Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Part one: Ripening a melon on the plant
• Method 2 of 3: Part two: Let a picked melon ripen
• Method 3 of 3: Part three: This is how you determine whether the melon is ripe
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

A cantaloupe melon should actually be picked when ripe, because then it is at its best. Yet there is still hope for an unripe, picked melon. Below you can read how you can ripen a melon that is not yet fully ripe for a few days, so that it has a nicer color and a bit more juicy.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Part one: Ripening a melon on the plant

1. Note the color of the melon. You should never pick a melon when the skin is still green, because then it is certainly not yet ripe. If the outside of the melon is yellowish or slightly “browned” in color, chances are it is ripe.
   • On the other hand, you shouldn't rely solely on color to find out if you can harvest a melon. A green melon is certainly not yet ripe, but that does not mean that a yellow or brown melon is just ripe.
   • But even if the melon is not yet fully ripe, you can see from the color of the skin whether the fruit is almost ripe.
   • You have to give the melon a chance to fully ripen in the field. Melons, like some other fruits, do not produce sugars after they have been picked, so once harvested a melon does not get any sweeter. The color and texture may change after harvesting, but the taste will not change anyway.
2. Check if the circle around the stem is slightly cracked. Usually a melon is ready for picking when there is a circular crack in the skin around the stalk that attaches the fruit to the plant. The circle should completely encircle the stem.
   • To make sure the crack is big enough, press gently on the side of the stem. Place your thumb directly under the stem and press against the side of the stem. If all goes well, the stem starts to come off easily with a little bit of pressure.
3. Pick the melon. When the melon has the right color and the crack completely encircles the stem, the melon is ripe. You must then pick it immediately.
   • Don't wait too long before picking a ripe melon. If the melon separates from the plant on its own and falls to the ground, it is likely to be overripe, which is detrimental to both the taste and texture of the melon.

Method 2 of 3: Part two: Let a picked melon ripen

1. Know what to expect. As we mentioned above, the taste of a melon does not change after harvesting because the pulp does not contain starch that can be converted into sugar. On the other hand, the texture, color and juiciness of the fruit can improve, so the procedure below can still be useful with a ripe melon that has just been picked, or with a melon that is just under ripe.
2. Place the melon in a brown paper bag. To do this, use a brown paper bag that is large enough for the melon with some extra space. It is not the intention that the bag is too tight around the melon. Make sure to leave some room in the bag for air circulation.
   • When you want to ripen the melon, close the top of the bag.
   • The closed bag retains the ethylene that the melon produces during the ripening process. The production of ethylene is increased when ethylene is already present, so the concentration of the gas in the space of the bag adjusts the maturation process.
   • You must use a paper bag and not a plastic bag. A paper bag is porous, allowing carbon dioxide to escape and oxygen to enter. If at least some air cannot circulate, the melon may start to ferment.
3. You can optionally put an apple or a banana in the bag with the melon. If you put a ripe apple or banana in the bag, even more ethylene is produced, which speeds up the ripening process even further.
   • Bananas and apples produce large amounts of ethylene as they ripen and therefore work better than other fruits.
4. Keep the melon at room temperature until it is ripe. Normally, the cantaloupe will be ripe in a day or two.
   • The place where you keep the melon should not be too cold or too warm. It is also better to avoid very humid or drafty spaces.
   • During the process, check the condition of your melon regularly and make sure it has not ripened faster.

Method 3 of 3: Part three: This is how you determine whether the melon is ripe

1. View the stem roots. If you did not pick the melon yourself but bought it somewhere, first check that there is not part of the stem on the melon. If so, you better leave the melon for what it is. It will probably be harvested before it was ripe enough, and such a melon will never ripen again.
   • Also check the skin around the base of the melon. If the skin is damaged, it could be a sign that the melon was picked too soon.
   • If the stalk sticks a little into the fruit, it may mean that it was not difficult to pick the melon from the plant. If the end of the stem is sticking out of the melon, it may be a sign that the melon was picked too soon.
   • If there are clearly soft, moist spots at the stem base, it is better not to buy the melon. This can mean that the fruit is overripe.
2. Look at the mesh pattern on the shell. The skin should be covered with a thick, coarse net pattern that separates clearly all over the surface of the melon.
   • Sometimes the net pattern stands out more clearly in certain places than in others. So you don't have to expect that the entire melon is completely covered with the pattern.
3. Note the color. If you want to buy the melon somewhere instead of picking it yourself, take a good look at the skin before deciding whether or not to buy it. The skin should be golden, yellow or brown in color.
   • If the skin is greenish, it means that the melon is unripe.
4. Feel the melon. Gently press the bottom end of the melon. If all goes well, the fruit will give a little bit. If it feels hard, let the melon ripen at room temperature for another day or so.
   • If the melon is too yielding or feels squishy, ​​it is probably overripe.
   • Also pick up the melon during the inspection. A ripe melon feels heavy for its size.
5. Smell the melon. Give the bottom end of the melon a sniff; so not on the side of the stem root, but on the opposite end. Hold the bottom of the melon just under your nose and inhale. You should smell the familiar scent of a ripe melon as you inhale.
   • If you don't smell anything yet, let the melon ripen for about half a day.
   • If you're not quite sure what a cantaloupe smells like, sniff it and ask yourself if you are smelling a distinct, sweet scent.
   • The bottom end of the cantaloupe is where it softens first and is where the fragrance begins to develop. That is why the scent on that side of the melon is strongest and you can smell it the easiest there.
6. Ready!

Tips

• Ripe, diced melon can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one or two days.
• Once ripe, you can keep it uncut in the refrigerator for up to five days.
• Ripe, chopped melon can be kept covered in the refrigerator for about three days. Leave the seeds in place. The seeds ensure that the pulp does not dry out too quickly.

Warnings

• Once a cantaloupe melon is cut open, it no longer ripens. So if you've cut open your melon and then find out that it's not ripe yet, there's little you can do to save it. You must therefore be very sure whether a melon is ripe before you cut it.

Necessities

• A brown paper bag
• A ripe apple or banana