What is the health benefit of melon? Wondering how to use melon in the kitchen? Looking for fabulous melon recipes? I’ve got you covered with this 101 melon guide answering your top questions on melon health benefits and beyond. Get this melon list too.
A sweet juicy melon on a hot summer day is one of summer’s best rewards, isn’t it? When I was a kid, I visited my aunt and uncle’s watermelon farm in Idaho during the summers. We would each pick out our favorite watermelon in the field, pick it up, throw it down to crack it open, and eat out the heart with our grubby little paws. On those hot, dusty days, nothing tasted better! I can smell the sweet watermelon nectar just thinking about it. Ever since then, I have been totally in love with summer’s bounty of melons: watermelons, crenshaws, cantaloupes, honeydews—and many more unusual varieties beyond these. Melons are so sweet and yummy; and they’re really at their best, served simply and unadorned. But they are also fabulous in so many recipes. I have melons growing in my garden each summer, and I am enamored with their cheery flowers and curling vines as the fruits begin to emerge. But did you know that melons offer more than just good taste? They are packed with health benefits, and are more versatile in the kitchen than you might imagine.
What Are Melons?
Melons are sweet edible fleshy fruits in the Cucurbitaceae family. Botanically speaking, melons are actually a kind of berry. First originating in Africa and Southwest Asia, melons made their way to Europe during the Roman Empire—in fact, they were cultivated in ancient Egypt. These sweet juicy fruits were among the first to be domesticated in the Old World, as well as the New World. There are many types of melons available (over a thousand varieties!), each with different sizes, shapes, peels, colors, and flavors. While you’ll find the basic varieties in supermarkets, check out a farmers market to spot a wider range of unusual varieties. And try growing them in your own garden. Melons peak in the warm summer months.
Melon List
Try some of these more commonly available melons.
- Ambrosia
- Canary
- Cantaloupe
- Charentais
- Crenshaw
- Galia
- Hami
- Harper
- Honeydew
- Piel de Sapo
- Sharlyn
- Snow Leopard
- Watermelon
Melon Health Benefits
These fruits are not only delicious, but they are packed with hydrating fluid, fiber, vitamin C, and phytochemicals linked with their color—all for a skinny little calorie load. For example, did you know that watermelon contains lycopene—the compound linked with prostate cancer protection? Each melon has different plant compounds linked with its color, offering antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action.
How to Use Melons in the Kitchen
Of course, the best way to enjoy melon is fresh and simple. Just slice into wedges and bite in! However, you can use melons in interesting ways beyond fresh slices. Melons can be used in breakfast bowls, salads, cold soups, smoothies, sorbets, popsicles, and even grilled for a caramelized treat. Find more ways to use melons below. How to pick a melon? Look for melons that feel heavy for its size, with a slightly sweet smell (for some types of melons) that is not overpowering (which can indicate over ripe fruit). For watermelons, you may want to give the surface a light knock—if it sounds hollow, it should be ripe and ready to enjoy. For cantaloupes, look for outer surfaces that aren’t green, which indicates it’s not ripe.
Top 5 Ways to Use Melons
Make the most of melons when they are in season! Try these interesting ways to put melons on your menu.
1. Au Naturel
One of the very best ways to enjoy melons is in their natural form. Just a wedge with breakfast, as a snack, or for dessert is the way to go! No matter what the type of melon, start by washing the outside surface of the melon. For honeydew/cantaloupe varieties, slice in half, scoop out the seeds (you can save them to replant in your garden), and slice it into wedges. For watermelons, slice in half, then quarters, and slice into wedges. You can choose to remove the rind or peel (try pickling watermelon rind!), or people can bite around the rinds. You can also chop the melon flesh into easy chunks to enjoy out of hand, on fruit platters, or in fruit skewers served with my strawberry tofu dip in my book The Plant-Powered Diet.
2. Savory Pairings
Did you know that sweet, aromatic melons pair really well with savory dishes? That’s right! You can grill wedges or chunks of melon on veggie kebabs with tofu or tempeh (try melons in my Hawaiian Tempeh Skewers), and even blend fresh melon in an herbal cool soup, such as my Cucumber Avocado Soup. Try cantaloupe on this easy pizza recipe, Cantaloupe Basil Flatbread Pizza.
3. Bowled Over with Melons
So many bowls are divine with the addition of juicy, sweet melons. Slice chunks of honeydew over your next Green Goddess Grain Bowl, puree watermelons into a smoothie bowl, and use watermelon in a Vegan Poke Bowl. You can also try a simple melon parfait bowl, which is one of the best no-fuss, no-cook, hands-down delicious and healthy breakfasts, lunches or snacks in the summertime. Just layer cubed melon with plant-based yogurt, granola, dried fruit, and nuts or seeds.
4. Toss up a Pretty Salad
Melons just shine in salads—offering just the right amount of crunchy, juicy sweetness. Whether it’s a green salad, grain salad, or pasta salad, toss in some chunks of melons for flavor and texture. Try my watermelon salad in my book The Plant-Powered Diet, or this yummy cantaloupe salad featured above.
5. Beverages Galore
Hydrating melons are perfectly suited to a variety of beverages, from smoothies to slushies to cocktails! Drop a few cubes of melon in a blender with a bit of lemon juice and you can whip up a delicious fruity drink in no time. Or simply add cubed melon to your favorite smoothie recipe, with a bit of plant-based milk, seeds, nuts, and greens. Check out this Watermelon Basil Slushie for starts and enjoy this Cantaloupe Margarita (featured above) for celebrations.
Top 7 Melon Recipes
Check out these favorite plant-based healthy melon recipes:
Also, try these 40 Vegan Summer Fruit Recipes with Melon!
For more Plant 101 Guides, check out the following:
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