What a pleasure to eat a good melon!
It is undoubtedly the sweetest and juiciest vegetable of the summer.
You still have to choose it well...
Because if it's bland, it's guaranteed disappointment!
Given the price of melons today, it would still be a shame to waste your money.
Fortunately, my grandmother told me her 4 secrets to recognize a very ripe and delicious melon .
Look, it's very simple and super useful:
The first thing to do is to take a good look at the peduncle:it's the melon's little tail.
This small appendage, which is also called the pecou, peels off as soon as the melon is ripe. To find out at what stage of maturity your melon is, touch the pecou.
You will see if it is about to come off or not. If it falls, your melon is ready to be eaten quickly.
Be aware that as the melon matures, the base of the peduncle cracks and cracks.
So even if the stem has already fallen off and you see those welts on the melon, that's a good sign!
This means that the pecou fell on its own and the melon is good.
A good melon is also a beautiful melon.
Melon stripes should be clearly visible and colored.
Ideally, you should be able to count about ten slices.
Don't be alarmed if you see a spot on the melon skin.
Usually this indicates where the melon touched the ground.
But that doesn't change its taste.
You've probably seen your grandmother make this gesture:take the melon in her hands and bring it to her nose.
Yes, grandmothers smell the melon to know if it is good. And they are right!
If the melon is ripe, it will give off a sweet and pleasant smell.
Be careful, if this smell is too strong, the melon has gone bad and you won't even be able to eat it.
So do not hesitate to take a few seconds to really smell the scent that emerges from the melon. This way you will avoid a bad purchase.
Do you still have the melon in your hands? So weigh it.
The riper a melon is, the denser and heavier it is.
Now give it a try! Why ? Because it shouldn't be too firm!
But the skin of the melon should not be soft either...
Otherwise it indicates that the flesh has rotted inside.
In summary, the skin of a good melon must be flexible.
Okay, now that you've chosen a delicious melon, it's a matter of storing it well until you eat it.
Indeed, the melon is a fragile vegetable. You have to take good care of it so as not to damage it.
Don't drop it, don't kick it. If you have to move it, do it delicately.
Since you have chosen a very ripe melon, do not wait too long before eating it. Enjoy it without delay the same day or the next day.
If you can't eat it quickly, take cling film and wrap it. Then place it in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator.
It will keep for a maximum of 6 days.
The day you decide to serve the melon, take it out of the fridge an hour before serving.
You will appreciate its flavors more. Good tasting!
And if you don't know what to do with melon rind, make jam with this easy recipe.
