Buying a cantaloupe is like playing blackjack at Vegas. Sometimes you win, but more often you lose. Your store-bought cantaloupe sucks. Steve Caylor says you can ripen any cantaloupe by putting it in a paper bag for a few days, but I can never plan that far ahead.
Recently, however, I have been on a hot streak as far as picking out tasty melons. I have found that the gnarly-looking melons are generally ripe and sweet. I have found them at Aldi’s, Kroger’s and Wal-Mart. When I say gnarly, I mean they are not smooth and even like most cantaloupes. They have bumps, and ridges and blemishes. Most likely, they were grown in this country, probably in the deep south, but they are sweet and delicious. Those perfectly shaped ‘lopes come from Mexico and South America and they are picked early to have a longer shelf-life, but they are tasteless and a waste of money.
We probably have a few more weeks to buy “gnarly” cantaloupes, so take advantage.