How To Freeze Cantaloupe {and other melons} |

Cantaloupe. My family really enjoys this fruit with the sweet orange flesh and we’ve been waiting patiently all summer for the vines in the garden to give us some. I didn’t think it was very long ago that I wandered past the cantaloupe vines out in the garden and they didn’t seem quite ready for the picking. This morning I ventured out there again and – woah…it was most definitely cantaloupe-picking-time! Many of them had separated from the vine and were more of a pale yellow color rather than showing off the green like they had when they weren’t ripe. So, we picked A LOT.

Really though, to be honest…there is only so much cantaloupe that one can eat at a time before one gets sick of it {I must be speaking of myself here}. And there is only a certain amount of time to be able to store it before it gets overly ripe and the fruit flies discover it is there for them to enjoy. So, I didn’t even blink when we hauled the 20 gallons of them into the house before we started processing them. There is no better time than the present, eh? The process is pretty simple, actually. So, whether you have an abundance of garden fresh cantaloupe that you picked, or just found a really great deal at the store and want to save some for a later day, why not try freezing it? -Shelley.

How To Freeze Cantaloupe

Items you will need:
Cantaloupe
Sharp knife
Freezer bags or freezer safe storage containers
A sugar syrup – if desired {for 4 cups of water use anywhere from 1/2 cup – 4 cups of sugar depending on whether you want a light or a heavy syrup. There is a great chart for this on www.pickyourown.org I used 3/4 cup of sugar/4 cups of water}

Start of by making the sugar syrup, if using. Pour sugar into cold water and stir until combined. Place in refrigerator to get cold.

Next, slice the melons in half and scoop out the seeds.

Slice each half into about 4 slices and then using a sharp knife carefully remove the cantaloupe flesh from the rind. Slice cantaloupe into manageable bite-sized pieces.

Label and date plastic freezer bags, or whatever container you will be storing the fruit in. Add cut-up fruit to containers.

If you are using a sugar syrup, now is the time to add it to the fruit before sealing the bags. The www.pickyourown.org site I referenced earlier suggests using about 1/2-2/3 cup/pint of fruit. I actually probably only used 1 cup for the entire quart.

Squeeze the excess air out of the bags and seal. Stack them nicely in the freezer to store for later use. When ready to use, just take out of the freezer and thaw in the fridge!