Cantaloupe Salad

Salad Recipe Blog

Exotic

The cantaloupe season is on. From now up to October you can enjoy the juicy fruit that is not to be confused with muskmelons or honeydews. Definitely not with watermelons. Appearing like gourds or squashes with tough looking shells, you could not begin to guess the amounts of juice within.

Incredibly, cantaloupes belong to the same family as cucumbers, squashes, pumpkins and gourds. Growing on the ground on vines, ripe fruits get distinguished by their sweet, musky aroma. Watch out for soft-orange tints glowing through the veined rind of the fruit.

American cantaloupes come from California, Texas and Arizona. There is a veritable feast from May onwards that spikes in July. So folks nows the time to enjoy them. Although you get them year round in super stores, the home grown summer time flavors and sweetness are to found only in the seasons bounty.

Cantaloupes are very popular in season with flesh ranging in color from orange-yellow to salmon. When buying them go for heavier fruit emanating a fruity fragrance. Store unripe melons at room temperature while ripe melons go in the refrigerator in plastic wraps, as their odor gets absorbed into other foods.

Cantaloupes are summertime gifts that nature bestows in all their fullness and succulent ripeness. An excellent source of disease-fighting antioxidant vitamins A and C, they are also loaded with beta-carotene, potassium, folate and fiber. Its a bargain for weight watchers offering 56 calories in a cupful.

Fruitable.com