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Melon can be a delicious treat to enjoy when it is fresh and ripe. As a general rule, you should not keep melon for more than a week unless you intend to freeze it. Store whole melons in the fridge for up to a week, and cut melon for up to 3 days. The taste and texture of cut melon will likely deteriorate when frozen, but it can be added to summer drinks as a fun alternative to ice cubes.
Steps
Store melons at room temperature for up to 2 days to ripen them. If your melons aren't ripe yet, you can keep them unrefrigerated for up to 2 days. Leave melons uncovered on a counter or tabletop. Alternatively, keep melons in a closed paper bag to accelerate the ripening process.[1]- Signs of an unripe melon may include shiny skin, pale coloring, and a light mass.[2]
Buy or make perforated plastic bags to refrigerate melons in. Melons need both moisture and cold to stay fresh, which can be difficult to achieve. The best approach is to refrigerate melons in perforated bags to keep them moist without letting them dry out. Buy perforated plastic bags or make one by poking about 20 small holes in an ordinary bag with a pen or hole punch.[3]- Buy perforated plastic bags at grocery stores, department stores, or online.
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Store ripe melons in the fridge for up to a week. Store melons in your fridge for a maximum of 7 days to prevent spoiling. Discard melons if you notice signs of spoiling. These signs may include foul odor and spots of mold.[4]
Avoid storing whole melons at a temperature less than 50 °F (10 °C). Melons may sustain chilling injury if they are kept at a temperature under 50 °F (10 °C). This will likely result in browning of their rinds, loss of sweetness, dryness, and fast deterioration. Check the temperature setting in your refrigerator to ensure that it is higher than 50 °F (10 °C).[5]
Refrigerate cut melon in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Place cut melon pieces in a resealable, airtight plastic container. Keep it in the fridge for no more than 3 days before discarding it. Ripe, cut melon will start to disintegrate after this time.[6]- You can also put cut melon in airtight zipper-lock bags to refrigerate it.
Keep cut melon in the freezer for long-term storage. If you can't use ripe melons before they go bad, freeze them to add to cocktails or frozen drinks in the future. Use a melon baller to make round melon balls, or cut melon pieces into cubes for storage. Melon pieces can be kept for up to 12 months in the freezer.[7]- Store melon pieces in freezer bags or airtight plastic containers.
- Note that the flavor and texture of melon may deteriorate after freezing.
- Mark the date on the bag or container when you freeze it to remember when you have to discard the melon.
Dispose of any cut melon pieces left out for longer than 2 hours. Bacteria can begin to grow on cut melon if it is not refrigerated. This may lead to spoilage and food poisoning. Be sure to throw out any melon left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours instead of storing it.[8]- If you're not sure how long the melon has been left out for, it's better to be on the safe side and toss it in the trash.
Finished.
Expert Q&A
Tips
- The optimal storage temperature for ripe melon is 36–46 °F (2–8 °C).Thanks
- Wash melon before cutting or eating it by running it under water and scrubbing it with a clean vegetable brush. Do not use soap.Thanks
- Always cut melon with a clean knife on a clean cutting board to prevent the spread of bacteria.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/shopping-storing/food/fresh-pick-cantaloupe
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/5-tips-for-picking-perfect-melons-tips-from-the-kitchn-63939
- ↑ https://harvesttotable.com/harvest-store-melons/
- ↑ http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/17415
- ↑ https://harvesttotable.com/harvest-store-melons/
- ↑ https://harvesttotable.com/harvest-store-melons/
- ↑ http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/17415
- ↑ https://www.food-safety-and-you.com/SlicedMelonFoodSafety.html
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