How To Cut A Cantaloupe

Learn how to cut a cantaloupe like a pro with a few simple steps that are so easy, you'll be enjoying fresh melon in no time! Whether you are using cantaloupe as a snack, appetizer, or as part of a dish, properly slicing this melon is easier than you may think!

Using just a few simple knife skills, you’ll be snacking on fresh cantaloupe in no time!

While their knobby, netted exterior may look formidable in the produce section at the grocery store or a stand at the farmer’s market, learning how to cut up a fresh cantaloupe is easier than you may think.

Whether in a delicious fruit salad, an appetizer alongside prosciutto, or just by itself, cantaloupe is a healthy and wonderful fruit to add to your shopping list.

Jump to:

• Choosing A Cantaloupe
• Slice Off The Ends
• Option 1: Keep the rind
• Cut Into Wedges
• Dice Into Cubes
• Make Spheres
• Option 2: Remove The Rind
• Cut Into Slices
• Dice Into Cubes
• Ideas For Using Cantaloupe
• Storing
• FAQ
• 📋 Recipe

Choosing A Cantaloupe

A cousin to the more popular watermelon, cantaloupe is a variety of muskmelon with a bright orange interior and a sweet, refreshing flavor. From June through August, cantaloupes are at their peak, but they are available to enjoy all year round.

When selecting a ripe melon, choose one that has some heft and no soft spots. The more golden the exterior, the riper it is. Also, don’t be afraid to give it a few taps, it should sound hollow.

Food Safety

Before you get to slicing and dicing, it’s important to follow safe food handling procedures. The rough texture of the cantaloupe rind is perfect place for bacteria, so do take a moment to properly clean your fruit.

Always wash fruit and vegetables to remove any dirt or bacteria to prevent any cross-contamination. Don’t forget to wash your hands, too!

Slice Off The Ends

When you're ready to cut your cantaloupe, start with the very first basic step.

Place the washed and dried cantaloupe on a clean cutting board. Then, using a sharp chef’s knife, start by trimming both ends of the melon until you see the orange-hued flesh. By trimming the ends first, you are left with a sturdy base for the next steps.

Moving forward, there are two different options: remove the rind, or leave it on.

There are pros and cons to both, but which option you choose is dependent upon your intended result.

Option 1: Keep the rind

For a quick snack that’s easy to handle with no clean-up necessary, keeping the rind on the melon and cutting it into wedges is a great choice.

Flip the cantaloupe onto its end and slice straight through, top to bottom. In the middle of each half, you’ll find all the seeds. Using a large spoon, scoop them out and discard them.

Cut Into Wedges

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Place one of the halves of cantaloupe onto the cutting board and, starting from the top, slice down the middle to make two halves. From here, continue cutting each piece in half lengthwise into your desired size of wedge.

Dice Into Cubes

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To cut cubes, place a wedge, skin side down, on the cutting board. Run the knife along the rind, just above any green coloring, to remove the rind. Next, cut each wedge into cubes the size of your choice.

Make Spheres

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For this cut, you’ll need a Parisienne scoop, commonly known as a melon baller. To do this, push the scoop, blade side down, all the way into the flesh, and turn. Repeat until you have scooped out as many spheres as possible.

*Trim away the scooped flesh, and continue making melon balls with the deeper cantaloupe.

Option 2: Remove The Rind

For slices of cantaloupe, you will want to remove the rind but don’t worry, the rind is thin and easy to remove.

First, trim both ends until you see the orange-colored flesh.

Next, flip the melon onto one end. Then, using your knife, carefully cut from the top-down slicing just under the rind following the curve of the melon. Repeat until you have removed all the rind.

If you missed a few spots, go back and trim those off before moving on.

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Stand the melon, with rind removed, onto one end and slice straight through from top to bottom. Inside each half are the seeds. Use a spoon to scrape them out and discard them.

Cut Into Slices

Place one of the halves of melon onto the cutting board, interior-side down. Starting from the end, cut the melon crosswise into ¼-inch to ½-inch-thick slices.

Dice Into Cubes

For cubes, place one of the melon halves onto the cutting board. Using your knife, slice the melon in half lengthwise.

Continue cutting each section in half until you reach the desired wedge size. Place each wedge flat on the cutting board and cut each piece into ½-inch cubes.

Ideas For Using Cantaloupe

• Cubes of cantaloupe are a welcome addition to the classic fruit salad.
• Add cubes to your favorite smoothie recipe.
• Substitute cantaloupe for mango or pineapple in fresh salsas.
• Serve fresh cantaloupe with slices of prosciutto and balsamic vinegar..
• Make a seasonal cantaloupe sorbet with fresh mint.
• Scoop cantaloupe spheres for a melon ball punch during the hot summer months.

Storing

When storing a whole cantaloupe that has not yet ripened, you can leave it out at room temperature (out of sunlight) until it is ripe. If exposed to moisture or heat, cantaloupe tends to mold.

From there, a whole ripened cantaloupe may be left out on the counter at room temperature for about three days. If you don't plan on eating it soon, it can be placed in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (Cold melon is delicious!)

Store large wedges of cantaloupe in the fridge by wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap or foil then placing them in a Ziploc bag. Wrap them as air-tight as you possibly can because that will keep them fresh longer.

Cubes or spheres of melon can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Cut melon will stay fresh in the fridge for about 3 days.

Freezing

Cantaloupe freezes best when cut into smaller pieces. Aim for cubes somewhere between ½-inch and 1-inch in size.

Place the cantaloupe into a heavy-duty freezer bag in a single layer. Then, Squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible and place the cantaloupe in the freezer laying flat.

Thawed cantaloupe will not have the same texture as fresh cantaloupe. For that reason, frozen cantaloupe is best used in things such as smoothies or sorbet that don’t require you to thaw it out.

Frozen cantaloupe should be eaten within 6 months.

FAQ

📋 Recipe