HOW TO SELECT A CANTALOUPE

California cantaloupe growers are planting new cantaloupe varieties!
These new varieties mean new rules when it comes to picking out the perfect melon.

A ripe cantaloupe may have a smooth stem end or may still have remnants of a stem. Either is fine. If part of the stem is still attached look for some netting growing up the stem. Netting is the raised net-like texture on the shell of the cantaloupe.

Stem

A ripe cantaloupe’s shell color can range from cream to slightly green.
Either is fine.

Color

A ‘blossom end’ (the end opposite the stem) that is beginning to show a bit of cracking or is somewhat soft to the touch, meaning it gives slightly when pressed gently with the fingers, is a very good indicator of ripeness.

Cracking

Stem

A ripe cantaloupe’s shell color can range from cream to slightly green.
Either is fine.

Color

Cracking

Confidence in Quality

Consumers can count on the same wonderful, sweet cantaloupe flavor with new cantaloupe varieties. The California Cantaloupe Advisory Board has ensured this by setting a minimum sugar requirement for cantaloupes to give consumers a good eating experience.

California cantaloupe farmers are required to test their melons for sugar content before they harvest. They do this by measuring brix, which is a measurement of sugar content.

The sugar requirement is enforced by the California Department of food and Agriculture for all cantaloupes produced in California.

California cantaloupes must have at least 12 brix at time of harvest. However, many new cantaloupes are actually harvested at close to 14 or 15 brix! Meaning you can expect a very sweet eating experience!

Thanks to this quality testing you can have confidence when it comes to picking out the perfect cantaloupe in stores.

Download our California cantaloupe selection guide here.

Cantaloupe Highlights and Benefits

Reduce Food Waste

New cantaloupe varieties have a longer shelf life which helps reduce the amount of food that gets thrown away in grocery stores. These varieties last longer because they have harder exteriors and firmer flesh than old varieties and don’t emit ethylene.

Constant Improvement

The cantaloupe world is in transition. Plant breeders are constantly working to not only breed new varieties that last longer, but that also taste better. That means that consumers can expect cantaloupes to get even better with time! Today’s new cantaloupe varieties are NOT produced using genetically modified breeding techniques, but are done using traditional cross pollination methods for varietal development.

Last Longer

Thanks to the extended shelf life of new varieties, you can expect them to last up to three weeks in the refrigerator or up to one week on the counter! Just remember to always refrigerate cantaloupe after cutting it.

Learn more about new cantaloupe
varieties here.

There’s a lot to love about cantaloupe. Constant improvement within the industry using cross pollination breeding methods (NOT GMO) means you can now expect to bring home cantaloupes that taste great, last longer and help reduce food waste!

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HOW TO SELECT A CANTALOUPE

California cantaloupe growers are planting new cantaloupe varieties! These new varieties mean new rules when it comes to picking out the perfect melon.

Confidence in Quality

Footer Links and Social Media

California cantaloupe growers are planting new cantaloupe varieties!
These new varieties mean new rules when it comes to picking out the perfect melon.