVArtist said...

I enjoy any kind of melon. Really like the recipe. Have a very good day.

Conniecrafter said...

I have only had half those melons, I think watermelon is my favorite

Kay said...

Watermelon is my husband's favorite fruit. I love the sugar kiss melons but I'm not seeing much of them this year.

Lee said...

I love melons, and I love pawpaws...and I've been eating a lot of the latter lately...seeds and all!

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Cantaloupe is one of life's great treats. It's a bit of a crap shoot buying one but when you open it up and it's juicy and delicious there is nothing quite like it.

Martha said...

Melons are delicious! My favourite fruit is watermelon. It is so delicious!

Teresa said...

Me encanta el melón, en España tenemos muchas variedades. Besos.

Jeanie said...

I especially love cantaloupe but that ham and honeydew recipe sounds fabulous!