Grrrrrr Melons

I ordered Watermelon from Asda but got a cantaloupe

Put one on my online Sainsbury’s shop, melon all brown on one side- you would think the guy picking the fruit would have noticed 😩

I have found the secret with Honeydew melons is to leave on the windowsill for at least 4 weeks and then they are so sweet like nectar. They seem so hard normally and you feel waste of money if not ripe.

I love the Charentais melons - sometimes found in Waitrose. Must admit though, post Brexit, much of our fruit here leaves a great deal to be desired, even the supposed “ready to eat” stuff. I yearn for French/Spanish markets where there is such a wonderful variety of fruit and veg at very reasonable prices.

Coming from France I bought a melon in the local Aldi. I couldn’t believe how tasteless it was… disgusting, it should be illegal to sell such a lovely fruit. Aldi must know what they are buying.

I feel not only are melons poor quality now but have shrunk in size a lot too. I love them but have stopped buying them, so disappointing.

We always used to rely on one end becoming slightly softer, to indicate ripeness. I bought a honeydew three weeks ago which was quite firm. I waited, …. and waited. After two weeks, and no softening anywhere, I bit the bullet and cut it, fully expecting it to be hard as a turnip, but it wasn’t too bad, at least it was edible. There was just no way of knowing whether it was ripe, or not. I’ll be reluctant to buy another one.

I just looked up the one I bought...

The Matisse melon, also known as the Ivory Gaya, Sugar Baby, or Snow Leopard, has a sweet flavor and a texture similar to white chocolate. The melon has a creamy white or alabaster peel with flecks of jade and yellow, and its flesh is succulent and juicy

I always give melons a gentle squeeze, if firm will be unripe, slightly soft ripe

You could pickle it or make some chutney. Look for recipes using unripe melon.

I planted some of the seeds from mine, so perhaps next year I'll produce an inedible melon or two.

Just bought a cantaloupe melon , GC love them and were coming for lunch. It was soft to the touch and felt ready to eat. Cut in to it and it was tasteless and dry, not fit to eat!

you should not press melons it only makes a bruise. But definitely smell them. When you get a good ripe smell they are ready to eat. also I support our local market as much as possible, and they usually know much more about their products than the supermarkets and also are happy to sell smaller amounts, and as I live alone I find them the best answer and here the market is on wednesdays and saturdays so that suits me.

I had a honeydew melon in my online order recently that was hard as a rock at the end. I left it on a sunny window ledge, and it took 2 weeks to soften up, but it lovely in the end.

I can't remember the name of the one I bought, but it was different from the usual ones.

Too heavy to lug back to lidl.

1summer

I recently bought a piel de sapo melon from Sainsburys only because it was on offer. It is absolutely delicious.

I saw one of these last year in Lidl and thought id give it a.go. Wow! Much nicer than honeydew! Haven't seen any since though. I like Galia. I find Watermelons wishy/washy, that and too many blasted seeds. Similar to pomegranate, too fiddly.

I’ve stopped buying melons as they never seem to live up to my expectations! Either hard and don’t ripen or go soft and mushy very quickly. Maybe my expectations are too high!!!!

I try and buy as little supermarket fruit as possible. I grow all sorts and if there is a glut I freeze them, I just find fruit that has been stored and chilled is never the same. Bit sad at the moment as my blueberries have just finished, but loads of raspberries ripening and they seem to carry on till Christmas every year.

I have recently been on holiday and the hotel served portions of fresh fruit salad during breakfast - there was several varieties of melon included but none were that tasty to be honest and were very disappointing. May be the chef didn't know how to test for ripeness but more likely he couldn't care less.

Melons are supposed to smell like cat's pee to test for ripeness. So, I believe!

I wish I’d thought to take mine back to Sainsburys! Cut Galia melon in half scooped out seeds ….took a spoonful…yuck! Dry and consistency of a rotten sponge! Straight in food waste!

OnwardandUpward

I've had the opposite! Many melons we've bought are mushy in the middle this year. It seems very hard to get them right.

Same here! However I have also had hard, unappetising melons too. Recently I paid £3 for an M&S Limelon and was most disappointed as it was so unripe.

First of all, a melon's skin has to smell of cat pee [I kid you not] for it to be good. Also, and I got this from a hotel kitchens employee, make a saturated solution of sugar and put the lemon cubes in it - they will absorb the sugar by osmosis, and become fine. But since you got a refund - all's well that ends well.

Press the non stalk end and if the melon is ripe it will be softish. Try several to assess differences and get a feel for the shipment. If you buy one just keep it till the beige disc where the flower was, becomes a bit softer - not very soft but not rigid.

Try buying from a market stall. The owner will usually help and they have the experience and know the origins. They also want to increase their clientele so are more likely to be giving you good advice.

Take them back!
Lidl is excellent for exchanging fruit or veg that’s not up to expectations!
What a waste of money!
We have such poor quality fruit & veg in UK?
Why?
I’m holidaying in France, wow such quality stuff! No comparison. All beautifully fresh, ripe and tasty - nothing plastic wrapped. Just delicious.