A hydrating and healthy fix for your sweet tooth, cantaloupe melons are also surprisingly nutritious. Cantaloupe is loaded with beta-carotene (vitamin A), which safeguards your eyesight, helps keep your mind sharp, and reduces inflammation. You can find cantaloupe in the grocery store year-round, but it's at its peak during the summer months into early fall. Rather than buying pre-cut fruit that's not always the freshest, we'll walk you through how to cut cantaloupe into slices or cubes at home. You'll need a large cutting board and a chef's knife.
How to Cut a Cantaloupe
Here's our Test Kitchen's preferred method for cutting a cantaloupe into cubes or slices.
Step 1: Prep the Cantaloupe
Before cutting, thoroughly scrub the melon with a clean produce brush. Don’t skip this step. Bacteria on the outside can make its way inside when you cut, so rinse and scrub with a produce brush first. Use a large chef's knife to cut the cantaloupe in half, cutting through the stem and blossom ends; steady the melon with your other hand. Be sure to use a cutting board.
Test Kitchen Tip: If your cutting board is slipping around, try placing a damp towel under the board. This will help keep it in place. It's very important to have a stable surface when cutting a cantaloupe to avoid knife slips and accidental cuts.
Step 2: Scoop the Seeds
Using a large spoon, scoop out the seeds and fiber in the center of the melon halves. If desired, discard the seeds.
Test Kitchen Tip: You can eat cantaloupe seeds! In fact, cantaloupe seeds have omega-3 fatty acids. Toast and season just like you would make roasted pumpkin seeds.
Step 3: Cut Wedges
Cut the melon halves in half again and then, if you want, into smaller wedges. Use a boning knife to cut between the rind and the fruit of each wedge. Discard the rind.
Step 4: Cut into Cubes
Serve the melon in wedges, or cut the melon into large chunks. You can also chop the melon into smaller pieces. Try adding cantaloupe cubes to a refreshing summer drink, like this Cantaloupe-Peach Agua Fresca.
How to Make Melon Balls
To make cantaloup melon balls, prep the cantaloupe through step 2. Once halved and the seeds have been scooped out, use a melon baller to scoop out small balls of cantaloupe. Save any extra melon pieces in a freezer-safe bag for tossing into smoothies or shakes.
How Much Melon Will I Get?
If you're cutting a cantaloupe into melon balls or cubes, here's how much you can expect to yield.
- 1 medium cantaloupe (2 1/2 pounds) = about 6 cups cubed or about 5 1/2 cups of melon balls.
How to Choose a Cantaloupe
There are several theories about choosing a sweet cantaloupe. Some say thump it; some say squeeze it. A good place to start is on the outside: Choose a cantaloupe that has a cream-colored netting over a rind that is green, yellow, or gray. The blossom end should yield to gentle pressure; the rest of the melon should be firm and free from decay, bruises, and cuts. Smell at the stem end—it should have a sweetly aromatic scent. Pick a melon that’s heavy for its size. When they’re ripe, melons are dense with water.
How to Store Cut Cantaloupe
Once cut, it's best to use up cut melon within a couple of days. Store your cantaloupe cubes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Freeze cantaloup for 2-3 months for longer storage.