Wondering how to cut cantaloupe in chunks or the different ways to cut a melon? We have everything you need today, including how to cut a cantaloupe for a fruit tray, and how to cut a cantaloupe fancy.
Cutting a Cantaloupe for the First Time
How do you peel and cut a cantaloupe?
The cantaloupe is one of the simplest fruits to slice and serve. Apart from the tough skin, it is going to be a breeze managing the flesh of this wonderful summer fruit. To cut simple chunks of cantaloupe, all you need is your chopping board and a sharp knife. Slice both ends of the cantaloupe, so you have flat surfaces to leverage the fruit.
Next, cut down at the center of the fruit so that you will have two large halves. Grab a spoon and work on the seeds, remove all the seeds and slippery fiber until the firm flesh is exposed. Once all the seeds are gone, grab your knife again and cut the halves vertically. You should have eight lengthwise pieces after cutting. Slice each of the pieces again, so that in the end you have a total of sixteen tiny halves on your board.
Begin cutting across the flesh (aim for six or seven pieces). Repeat the process until all of the halves have been cut crosswise. With the blade of your knife resting against the hard skin of the melon, sweep the edge across the flesh, until all the chunks are removed from the hard skin. Scoop up all the small chunks into a bowl until all of your slices are ready.
How can you make cantaloupe balls?
Cantaloupe balls have different kinds of uses, and the method we are going to describe here can also be used for all kinds of melons, including watermelons. So start with a ripe cantaloupe cut it in half as we did before. Separate the halves and remove all the seeds with a spoon. Remember to scoop gently until all of the seeds have been removed.
Next, you will need a melon baller. A melon baller looks like a small ice cream scoop, and it is designed specifically to grab the flesh of melon and make almost perfect spheres. Start cutting the flesh from the margin of the skin. Rotate the melon baller until you can separate the full sphere from the melon. Simply repeat the process until all of the flesh from the cantaloupe half has been separated as spheres. Repeat the same process with the other half of the cantaloupe.
How can you make a basket for cantaloupe balls?
This is a fun way to present your cantaloupe balls. Begin by cutting from the top of the cantaloupe in such a way that a “handle” of hard skin is left. Cut twice from the top, leaving one inch or two-inch allowance for the handle. Then cut from the sides of the melon so you will produce two-quarter slices of cantaloupe. If all went well, a handle would appear on the cantaloupe, and all you have to do is to scoop away the seeds before cutting into the flesh of the fruit with your melon baller.
This is how you create a fancy fruit basket, and if you are working with larger fruit, say, a large watermelon, you have more space for additional fruits like grapes. Combining different kinds of melons and other fruits is a surefire way to impress guests during parties. The resulting fruit basket is also healthy and is a sure hit with kids, too.
How can you make standing cantaloupe wedges?
If you are crafting fruit for a centerpiece, cantaloupe wedges are great for establishing the main “architecture” of the centerpiece. You can arrange erect wedges around the main tray so you will have several rays of fruit pointing upward. The space in the middle, you are free to decorate as you please.
To create wedges, begin cutting vertically from the top of the melon, so you have your two main halves. Deseed the halves carefully with a spoon. Measure your halves so you will know how thick each wedge should be. We are aiming for mostly even wedges because this is going to be part of the centerpiece of your party. Cutaway the even wedges from the two halves of the cantaloupe.
When your wedges are ready, it’s time to get fancy. With the blade of your knife, slide across the flesh of the fruit until you get to two-thirds of each wedge. When the flesh on the wedge is almost off, turn the wedge to its side so you can cut a small, rectangular notch. The rectangular notch should measure about an inch. Push the notch against the flesh of the fruit until the wedge stands well away from the hard skin of the cantaloupe.
Repeat the process until all of the wedges have notches supporting the flesh of the fruit. Circularly arrange the wedges (like the sun) and decorate your centerpiece. People can now just pick up a cantaloupe wedge whenever they like, and they can scoop up additional fruit from the centerpiece.
Do you wash cantaloupe before cutting?
Despite their harmless appearance and wonderful taste, cantaloupes are the source of bad listeria outbreaks in recent years. Cantaloupes have to be washed before they are cut and consumed. Remember, these guys grow on the earth on vines before they are harvested. They are not strung up on trees like apples. Treat cantaloupe as you would any fresh produce – they have to be washed thoroughly. Use a small amount of antibacterial soap and warm water to wash your cantaloupe before consuming it. Do not buy cantaloupe that has any signs of puncturing and consume immediately at room temperature.
