How to Eat Horned Melon
Once you get your hands on one of these rare beauties, you may wonder, how do I eat this? Well, don’t let those little spikes fool you! To the newly introduced, horned melons might seem a little weird. But in fact, their texture and unique, fresh flavor allows them the versatility to shine in all kinds of recipes.
The flavor of horned melon is unmistakably fresh and sour. Around each soft, white seed is an emerald-colored pulp sac that contains the edible portion that the horned melon is known for. Often, the taste of horned, or kiwano melon is described as a combination of cucumber, lime, and even a bit of kiwilike sweetness. The aroma is sweet and green, and the texture is pleasantly jellylike.
How to prepare your horned melon will depend on the recipe you’re using. Here are the most common ways to prepare horned melon for just about any recipe.
It’s easy to slice ripe horned melon! For easier scoopability, slice the melon in half longways. Then, use a spoon to remove the seeds from the rind into a bowl. For round slices of horned melon, make perpendicular slices down the length of the fruit. Use as garnish or as a meat topper before grilling or roasting.
Some of the most common ways horned melons are eaten are as a raw snack, added to sauces, soups and salads, and even used for meaty preparations. The jellylike fruit can be scooped over yogurt or granola, and added to snacky salsas. The clean, sour flavor makes horned melon a welcome addition to a variety of recipes.
- Raw: Perhaps most commonly, horned melon is enjoyed raw in sweet and savory recipes and drinks. It can be tossed into salads, scooped over yogurt or eaten plain.
- Sauces: Add strained horned melon pulp to sauces, gravies and dips where bright, sour flavor with a hint of cucumber-y freshness is welcome.
The sour, cucumber-meets-lime flavor gives an unexpected twist to many kinds of beverages. Horned melon adds a sophisticated freshness to fresh juices, plain water, cocktails, batch and frozen drinks. Green, jellylike and vegetal, the delicate pulp is naturally ready to be swirled, shaken and mixed into beverages that can use a little oomph.
Here are some easy ways use horned melon in your drinks:
- Juicing: Scoop horned melon pulp from the peel before juicing. Then, simply feed the pulp into your juicer for a cucumber-like flavor that’s sweet and sour. Alternately, you can push the pulp through a mesh sieve to break the green, jellylike pulp sacs away from the seeds for a hand-pressed juice. Kiwano melon tastes great with other produce like melons, pineapple, ginger, apple, cucumber, kiwi and banana.
- Smoothies: Whether you have leftover horned melon or want to use a whole horned melon in smoothies, we recommend freezing it for best use. To prepare your horned melon for smoothies, slice the fruit open and scoop the pulp into an ice cube tray. Once frozen, store horned melon cubes in an airtight container in the freezer. Pop frozen horned melon cubes into smoothies and other blended beverages!
- Water: Scoop the pulp into your water bottle along with fresh herbs like mint for a refreshing and nutritious alternative to plain water.
- To make alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, strain the seedy pulp of your horned melons to make a basic syrup for adding to your favorite drinks.
Delicious and nutritious, horned melons also keep fresh on the countertop, where they can last for almost two weeks. Refrigerating them whole can diminish their flavor, so keep these at room temp until you want to use them. Leftover sliced horned melon can be refrigerated when stored in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
To freeze horned melons, wait until they are fully ripened. Then, scoop out the pulp into a freezer safe, airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. You can choose to keep the seeds and pulp intact, or strain the green jelly from the soft, white seeds.
Do you feel like a horned melon eating expert now? Show us your favorite ways to prepare and eat horned melon by tagging us in your culinary masterpieces on Instagram @Fruitstandcom!