Market Look-For’s

• Smell, smell, smell. If you can’t smell the melons from around the block, move on. (Oddly enough, I sometimes think that melons smell like rotting garbage, but I can still smell them and that’s what’s important.)
• Look for a melon that feels heavy in the hand
• The undertone of the skin should also be warm in color (even in honeydews and watermelons).

Storage

• Like most fruit, storing in the fridge kills the flavor volatiles, but unlike berries and stone fruits, melons can hold up and I think the texture of a cold melon is more refreshing than a warm slice. So I keep in the refrigerator until just before serving.

Notes

• To peel a melon, cut the top and bottom from the melon and with a sharp knife, cut around the melon longitudinally until all the skin is removed. Aim to cut deep enough to remove any green but not so deep as to cut far into the flesh of the fruit.
• The area around the seeds is the sweetest, so be gentle when scraping them from the center cavity.