• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Bless this Mess
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Sides
  • Desserts
  • Snacks
  • Holidays
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start Here
  • All Recipes
  • Recipe Filter
  • Cookbooks!
  • Our Story
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Start Here
    • All Recipes
    • Recipe Filter
    • Cookbooks!
    • Our Story
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Bless This Mess > Life on the Farm > Our Family > Healthy Living

    8 Ways To Use and Store Melons

    Published: Jul 23, 2015 · Modified: Aug 13, 2022 by Melissa · 1 Comment

    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Mail
    Wedges of watermelon and cantaloupe on a cutting board

    Melon season is just around the corner and I'm sharing  8 Ways To Use and Store Melons.

    Easy 3 Ingredient Watermelon Granita and Watermelon Cake with Whipped Cream are great melon recipes to try!

    8 Ways To Use and Store Melons

    8 Ways To Use and Store Melons

    Melons come in all sizes and colors. Most of us are familiar with the traditional watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe, but have you ever tried the more exotic Galia, Musk or Canary melons? Even the king of the melons, the ever popular watermelon, has more than 1,200 different cultivars that range in size, shape, flavor and color. This summer, try a new-to-you melon type or variety every week for the entire summer. Keep a list of your favorites, and next year you’ll know what specialty seeds to pick up to grow in your own garden or what to pick up at the farmer's market!

    No matter whether you try a new melon variety or stick to the classics, here are some tips on using and storing these delicious fruits.

    1. Refrigerator Storage

    When it comes to storing melons ripe from the garden, farmers market or grocery store, it’s generally best to store them in the fridge uncut or in pieces with the rind intact. If they fit in your crisper, put them there, as the higher humidity in that part of the fridge helps to stop them from drying out. If you use half a melon, place plastic wrap directly on the flesh of the other half of the melon and store in the fridge for two to three days.

    2. Easy Freeze

    To freeze extra melon, simply ball, cube or slice, and place the pieces on a baking sheet. Let the pieces freeze individually overnight and then move them all into a freezer zipper-topped plastic bag. Frozen melon is best enjoyed while still a little frosty and not completely thawed. Watermelon is the exception to this freezing method, as it will start to get mushy as soon as it comes out of the freezer. Enjoy frozen watermelon right away or plan on using it in summer soups or smoothies.

    3. Melon Jam

    Believe it or not, cantaloupe and other similar melons make excellent jam. The basic jam-making techniques apply when you combine fresh melon, sugar, powdered pectin and a few other ingredients, and the results are stunning. Just search the internet for a recipe or give this popular Salted Cantaloupe Jam recipe a try. I made it last year with great success.

    4. Grilled To Perfection

    Grills aren’t just for meat: Grilled melon is fabulous! The heat from the grill caramelizes the outer sugars of the melon, transforming it into something truly unique and delicious. Watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew melon types all work great! Cut your melon into large wedges about 2 inches thick, leaving the rind attached. Place wedges flesh side down on a very hot grill. Let them cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until you can see char-marks on the flesh and you start to pick up their sweet aroma. If you want them extra sweet, sprinkle both sides with a little brown sugar and a dash of sea salt before grilling. This makes an excellent side for grilled fish or chicken.

    5. Pickled Melon

    Watermelon rinds are popular for pickling, but you can also pickle cantaloupe and honeydew flesh. Add 2 cups cubed cantaloupe and/or honeydew flesh (small pieces), ¼ small red onion (very thinly sliced), ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar and 1 tablespoon sugar to a medium saucepan. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Chill before serving. Pickled melon is fabulous on top of grilled pork chops and grilled lamb burgers.

    6. Simple Granita

    Turn watermelon into a simple, stunning dessert by making granita. Granita is a light and fluffy ice treat made from fruit, and you don’t need special equipment or churns to enjoy it. Add 4 cups seedless watermelon, ½ cup sugar and the juice of one lime to a blender, and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a metal baking pan and freeze for one hour. Stir with a fork, mashing any chunks of ice. Freeze for 2 more hours, and scrape with a fork to make fluffy ice crystals. Serve immediately or return it to the freezer, covered with foil, and scrape again before you’re ready to serve. You can make granita up to three days in advance. If you need more of a recipe you can check out my full watermelon granita recipe here.

    7. Melon Salsa

    Most of us have tried peach or mango salsa, and the same idea applies to melons. The sweet and spicy combination is delicious with just chips or on top of a bed of greens with grilled shrimp. Chopped melon with a little chopped cucumber, hot pepper, cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste is as simple as it is delicious. Perfect your own recipe and become famous for it in your neighborhood dinner circle.

    8. Watermelon Cake

    When my baby was turning one we made him the prettiest watermelon cake! I iced it with whipped cream and topped it with sprinkles and it was the most delicious naturally sweetened cake to celebrate his special day! You can see the full watermelon cake recipe here. It's great for birthdays, picnics, and parties all summer long.

    8 Ways To Use and Store Melons

     Check out these recipes featuring fruit:

    • Creamy 6-Cup Ambrosia Fruit Salad
    • Simple Broiled Grapefruit
    • Fruit Pizza Sugar Cookies
    • Rhubarb Crisp with No Other Fruit
    • Fall Fruit Pie
    • 3 Ingredient Healthy Fruit Dip
    • Easy Apple Cabbage Salad with Pecans
    • Fresh Peach Ice Cream
    • Quick and Easy Peach Pineapple Popsicles
    • Homemade Strawberry Lemonade

    I hope you learned something new about  How You Can Use and Store Melons.

    « Hot Buttered Pretzels from King Arthur Flour
    15 Perfect Popsicle Recipes »
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Mail
    Craving More

    Take the hassle out of meal planning with: Dinner Made Easy, a FREE 1 week meal plan with full shopping list, easy dinners, nutrition information, serving suggestions for each meal, and more!

    Subscribe Now
    about me

    About Melissa

    Melissa is dedicated to helping parents figure out the nightly questions, "What's for Dinner?!" with her no-fuss approach to cooking. Read more...

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    1. Maggy Stricker

      August 16, 2015 at 11:16 pm

      Link to melon article isn't working & I'd really like to see it... Maggy

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    I’M MELISSA, AND I WANT TO HELP YOU FEED YOUR FAMILY WHOLESOME FOOD.

    As a hobby farmer and mom of five, I’m all about keeping it simple in the kitchen. I want healthy meals that feed my family well, and then I want to get back to my (messy) life. Let’s work together to find something yummy for your dinner table.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Strawberry Banana Smoothie
    • Chocolate Babka
    • 5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken Legs
    • Easy German Pancake Recipe
    Dinner Made Easy

    Get Recipes & More for Free!

    Get my FREE Dinner Made Easy meal plan, exclusive recipes, giveaways, and behind-the-scenes updates! Get my newsletter or a new recipe every day! Unsubscribe if you aren’t into it.

    Subscribe Now

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    SEEN ON

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Tools.
    • Terms Of Service.
    • Accessibility.
    • Bylaws.

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • About Us
    • Cookbook FAQ
    • Find A Recipe!

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 blessthismessplease.com. All rights reserved.

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter