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Charentais Melons Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart guide to Charentais melons
About Charentais melons
The Charentais melon is a small French cantaloupe that originated in the Charentes region of France. These melons have a rounded shape and a smooth green and gray rind with dark green ribbing. Inside, there is dense, orange flesh with a flowery aroma that has hints of tropical fruit, which surrounds a central seed cavity. Charentais melons are popular in Europe, especially in France, where they are highly celebrated for their scent and taste. The flesh of these melons is slightly firmer than a cantaloupe, and they have a sweeter flavor.
Charentais melons are an excellent source of folic acid, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. They are also high in dietary fiber along with potassium and vitamin B. These melons provide high amounts of water and have the provitamin A. This antioxidant is an important nutrient that helps protect cells from damage due to free radicals. Charentais melons are a healthy addition to any diet and only have 48 calories per serving,
How to pick out Charentais melons
Charentais melons are usually about the size of a grapefruit and weigh about two pounds. Their size makes them perfect for sharing and provides the perfect serving size for two people. When choosing a Charentais melon, you want to keep a few things in mind.
- It should have a clean, pretty skin with a pale gold color. A blush-green stripe will mark its segments.
- It should feel heavy for its size. This will indicate that it's filled with sweet juice and dense, ripe flesh.
- Look at the stem end. It should be thick and green, which will tell you that it was picked within the past few days. Look for a circular crack around the stem. In the crack, you should see a few drops of dark red and crystallized juice. This is a sign of ripe, sweet melon.
- Smell it. The stem end should smell sweet and succulent.
- Look at the blossom end. The larger the blossom end, the better. A large blossom end means dried flower remained while growing and rubbed against the melon to help stimulate the defense system and produce more delicious fruit.
These melons are best when ripened at room temperature. If you choose melons that have not completely ripened yet, just let them sit on the counter for a day or two to finish the ripening process, and you'll have the perfect fruit when you cut into it.
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How to serve Charentais melons
Charentais melons are exceptionally delicate, and even though the flesh is firm, it should only be used in raw preparations since it won't stand up to heat or any kind of cooking. It is appropriate for both savory and sweet dishes and complements salty meats very well. While one of the best ways to enjoy this melon is just sliced and eaten on its own, some of the ways to you can serve this melon include:
- Cut into bite-size pieces and serve in granola parfaits or salads.
- Chilled and cut in half with the flesh scooped out. Serve each of the halves with a shot of port or sweet dessert wine in the scooped cavity.
- Cut into small pieces and turn it into chutney or gazpacho.
- Served as an appetizer by wrapping slices of Charentais with prosciutto.
- Pureed with simple syrup added along with some lemon juice before freezing to create a sorbet.
- Scoop out the flesh with a melon scoop to make nice round pieces and use it on top of a salad.
- Diced into small pieces and mixed with cilantro, diced tomato, mango, and thinly sliced red chili pepper along with some lime and garlic to make a salsa for grilled meats or fish.
Charentais Melons Near Me
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FAQs about Charentais melons
Charentais melon should ideally be eaten within a day or two of purchase. These melons ripen quickly, so the faster you cut it and eat it, the better. Make sure to keep them on the kitchen counter and not in the refrigerator before cutting. Once you've cut it, it can then go in the fridge if you don't eat the whole thing.
You can pair this sweet melon with a variety of cheeses, such as salty feta and goat cheese. It is also delicious with several types of nuts such as hazelnuts and almonds. Charentais melon is commonly served with prosciutto but will pair well with other smoked and cured pork, and it is also delicious with citrus and mint.
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