Cool Down with Cantaloupe

Trying to beat the summer heat?

About 90% of cantaloupe is water, which means it will help you feel hydrated on hot summer days. Once you have one bite, you’ll want to eat the rest of the melon.

Cantaloupe has an interesting history. Ancient Egyptians were eating cantaloupe over 4,000 years ago! Over the years, cantaloupe made its way to Europe. Christopher Columbus was a fan of cantaloupe so, on his second trip, he brought seeds to America. Today cantaloupe is the most popular melon in the United States!

People sometimes use the name muskmelon instead of cantaloupe – it got this name from its musky smell. In Australia people call cantaloupes, rockmelons, possibly because the skin looks similar to a rock?

Cantaloupe is not only tasty but it’s also packed full of nutrients. Just a small serving of cantaloupe will give your body a blast of vitamins and minerals. Below is a list of the top nutrients that your body gets when you eat cantaloupe:

Vitamin C: just one cup of cantaloupe provides you with all the vitamin C you need in one day! It helps your immune system stay sharp.

Vitamin A: one cup of cantaloupe also provides you with all the vitamin A you need in one day! Its important for good eyesight.

Potassium: helps nerves and muscles work correctly.

Beta-Carotene: is an antioxidant (a compound that can help reduce risk of certain diseases).

Sometimes there’s nothing better than eating cantaloupe right off the rind! Here are some other tasty ways to eat cantaloupe:

Make fruit skewer with cantaloupe and other fruits
Add it to a smoothie
Make cantaloupe salsa
Puree cantaloupe then freeze it into popsicle molds
Add it to a salad
Create cantaloupe sorbet
Feeling adventurous? Make chilled cantaloupe soup.

Cantaloupes grow all over the world but certain characteristics of the fruit vary from one location to the next.

European Cantaloupe: this cantaloupe has a light green to tan rind that is smooth or lightly netted. The inside is orange, sweet, and juicy.

North American Cantaloupe: this type has a netted rind (this refers to the bumpy outer shell) that is a light yellow-ish color.

Asian Cantaloupe: these cantaloupes are oblong and slightly less netted than the North American variety. The inside flesh has a crisper texture than European or North American cantaloupe.