Nearly all cantaloupe produced in California are from the Hales Best family of varieties. California is the largest domestic producer with Arizona and Texas also producing considerable amounts. Mexico and Central America ensure year round availability.
Choose cantaloupe that are well shaped and nearly spherical in appearance, firm with no evidence of bruising and feels heavy for its size. Good netting or webbing should cover a creamy colored rind.
As cantaloupe are harvested by maturity and not size it is ideal for the cantaloupe to be Ύ to full slip. This refers to the point were the fruit was attached to the vine. There should be a clean separation with little to no piece of the vine remaining. If you choose a melon that is full slip you are choosing a fully mature melon.
Cantaloupe do ripen after harvest but do not increase in sugar content.
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| Handling
/ Storage |
Temperature: 38 - 40 F, 3.3 4.4 C
Relative humidity: 90 %
Mist: No
Typical Shelf life: 10 - 14 days
Susceptible to chilling injury
Melons require careful handling to prevent damage. They are sensitive to extreme heat or cold.
FRESH-CUT:
To prevent bacteria on the melon netting from passing through to the flesh when cutting, follow these FDA rules:
Clean with potable water. Cut with sanitized utensils on a sterile surface. Hold
at 45 F, 7.2 C. On displays above 45 F, use a marking system to identify and discard product after four hours.
Melon Tip
To tell if a melon was mature when picked, take a look at the stem end. A mature melon's vine practically falls off when the picker pulls it away from the vine, so the stem end should be smooth. Immature melons will have a stem end that looks torn.
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| Packaging |
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| Common
PLU's |
4318 Small cantaloupe - East
4049 Small cantaloupe - West
4319 - Large cantaloupe East
4050 Large cantaloupe West |
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