Whether it’s honeydew melon, watermelon, cantaloupe melon or galia melon – the selection of different types of melons in the supermarket is large. The honeydew melon is easy to recognize by its bright yellow color and is perfect for a refreshing snack, especially on hot summer days: due to its high water content, this type of melon has few calories (kcal), but still has a fruity aroma and a sweet taste. Although their fructose content can be as high as ten percent, honeydew melons are healthy because they have many vitamins and minerals.
Honeydew melons: high water content, high fructose content.
The high water content of about 85 to 90 percent provides the juicy taste of honeydew melon. It makes them a welcome refreshment and a delicious thirst quencher, especially in summer. And because of their high water content, honeydew melons have hardly any calories; 100 grams contain only about 50 kcal.
However, the high fructose content of the sweet melon must be taken into account: this means that honeydew melon has significantly more calories than watermelon, for example. Watermelons bring it just to about 24 kcal per 100 grams.
Honeydew melons are rich in vitamin A
Nevertheless, the yellow melon is healthy, because the ingredients of the honeydew melon include numerous vitamins: In addition to vitamins B1, B2 and C, it mainly contains provitamin A. This provitamin is converted into vitamin A in the body and plays an important role in cell growth and the visual process. 150 grams of honeydew melon already completely cover the daily requirement of vitamin A, the same portion of this type of melon corresponds to half the daily requirement of vitamin C.
In addition, honeydew melon also contains a wide variety of minerals:
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Iron
- Sodium
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
Honeydew melon: ripe or not ripe?
Honeydew melons can weigh up to four kilograms and are easily recognized by their yellow color. The striking color has also given the melon the name “Yellow Canary”.
However, the appearance does not allow any conclusion to be drawn about the degree of ripeness of the honeydew melon. This is often difficult to recognize: A smooth, not too hard skin that yields somewhat when pressed indicates a ripe melon. In addition, a ripe honeydew melon can also be recognized by its slightly sweet smell.
How do I store a honeydew melon?
Once purchased, honeydew melon should be stored at room temperature, but once cut, it should be kept wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator.
Delicious recipes with honeydew melon
If you are looking for a refreshing snack, you will quickly find it in a recipe with honeydew melon: Whether honeydew melon with Parma ham as a delicious appetizer, served with other fruits as a low-calorie fruit salad for dessert, or as a sorbet – honeydew melon can be enjoyed in a variety of forms as a refreshing snack.
Before eating, cut the honeydew melon in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. Then it is cut into wedges, depending on the intended use, the peel can still be removed afterwards.
Face mask with honeydew melon
If you want to use this type of melon once completely different, you can also conjure up a face mask from the pulp. Because the vitamin E contained in the honeydew melon has a moisturizing effect on our skin. Simply puree the pulp of the honeydew melon and then leave it on for about 20 minutes.
Origin and relationship
The honeydew melon forms one of the three major subgroups of the sugar melon, along with the cantaloupe melons and the netted melons. The sugar melon belongs to the cucurbit family and is therefore not a fruit in purely botanical terms. The sugar melon is more closely related to the cucumber than to the watermelon, which, however, also belongs to the cucurbit family.
Honeydew melons originated in tropical and subtropical West Africa, and the first melons were grown and consumed in Egypt as early as 4000 years ago. Later, the honeydew melon spread to Asia and finally reached America through Spanish sailors.
Due to its wide distribution area, we in Germany can enjoy the healthy honeydew melon all year round: during the summer months our honeydew melons come mainly from Spain, while in winter they are imported mainly from Brazil and Costa Rica.
