Matchmaker, Find Me A Cantaloupe

by Judy Sobeloff, from the July 2004 newsletter

Cantaloupe for breakfast,
honey in a bun,
put your shoes and stockings on
and run, run, run.
—favorite morning rhyme recited by my grandmother

You’ve heard of cantaloupe, tasted it, read the book, seen the movie. Maybe you even know how to spell it. Maybe you’ve dropped one on your foot. This month we take a deeper look, not into the crystal ball, but at the melon ball. Things I haven’t yet tried: frying or boiling cantaloupe, juggling more than one cantaloupe, drilling three holes in a cantaloupe and bowling.

Depicted in Egyptian tomb paintings dating back to 2400 B.C., melons originated in the Middle East, spread across Europe, and later were brought to America by Christopher Columbus.

Cantaloupes are thought to have been developed in Cantalou, a former Papal garden near Rome (www.foodreference.com). Apparently the true cantaloupe remained in Europe and has a “rough, warty” skin, while the melon we call “cantaloupe” here is technically a muskmelon (www.wholehealthmd.com). I’m not sure who gets to decide these things, maybe the same people who get to decide which is soccer and which is football.

Interestingly enough, cantaloupes are members of the gourd family, closely related to squash, with both having rinds, thick flesh, and seeds in the middle. The difference apparently lies in the sweetness and juiciness, with squash considered a vegetable and cantaloupe considered fruit.

As is true of many things in life, it’s impossible to know for sure whether a cantaloupe is ripe before slicing into it, and by then you’re committed. A cantaloupe left uncut at room temperature will not ripen further (i.e. become sweeter), but it can become softer and juicier. While choosing a cantaloupe is less of a commitment than choosing a life partner, the following tests, particularly sniffing, can help you make an educated guess with either endeavor.

According to wholehealthmd.com, “Cantaloupes should be slightly golden—not a dull green—under the rind’s meshlike ‘netting,’ which should cover the whole rind; reject those with slick spots. The stem end should have a slight indentation [and] the blossom end will be slightly soft.”

Matchmaking tips from fabulousfoods.com: “Look for a nice rounded shape.... If your melon has a stem or rough stem area, [it] may have been harvested too early and may lack sweetness.” Because cantaloupes are grown on the ground, they may have a slightly bleached area on the side they were lying on, but unless they are flat or lopsided, this does not indicate a problem. A ripe cantaloupe has a mild melon or flowery smell.

Cantaloupe isn’t exactly new or exotic, but I started drooling when I read the recipes for cantaloupe ices, smoothies, shakes, lassi, and soup. I started with a creamy pink cantaloupe-strawberry shake, planning to try the other recipes, which tended to have similar ingredients (cantaloupe, milk or yogurt, sugar), in rapid succession. Though I tend to be a “fruit-doesn’t-need-sugar” purist, I had to admit I liked the shake better with sugar. Jonna, age 2-1/2, liked the unsweetened version fine, however.

Unlike the desserty treats mentioned above, the recipe for cantaloupe salsa, on the other hand, appealed only to my morbid curiosity, reason enough to try it, I thought. Jonna spat it out, but it was beautiful, and, I thought, delicious.

“It has a really colorful flavor to it,” Fred said.

For the grand finale I made cantaloupe Italian ice, taking a bold stand and refusing to strain the cantaloupe pulp as directed. The resulting cantaloupe ice was so good I started laughing when I tasted it. Fred described it as “an extreme version of eating cantaloupe itself, like cantaloupe on steroids.” I can’t wait to make this again, all summer long.

Cantaloupe-Strawberry Shake (adapted from www.southernfood.about.com)

1 cup whole strawberries, hulled and washed (fresh or frozen, unthawed is fine)
1 cup diced cantaloupe
2-3 tsp. granulated sugar (to taste)
1/2 cup milk (any kind)

Place all ingredients in food processor or blender and mix until frothy. Serve immediately.

Cantaloupe Salsa (from www.fabulousfoods.com)

1/2 large ripe cantaloupe
3/4 cup finely diced red and/or yellow pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
juice of 1 lime
salt and crushed pepper flakes, to taste

Remove seeds and rind from cantaloupe. Chop cantaloupe into very small cubes. Add remaining ingredients. Chill. Enjoy.

Cantaloupe Italian Ice (adapted from Angelo Boccato’s Ice Cream and Pastry, New Orleans)
[NOTE: needs ice cream maker]

1 quart water
1 lb. + 4 oz (approx. 2-1/2 cups) sugar
juice of 1 lemon
2 medium-sized cantaloupes

Dissolve sugar and water in 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

Peel and seed the cantaloupes. Cut into 2-inch pieces. Puree in food processor or blender. If desired, strain through a medium sieve.

Mix pureed cantaloupe (or strained cantaloupe juice) with sugar syrup and lemon juice with a wire whisk. Pour into ice cream machine. (If cantaloupe was strained, add some cantaloupe pulp, if desired.) Freeze to a smooth consistency, according to manufacturer’s directions.

Judy Sobeloff was pleased to learn that the mysterious muskmelon seeds she planted should actually bring cantaloupes.

Copyright: Copyright on articles, recipes and images are jointly held by the Moscow Food Co-op and the respective contributors, except were otherwise noted.

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