Picking a melon is a bit like playing the lottery. Getty Images:
The name, the weight of the melon, the stem that comes off… Meilleur Ouvrier de France Primeur’s wise advice to finally know how to identify a sweet and fragrant melon.
Choosing a good melon is a bit like playing the lottery. And every year it’s the same refrain: that melon that smelled so good in the store turns out to have no taste on the plate. And vice versa. So how can you be sure you’re picking the juicy and sweet melon you’ve been hoping to taste this summer? The answer depends on the season, origin, variety and appearance.
Seasonality and origin
As Meilleur Ouvrière de France Primeur Charlotte Entraigues explained to us, seasonality is the first criterion to respect when you want to be sure that you are using products with flavor. “First learn about the seasons and stick to them. They will always affect the quality of the fruit.” Then, and this is especially true when it comes to melons, it is recommended to choose a French product. “Our soil is rich and the fruits are only going to get better for it,” the expert explained, before adding that the ideal is to seek advice from your prime minister. “He hand-picked each of the fresh produce from his suppliers. No one will know better than him to meet your most specific needs.
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Charents melon, yes, but…
One variety makes everyone agree: the Charentais melon. “The latter does not come from the Charente, explained Charlotte Entraiges, but its name rather refers to its appearance, round and endowed with a light green color and streaked with darker lines.” Obviously, you can find Charentais melons from Morocco on the stalls. “It is better to wait for the French season to take advantage of it, June to September“. With the red label, this variety also offers a guaranteed sugar content for each melon, as well as a harvest date and assurance that the fruit was picked at the end of its ripeness.
Carefully examine the weight of the melon and its peduncle
To make your choice among the different samples, you need to weigh the fruit and check that it is very heavy, which indicates a high sugar content, Charlotte Entraigues taught us. “Also watch for the peduncle, the little stem, to start to separate from the fruit.” Finally, inhale its aroma, the stronger the melon will be.
Source: Le Figaro
