How to Tell if Cantaloupe is Ripe
I’m sure you’ve seen people strolling the produce aisle, thumping, sniffing, and squishing their produce in an attempt to pick the perfect melon. Some of that is nonsense, but there are ways to tell if a cantaloupe is ripe. That’s how you’ll find the sweetest, juiciest melon you’ve ever tasted!
Color Clues
Look for a cantaloupe that is lighter in color. Beige is best. Avoid any that look too green. They aren’t quite ripe yet!
The Sweet Spot
Find the blossom end of the cantaloupe and gently press down. There should be some give, but it should not feel squishy. If there is no give, that means your cantaloupe is hard on the inside, and no one likes a hard cantaloupe! Or, if your thumb presses too easily into the fruit, chances are the melon is over-ripe. Put the puppy down. It’s like the three little bears, you want one that is “just right!”
Smelly is Best
This is the best indicator I use – Pick the fruit up and give it a sniff. If you smell nothing sweet, set it back down. A ripe cantaloupe will smell slightly sweet. The sweetness should be faint. If it is overwhelming, the melon is too ripe and will likely be too soft on the inside. But a hint of that sweet cantaloupe smell lets you know the fruit on the inside is ripe and perfect!
Those are my fail-proof methods for choosing the most delicious cantaloupe EVER!
Now that you’ve picked the perfect melon, here is a fun way to use it:
How to Make an Edible Arrangement: These things are crazy expensive if you buy them, but they are really pretty easy to make. I walk you through step-by-step how to make one of your own.
Not only do they look awesome, they taste delicious, too! {Pin it for Later}
~Mavis
Sara says
Can you do Honeydew next? I’ve never been able to pick a honeydew that wasn’t crunchy.
Athena says
The sniff test also works very well for pineapples. If you smell it and get a pineapple scent fom it then it’s ready to eat. Not too much scent or it could be over ripe and brown on the inside. No scnet then it’s probably not ripe and ready to eat. Also the less green ones tend to be riper as well. Basically exactly the same as when looking for cantaloupe!
Jennifer says
My transfers a watermelon and cantaloupe father and he always told me to smell the end where it was pulled off the stem. It should have a strong scent.
Tracy says
And when buying lemons…go for the heavier ones for their size. Ignore color. The heaviest ones are the juiciest.
Maureen says
And I prefer a thinner rind on my lemons as they seem more juicy to me.
Linda Practical Parsimony says
I absolutely hate cantaloupe but buy for a friend. I only use the smell test and have not gone wrong. Maybe I should try the other tests.
Cathy says
The produce manager at Sprouts told me last year that the smell test doesn’t work on their cantaloupes because they are shipped refrigerated. He taught me how to push the cut end to find a ripe melon.
JoAnn Moran says
Can you tell me how to pick the perfect watermelon please?
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes. Here you go: https://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/how-to-pick-the-perfect-watermelon/
Annette says
I just had the best cantaloupe I ever had! It was juicy, sweet and so perfect I ate the whole thing myself!❤️❤️❤️❤️