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ideas for using up bland melons

last year

My crenshaws have no taste this year, even though they're slipping right from the vine. I hate to just waste them -- what are some ideas for using up melons (watermelons too)? Some sort of fruit salad recipe? Cook them? I'll take any suggestions you have!

Featured Answer

LoneJack Zn 6a, KC

last year

Inject them with some spiced rum and you won't care what they taste like:-p

We feed the bland ones to our resident Momo down at the lake cabin.

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Comments (21)

party_music50
last year
Have you tried it with some fresh lemon juice squeezed on it?
plllog
last year
last modified: last year
You also can liven them up with spices. The popular Mexican seasoning (powder) blend used on fruit, Tajin, is chili pepers, lime and salt. You could try that, or make up one of your own. Check out some less common flavors, not common with fruit, like epazote or galangal.

You can blend the melon with tastier fruit for slushies or popsicles.

Grilling might bring out the flavor, or with seasoning/sauce add flavor.

Sour cream and brown sugar works for bland strawberries. If the melons are tart, rather than sugary, maybe just a dusting of brown sugar. I'd guess that they could taste good with a berry syrup, or use a wedge as a base for compote.

If they're firm, rather than drippy, you could pair with prosciutto, or even everyday ham. Maybe even layer up ”sandwiches” of sliced melon, thin cold meat, and a soft cheese, It could look beautiful in multiple layers. Or, if it's very firm, you could put a slice in a regular sandwich between bread.

Cut up into green salad, or even chicken salad. I always put both crunchy and soft in chicken or tuna salad. Or it might be nice in egg salad, or in eggs in general.

But if it's dripping ripe, but still bland, not even sugary, I don't have so many ideas, past PM's lemon juice. Maybe baked with crumble topping? That doesn't sound that good. All blended up and used as a base for smoothies and fruit soup, or liquid for baking? At a certain point, it comes down to your determination to use it all. If you have a lot, you can donate them to those feeding the hungry. Fresh fruit is welcome, and nutritious, even if bland, when you don't have any usually.
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carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
last year
I've made sorbet with bland cantaloupe before - added sugar and lime juice, pureed and froze in my ice cream maker.
mxk3 z5b_MI
Original Author
last year
It's ripe but flavorless. I don't have any limes, but I do have some lemons on hand. I'll look up some of those other spice ideas.
plllog
last year
last modified: last year
We get a whole range of ripe, from firm to dripping, from barely tasty to sugary, so I was thinking of all different textures and sweetnesses. It may be a lot more uniform from the garden. If they're good and sweet, try a few grains of salt! Salt is the first line flavor enhancer. It doesn't take much. Non-iodized would be best.
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
last year
Try this, if you have a dehydrator.

Slice the melon in uniform thickness slices, and dehydrate 1/2 way under low temperature.

And if you don't have a dehydrator, get one. :-) :-)

dcarch
raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
last year
I like to blend chunks of frozen fruit (including melon) with sugar free yogurt (flavored or not) to make soft serve "ice cream".
aliceinmd
last year
Some folks like to salt cantaloupe; maybe a very few grains of salt would bring out the flavor of your Crenshaws (similar to wrapping pieces in prosciutto as pillog suggested. ... Here's a website that includes links to some recipes that may be helpful: https://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Crenshaw_Melon_77663.php
vgkg Z-7 Va
last year
Those are the melons to give away ;-). Just kidding, but for those flavorless ones I'll give them to either the hen or the compost pile. Usually I get a bland melon from a vine which is either diseased or dying. Our hen just got a bland watermelon we opened up yesterday, it was almost edible but no cigar. When I picked it I marked it with a ? seeing it was on a dead vine so that I wouldn't give it away. Sometimes it's not easy to make something taste good.
mxk3 z5b_MI
Original Author
last year
Yea, I could toss out in the back pasture or woods, no doubt something will eat them. :0)
Lars
last year
last modified: last year
When I make a sorbet from melons, I freeze cubes of melon and then put the frozen cubes in the blender with some sweetener (I use Splenda, but you can use a simple sugar syrup) and a bit of liquid or yogurt, if not using a syrup. For extra flavor, try adding some liqueur, such as Cointreau, or any fruit liqueur that you happen to have, such as strawberry or Kirsch. I would not recommend Cassis, as I do not think its flavor blends well with melon, but I could be wrong.
cousinfloyd
last year
last modified: last year
I'll use bland melons for ice cream, either fresh or puree and freeze first, then thaw and make ice cream later. Melons that really aren't appealing fresh still seem to make very nice ice cream. I use about half melon and half dairy, then sweeten with honey and freeze in my ice cream maker. I'll also sometimes do something similar, using yogurt for the dairy and just drink it cold as a smoothie instead of freezing it for ice cream, sometimes with other fruit added, too.
party_music50
last year
You could try the crenshaws in a salsa. I’m used to eating bland melons because they need to be shipped here. :p For fruit salad, I just use a combo of whatever is available (melons, strawberries, grapes, berries, etc) and serve with a sauce or dip. I like this recipe that I found on cooks.com, but the link I had doesn’t work now. I always use full fat cream cheese. It works fine as a dip and people love it:

FRESH FRUIT WITH VANILLA YOGURT SAUCE

Printed from COOKS.COM

1 (3 oz.) pkg. light cream cheese
1/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. plain nonfat yogurt
8 c. assorted fresh fruit
Nuts or coconut, toasted (optional)

In a small mixer bowl, combine cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add yogurt; beat until smooth. Spoon sauce over cut-up assorted fresh fruit. If desired, top with nuts or coconut. Makes 8 servings.
annie1992
last year
mxk, I'm finding the same thing here. Cantaloupe and honeydew are both ripe and lovely, but relatively flavorless. I let them get dripping ripe to see if that would make a difference, but it didn't. A few went past ripe and the chickens enjoyed those. Elery has been putting Penzey's Pica Fruta on it, but now the tomatoes are ripening, the melons will probably not get eaten, except by the chickens. The kids turned up their noses at the stuff frozen and put through the YoNana machine, and it didn't add anything to a smoothie that they enjoyed either.

It had to have been the weather, it was so darned hot here this year.

Annie
sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
last year
Do they still have texture/structure? A bit crisp?. Mealy mush, no flavor, i would compost. Or toss in the forest for the critters and birds since it has been so hot and dry.

If they have some crunch, quick pickle them. Last night i made a watermelon/mango salad. a four hour pickle. About three hours ahead i pickled some red onions and cucumbers, then tossed in melon/mango a hour before serving. Then feta and herbs.

Simple 1/4 cup vinegar, --apple cider, or any on hand--i used rice wine. 1/2 cup water. Some recipes use alot of sugar but that is a choice. It might need some sweetness.

I did use a bit of mexican fruit spice that came with a bean club freebie. I would not buy it but good enough that i will make my own when this runs out.

Need to add, --i don't care for pickled watermelon rind at all. Some love it but so bland it needs lots of sugar. Rind has no flavor so you need to add something sugary.

I had a bit this morning and still good but i like it fresh--just a few hours before dinner. Surprized i had any leftover as DH had his paws in it way before dinner was served.

My melons are really good but not excellent. (purchased farm stand and Misfits).

Adding grainy sugars needs some heat to disolve it but honey could go in without heat. Or a top drizzle.
nancyjane_gardener
last year
I've only tried growing melons once and they all got ripe at the same time! I wish I had thought of freezing to make a sorbet later!
mxk3 z5b_MI
Original Author
last year
Wow, so many great ideas -- thanks everyone!

Uh...what is a momo?
LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
last year
Momo = Missouri Monster (aka Bigfoot)
raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
last year
Sleevendog, your pickled salad sounds really good to me tonight!

Can you describe a bit more, or point me to a recipe? What herbs do you use, do you put anything else in with the vinegar and water (you mentioned sugar or honey?), do you put the spice in with the vinegar or just sprinkle on the salad?

Can't you tell I have never pickled anything before although I have considered doing so many times.

I have some ripe limes and could probably come up with an approximation of the spice. Is it sweet from the brown sugar or it is just an underpinning flavor?
bragu_DSM 5
last year
last modified: last year
2nd cousin to Iamo => Iowa Monster

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