How to Pick a Cantaloupe: Tips for Buying Fresh Cantaloupe

Cantaloupes are a warm-weather crop with a long growing season, thriving best in southern or subtropical climates. Cantaloupes are a variety of muskmelon (Cucumis melo), with a tan, netted outer skin, and subtle flavor.

Other similar melon varieties include the honeydew melon, the Persian melon, and the Armenian cucumber.

Cantaloupe is generally a summer fruit, so it will be most ripe during the warmer months. There are several ways to determine a cantaloupe’s ripeness, and you can also use these methods to find a good watermelon or honeydew melon in the produce section. Here’s how to identify a ripe melon:

• Check the look and color. The rind should be a sandy gold—not green—color. Avoid any cantaloupes with discoloration or soft spots. The perfect cantaloupe should have some give when you press on the stem end. If it is rock-hard, it is an unripe melon. If it is too soft, the fruit may be overripe or rotting.
• Select the heftier option. Pick up the fruit. Unripe cantaloupes will be lighter, while riper ones will be heavier. Hold a couple and select the heftier option.
• Smell to gauge ripeness. Smell the cantaloupe to determine if it is ripe. A ripe cantaloupe will have a sweet smell with a hint of muskiness.
• Tap and listen for a low, solid sound. Tap the cantaloupe—if there is a hollow sound, it is no good. Listen for a low, solid sound instead.

Store whole cantaloupe at room temperature for up to a week or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. After cutting into the melon, eat it immediately or store it in an airtight container in the fridge to prevent the melon from absorbing flavors from the surrounding air.

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