Carolyn Bell, RDN – Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Cantaloupe is a seasonal fruit and warm spring weather brings the right time to start purchasing cantaloupe. To select a ripe cantaloupe, look for tan cantaloupe with light green lines across it, and avoid choosing melons with brown or soft spots. The melon should be firm but not too soft or too hard. Smell the melon at the stem core (where it was cut) and it should have a good cantaloupe smell; those without smell are under-ripe, and those with unpleasing odor are over-ripe. If you plan to wait a few days before cutting the melon, then you may want to purchase the melon with less smell at the core and give it a few days to ripen more.
