Try to imagine what fruit is refreshing to eat in summer. Maybe you answered “Honeydew”. It is true that this is a fresh fruit that is important to consume in hot, refreshing weather. But do you know what honeydew tastes like. Here we will explain a lot about this fresh fruit, especially about what it tastes like, its appearance, its types and how it compares to some other fruits.
Honeydew has a pale green to slightly yellow flesh color, with a soft outer part. The taste is light but refreshing. At first glance, Honeydew tastes like a cross between a ripe pear and a cucumber.
When you bite into a piece of ripe and sweet Honeydew, it’s like you’re enjoying a beautiful summer. It tastes refreshing and satisfies your thirsty appetite.
Now let’s see why Honeydew is so popular with fruit lovers. Here we will look at the facts, what are the profiles, how to choose the best, and reveal the secrets on how to best enjoy the freshness of Honeydew.
What Does Honeydew Taste Like?
When you start eating honeydew, you will find the sweetness quickly, the sweetness is light and just right, one might say it is a smooth and balanced sweetness. The taste of honeydew is not too strong and not too bland, and this is perfect for anyone including those of you who suffer from diabetes or are limiting your sugar intake.
Honeydew’s sweet taste is like sticking to the tongue and this makes you enjoy every bite satisfyingly.
Let’s continue by talking about how the texture is. The texture of the honeydew fruit is rich in water, and very soft like a peach but without any fuzz. Enjoying honeydew is perfect on a hot summer day, its taste and texture are very important in providing a freshness that is second to none.
However, there are things that you should pay attention to, honeydew has a different taste according to the level of ripeness. When fully ripe, it will have a delicate, honey-like taste. But if it’s not ripe enough, then honeydew tastes more like cucumber, less watery and less honeyy, but still pleasant to chew.
Types Of Honeydew Fruit
1. American Honeydew
The American variety is the most famous of the honeydews. The shape of the fruit is round, with a smooth, soft exterior, while the flesh is pale green.
What’s it like? It has a slightly sweet tangy taste when it is fully ripe.
2. Orange Flesh Honeydew
This type is also known as the Temptation Melon. This is different from the previous type, where the color of the flesh of the orange flesh honeydew is golden orange or similar to the color of an ordinary melon.
But the taste of orange flesh honeydew is sweeter than American honeydew.
3. Green Flesh Honeydew
It is similar to the American honeydew variety but there is a difference in color. Green flesh has a green flesh color, the texture is very watery, and the taste is slightly sweet.
4. White Honeydew
The white honeydew variety is also known by another name “white antibes”. This fruit is more famous in parts of Europe than America. The flesh is white and tastes very sweet. Those of you who haven’t tried this variety often or are used to American honeydew, will definitely be surprised when you try the sweet white honeydew from Europe.
Like this, those of you who have high blood sugar levels should limit it or better have other varieties of honeydew.
Comparing Honeydew With Other Fruits
Those are some types of honeydew fruit. Now let’s see how it compares to some of the other fruits. Which do you prefer? Honeydew or fruit in comparison.
– Honeydew vs. Cantaloupe
Both belong to the melon family, but cantaloupe is sweeter and more robust than honeydew.
Then another difference between the two is the skin, where the skin of the cantaloupe is rougher, webbed, while the honeydew is smooth and soft.
– Honeydew vs. Watermelon
If you often eat watermelons, you will know that watermelons are quite juicy and have a larger size. It’s crunchy and refreshing and rich in sugar content.
While the honeydew taste is more mellow and creamy
Watermelon is much larger and has a more watery and crunchy texture. Its flavor is also sweeter and more refreshing, while honeydew has a more mellow and creamy taste.
– Honeydew vs. Pineapple
Pineapple fruit is a tropical fruit with a sharp tropical taste, sweet mixed with sour is its distinctive taste. While the taste of honeydew is mild and not tangy like pineapple, it is sweet but not too sweet and not too bland.
– Honeydew vs. Mangoes
How does honeydew vs mango compare? Both are sweet and likable. It tastes like sweet mango, but it is a little sour. In addition, mango is richer in fiber than honeydew.
Meanwhile, the taste of honeydew is softer, lighter and has a uniform texture with less prominent fibers. For more different, you can direct to this USDA link.
Do Honeydews Taste Good?
If you are not a lover of overpowering sweetness, honeydew fruit is the best choice. Fruit with simple sugar content and doesn’t taste bland, suitable for all and also good for health.
However, the taste of honeydew depends entirely on how perfectly ripe it is. Fruit that is perfectly ripe will taste sweet and pleasant and smell good. While the ones that haven’t cooked well, the taste will be lighter and a bit bland. So, to get quality honeydew fruit, you must know how to choose honeydew on the market.
If you think honeydew tastes bland, chances are you just tried something that wasn’t fully ripe. When ripe, this fresh fruit makes for a wonderful and delightful treat.
Did you know, it turns out that honeydew fruit can also be cooked, but after being cooked, this fruit will taste different. The taste will be sweeter and the aroma will come out.
Another way to enjoy honeydew is to freeze it. Once frozen, you can use it for many purposes like smoothies, sorbets, it will add sweetness to every dish.
If frozen, the taste of the honeydew will change slightly when thawed, the taste will be softer and it will lose its freshness.
What Does Honeydew Look Like?
This fruit is very easy to recognize, round or slightly oval in shape with the size of a small soccer ball. If you walk into the fruit shop, try to pay attention to the one that looks like a melon but the skin is smooth, that’s it.
This smooth skin is usually cream, yellowish or green in color.
How to Choose the Perfect Honeydew?
When you pick up honeydew and it feels heavy in your hand, it means it is ripe and juicy. Also pay attention to the surface of the skin, there are no bruises, soft spots, let alone wounds.
If you find fruit with spots, cuts or bruises, it is usually too ripe and not good to eat anymore.
Another thing to pay attention to when buying honeydew or when choosing it is the sugar spot. Sugar spots are thick, dark patches on the surface of the skin. This is actually an interesting and good thing, even though it looks less attractive, the fruit with this character can give a perfect taste.
The sugar spot is the part of the honeydew fruit that is in contact with the soil while on the stem. There’s a concentration of sugar in that part and it creates dark patches like that.
The best way to choose honeydew is to use your senses. Look for fruit that is uniform in shape and color, has firm skin and feels heavy when picked up. Those that are perfectly cooked, usually there will be an aroma, you can smell it carefully.
If you find a fruit with this character, it has a sweet aroma, has a smooth, firm skin, is free of bruises, is heavy when lifted, has dark sugar spots. So, this is a good sign or the fruit you choose is correct.
Do Honeydews Have Seeds?
True, honeydews contain seeds in the center of the fruit, these are shaped like cucumber seeds but not as bright in color as cucumber seeds, they are yellow or brown in color. The seeds are located in the center of the fruit cavity, located together surrounded by a soft, loose gel-like mass.
Are honeydew seeds edible? Yes you can eat it, but usually it is not eaten because it has a bitter taste and is the opposite of the sweet and refreshing taste of honeydews.
However, if you want to try eating honeydew seeds, try roasting them like pumpkin seeds. When it’s roasted, it’s crunchy and delicious, like pumpkin seeds, and nutritious.
How to Eat Honeydews?
In general, the way to eat honeydews is to crack open the fruit and scoop out the seeds and set them aside. If you have removed the seeds, you will find a delicious fruit pulp.
This fruit flesh can be sliced, diced, or split small like you split a watermelon. If you want to add it to a salad, you can cut it into cubes or spoon it round.
So, you only use the flesh, while the seeds can be set aside to dry and replant as new plants ready to give more honeydews.
Check out more:
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How To Make Honeydews Taste Good
If you want to enjoy this fruit in a more delicious way, try following these steps to make honeydew more delicious.
- Choose the perfect fruit. See the honeydew selection guide above. make sure the fruit is well ripe, has no bruises, and feels heavier for its size.
- Refrigerate it. The best way to enjoy honeydew is to refrigerate it. You can chill it in the refrigerator after dicing it or after slicing it like a watermelon. After it feels cold, you can eat the pieces of fruit one by one more deliciously.
- Sprinkle with a little salt. To enhance the taste, you can sprinkle a little salt. Remember “just a pinch of salt”.
- Squeeze the lime. Some people enhance the taste by squeezing a little lime or lemon juice. This will improve the taste and feel more refreshing.
- Combination with herbs. You can include leaves like basil and mint to add a cool and interesting flavor.
Remember: The honeydew flavor is found in perfectly ripe fruit. So, when you buy honeydew at the fruit market, choose one that is perfectly ripe.
Honeydew FAQs
How do I know when a honeydew is ripe?
A ripe honeydew is usually heavy for its size, the aroma begins to waft from the smooth skin, the skin is already a cream color and when tapped it should make a hollow sound.
Can I eat the seeds of a honeydew?
Yes, you can eat the seeds, but they are bitter and contrast to the sweet taste of honeydew. Some people eat honeydew seeds roasted, such as roasting pumpkin seeds. It’s delicious and nutritious!
Can honeydew be eaten raw?
Yes, honeydew is eaten raw, but some people cook it for a sweet, tangier taste. But what I enjoy most is eating it straight or putting it in a salad.
You can serve this fruit as an independent snack like you would serve watermelon.
Can I freeze honeydew?
Yes, you can freeze it, but it may change the texture slightly after thawing. The best way to freeze it is after cutting it into cubes or balls, place it in an airtight bag and let all air out of the bag, seal it and store it in the freezer.
How should I store honeydew?
Honeydew that is still intact can be stored at room temperature to ripen. But if you have cut it, then you should store it in the refrigerator after placing it in an airtight container, it will last for several days in its fresh condition.
Ingredients
- Prepare a 1/2 large honeydew fruit, diced (about 5 cups)
- 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt or coconut milk or vegan yogurt)
- 1/4 cup frozen pineapple or 4 slices
- 1 teaspoon honey (or maple syrup)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- Garnish: mint leaves (or add them to the smoothie, too!)
Instructions
- Take the honeydew and cut it into cubes
- Place in a blender and grind briefly until combined
- Add the rest ingredients and blend again until you get a pale green smoothie.
- Pour into a serving glass and garnish with mint leaves.
Notes
- If your smoothie is too thick, add ice cubes
- For sweeter, you can add honey or maple syrup
- Add a splash of lemon or lime juice for fresh smoothie
- Use coconut milk or vegan yogurt instead of Greek yogurt, and then this is vegan.
Nutrition Facts:
- Calories: 170
- Fats: 2 grams
- Saturated Fat: 0 grams
- Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
- Sodium: 15 milligrams
- Carbohydrates: 35 grams
- Sugar: 25 grams
- Proteins: 5 grams