About Honeydew Melons
Of the many melon types, honeydew melons contain the most vibrant taste. From the cultivar's family of muskmelons, honeydew melons exist in quite a few varieties such as the Crenshaw, Casaba (coming from Kasaba, an urban area in Turkey), Winter and Persian. Honeydew melons offer among the best choices for a quick bite, particularly for those who have always wanted to live a healthy way of life.
It was actually Marco Polo who initially found out the Persian people drying honeydew melons to increase their fragrance and taste. Sliced honeydew melons along with seeds help make a great snack. Not only that, the fruit may be dried and stored like raisins and the seeds of the fruit may be roasted. Honeydew melons may also be used to prepare lip-smacking kebabs!
Health Benefits of Eating Honeydew Melons
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Honeydew melons contain potassium. Potassium helps keep your own muscles from cramping.
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The fresh fruit is the good supply of folic acid for ladies of childbearing age since it is proven to protect against birth defects.
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Honeydew melon is an ideal food for those who would like to lose weight as well as for those who would like to enhance their health since it is very low in sodium, non-fat, non-cholesterol and low in calories. Calories of honeydew melon are so low that a cup of honeydew melon contains only 60 kcalories.
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Honeydew melons hold lots of water which helps to keep us hydrated.
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The fruit is a superb source of vitamin C, a solid antioxidant. Antioxidants of honeydew melon can assist in preventing quite a number of illnesses.
Buying Guides of Honeydew Melons
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Quality of honeydew melon depends upon the fruit with an almost perfect spherical shape and a smooth skin without any defects.
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Honeydew should be heavy due to its size and feature a waxy surface.
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The honeydew melons that weigh around 2.2 kg, with creamy yellow-colored stem ends which is a bit soft when pressed, will almost certainly be the best and sweetest tasting.
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Stay away from melons which are as tough as bowling balls as its flesh can also be tough. The hardness could be due to premature harvesting.
Storage Tips of Honeydew Melons
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Uncut honeydew melons may be stored at normal temperature for 2-4 days or even until ripe.
Ripe fruit may be refrigerated for an extra five days.
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Sliced melons ought to be put in a sealed container and cooled for a maximum of three days. Remember that honeydews have a very strong odor which will fill some other foods.
Honeydew Melon vs Cantaloupe
Many people may not be able to recognize the difference between the two fruits from the same muskmelon family. Health benefits of cantaloupe are almost similar to those of honeydew. However, cantaloupe has twice higher vitamin C than honeydew and 67 times more beta-carotene. On the other hand, honeydew is very much tastier.
Recipes of Honeydew Melon
Here is one of the recipes of honeydew melon and cantaloupe:
Name of Recipe: Beach Body Fruit Soup
Serve: 6
Preparation:
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Combine pitted and chopped fresh peach, 6 hulled fresh strawberries, 1 cored and chopped apple, 1/2 peeled, seeded and cubed cantaloupe, and 1/2 peeled, seeded, and cubed honeydew melon in an electric mixer. Blend for 30 seconds until becomes slightly chunky. Add in 1/4 cup cream of coconut, 1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg, 2 tsp of honey, and 2 tbsp fresh lime juice and continue to blend until smooth.
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Scoup the mixture evenly into 6 serving bowls. Scattered with some blueberries if you wish and serve cold.
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