Everything about Cantaloupe totally explained
Cantaloupe (also
cantaloup) refers to two varieties of
muskmelon (
Cucumis melo), which is a
species in the family
Cucurbitaceae (a family which includes nearly all
melons and
squashes). Cantaloupes are typically 15–25 cm in length and are somewhat oblong, though not as oblong as
watermelons. Like all melons, cantaloupes grow best in sandy, well-aerated, well-watered soil that's free of encroaching weeds.
- The European cantaloupe is Cucumis melo cantalupensis. Its lightly-ribbed, pale green skin looks quite different from the North American cantaloupe.
- The North American cantaloupe, common in the United States and in some parts of Canada, is Cucumis melo reticulatus (or sometimes C. melo melo var. cantalupensis), a different member of the same muskmelon species. It is named reticulatus due to its net-like (or reticulated) skin covering. In Australia and New Zealand, it's called rockmelon due to the rock-like appearance of the skin of the fruit. It is called a spanspek in South Africa, where it's harvested during the summer months October through February. It is a round melon with firm, orange, moderately-sweet flesh and a thin reticulated light-brown rind. Varieties with redder and yellower flesh exist but are not common, and they're not considered as flavorsome as the more common variety.
Origin
The cantaloupe originated in
India and
Africa.
The cantaloupe was named after the
comune Cantalupo in Sabina, in the
Sabine Hills near
Tivoli, Italy, a summer residence of the
Pope. It was originally cultivated about the year 1700 from seeds brought from
Armenia, part of the homeland of melons.
The most widely enjoyed variety of European cantaloupe is the
Charentais, cultivated almost exclusively in
France. Pope
Innocent XIII(
1721-
1724) is said to have enjoyed sipping
Port wine from a partially hollowed melon half as an
apéritif.
Cantaloupes were first introduced to North America by
Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the New World in 1494. The
W. Atlee Burpee Company developed and introduced the "Netted Gem" in 1881 from varieties then growing in North America.
Production and use
For commercial plantings, the
United States Department of Agriculture recommends at least one hive of
honeybees per acre (4,000 m² per hive) for
pollination. Good pollination is essential, not only for the number of fruits produced, but also for the sugar content of these fruits.
A ripe one will have a musky sweet smell at the stem end of the melon. An odorless one is likely to be tasteless, too.
Cantaloupe is normally eaten as a fresh fruit, as a salad, or as a
dessert with ice-cream or custard. Melon pieces wrapped in
prosciutto are a familiar modern
antipasto.
Sanjeev Kapoor describes the charentais
variety: "the orange, sugary and fragrant flesh makes this fruit popular both as a dessert or
main course. These have smooth gray-green
rinds and very fragrant orange flesh. It keeps well when stored in a cool, dry place and ripens after several days in a warm room."
Because the surface of a cantaloupe can contain harmful
bacteria - in particular,
salmonella - it's always a good idea to wash a melon thoroughly before cutting and consumption.
Optimum preparation procedures involve disinfection with a fine mist of ethanol on the outside of the fruit, but this is rarely carried out (outside of professional facilities) due to the relative non-availability (to the average consumer) of ethanol that isn't mixed with methanol (methylated spirits) or traces of benzene (laboratory grade "100%" ethanol).
A moldy cantaloupe in a Peoria IL market in 1941 was found to contain the best and highest quality
penicillin after a world-wide search.
Cantaloupe can also be extracted to isolate an
enzyme known as
superoxide dismutase (SOD), essential for maintaining strong
antioxidant defenses in the human body. When paired with a wheat
gliadin delivery system to protect it from other more destructive enzymes (a complex known as
glisodin), cantaloupe extract has clinically-proven benefits for a variety of health applications.
Food chemistry
polyphenol antioxidants, chemicals which are known to provide certain health benefits to the
cardiovascular system and
immune system. These chemicals are known to up regulate the formation of
nitric oxide, a key chemical in promoting health of the
endothelium and prevention of
heart attacks.It is good for the liver.
Cantaloupes also are an excellent source of vitamin C and beta carotene.
Varieties
Anaconda
Ananas (pineapple)
Archer F1
Athena
Charentais
Charon
Cruiser F1
Eastern
French
Western
Western muskmelon
Sensation
Sidewinder improved
Tuscan
Viper
WSC-04-13
WSC-04-14Further Information
Get more info on 'Cantaloupe'.
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