On numerous occasions I have bitched about the unripe cantaloupes the supermarkets pawn off on unsuspecting customers – like me. One of my readers, Steve Caylor, a lighting salesman extraordinaire, said if there’s a will, there’s a way to insure ripe cantaloupes every time.
“Wrap the cantaloupe in a brown paper bag and put it in the closet for a week. When you take it out, it will be ripe and juicy,” he confirmed.
It sounded too good to be true, but on Steve’s recommendation, I decided to give it a try.
I deliberately bought a cantaloupe that looked and felt unripe, brought it home, wrapped it in a brown paper bag and put it in the hall closet.
A day later, my wife Nancy discovered my closet plant and demanded to know what was in the bag.
I explained my Caylorized cantaloupe and she reluctantly agreed to let me complete my experiment.
The day of reckoning finally arrived and I retrieved my
melon, removed it from the bag, sliced into it and discovered – as Steve suggested – a delicious, juicy ripe cantaloupe.
So, fellow melon lovers, we now have a way to eat great cantaloupes in spite of the grocery stores. There are only two problems. First, you have to buy the melon a week ahead of time, but more importantly, if you store it in a closet with your coats and jackets, you will smell like a ripe cantaloupe until at least spring.