It’s All About Nutrition!

Picking (harvesting) Cantaloupe

You can tell when cantaloupes are ripe and ready to be picked when the outside skin starts to turn from green to yellow. A ripe melon easily slips off the vine where it is attached. Caution needs to be taken while harvesting and when you are working in and around melon plants so as to not step on vines. The vines will most likely have other melons attached to them that need additional time to grow and ripen. Checking the plants every 2 to 3 days for ripening melons will help ensure you reap the maximum results. It is important to refrigerate melons if you intend to store them for a few days before eating. Ripe cantaloupes do not store well for more that a week once taken off the vine and should be eaten as soon as possible.

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Preparation Tips for Fresh Produce

Many precut, bagged produce items like lettuce are pre-washed. If so, it will be stated on the packaging. This pre-washed, bagged produce can be used without further washing.

As an extra measure of caution, you can wash the produce again just before you use it. Precut or prewashed produce in open bags should be washed before using.

Begin with clean hands. Wash your hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap before and after preparing fresh produce.

Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables before preparing and/or eating. Produce that looks rotten should be discarded.

All produce should be thoroughly washed before eating. This includes produce grown conventionally or organically at home, or produce that is purchased from a grocery store or farmer’s market. Wash fruits and vegetables under running water just before eating, cutting or cooking.

Even if you plan to peel the produce before eating, it is still important to wash it first.

Washing fruits and vegetables with soap or detergent or using commercial produce washes is not recommended.

Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.

Drying produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel may further reduce bacteria that may be present.

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Exotic Vegetables… Bitter Melon

Bitter melon is actually a member of the squash family and resembles a cucumber with bumpy skin. When first picked, a bitter melon is yellow-green, but as it ripens, it turns to a yellow-orange color.

The inside of the melon is filled with fibrous seeds. Bitter melon is used mostly in Asian and Indian cooking. Other names for bitter melon include: foo qua, balsam pear, or bitter gourd.

Selection
Select firm, unblemished melons that are from 5 to 12 inches in length. Choose melons that are still green for a more bitter flavor and a yellow-orange melon for a milder taste. Bitter melons are available fresh from April to September in most Asian markets and can occasionally be found in larger supermarkets. Some markets are beginning to carry bitter melons year round. They may also be purchased canned or dried.

Storage
Store melon loose in a paper or plastic bag in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Slice the melon immediately before use.

Preparation
Cut in half and discard the seeds and fibrous core. To reduce the bitterness, blanch in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes. The skin is edible and the melon is not typically peeled. The seeds are also edible, unless very hard, and are included in some recipes. Bitter melon is commonly stuffed, curried or pickled. It can also be used in stir-fry’s and soups and may be steamed. Garlic or chili peppers are often added to recipes with bitter melon to offset the bitter taste.

Bitter Melon Nutrition Information

Serving size 1/2 cup raw, sliced (47g)
Amounts Per Serving % Daily Value
Calories 10
Calories from Fat 0
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 0mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin A 4%
Vitamin C 70%
Calcium 0%
Iron 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Source: FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov

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