What does honeydew taste like? Let’s talk about honeydew’s refreshing flavors and how you can use it in the kitchen. Plus, we’ll share with you a few honeydew drink recipes.
Although not as popular as watermelons, honeydews are just as delicious. In fact, they are more versatile as their juicy texture goes well in many recipes.
Honeydew is a type of melon that’s very popular during winter. Honeydew melons have smooth and pale rinds. The flesh has a pale green to whitish color and is slightly firm. The seeds are small with white coats.
Most people mistake honeydews for cantaloupes and watermelons, but they are not the same.
The honeydew’s origins are unclear, but it’s widely grown in Algeria, France, and California. This fresh fruit is available from August to December.
Honeydew melon also has sub-varieties. Two of the most popular ones are orange honeydew and temptation melon. The orange honeydew is a cross between honeydew and orange muskmelon. Meanwhile, the temptation melon is a mix of honeydew and cantaloupe.
When picking a ripe honeydew, it should have a sweet, sugary smell. The fruit should be heavy, and the rind should have no blemishes.
One way to know if your honeydew is ripe is to press the rind gently. If it yields, then it should be good to eat. If the melon is too hard, let it sit on the counter for a few more days.
Since honeydews are similar to other melons, it’s easy to assume they taste the same. Surprisingly, the honeydew flavor is more distinct. It offers a sweet taste that’s stronger than a cantaloupe. It’s also juicy, refreshing, and has a musky aftertaste.
Honeydew tastes sweeter the riper it gets. If you cut it too early, the unripe honeydew will taste dull and bland. The musky aftertaste is also more intense since the sweet taste hasn’t settled. Honeydew tastes best when bought fresh and eaten immediately.
Honeydew is very refreshing, juicy, and sweet. Since the fruit primarily consists of water, it’s a popular juice option. The juice of honeydew has a floral aftertaste similar to cucumbers and cantaloupes.
Honeydew tastes delicious as is. Since honeydew has a mild and sweet taste, it pairs well with other fruits like pineapples, lemons, or apples.
You can also drizzle it with honey or maple syrup.
Spices that go great with honeydew are cilantro and mint.
Honeydew is 90 percent water. It’s an excellent source of vitamin C. Even a cup of honeydew can contain more than 50 percent of the body’s recommended intake.
Due to its high water content, honeydew is low in calories. There are only 36 calories per 100 grams of honeydew. This makes it the perfect snack to fill you up without worrying about the extra calories.
Fresh honeydew melons are incredibly versatile. You can eat them as snack or add them to many recipes. The sweet flavor is an excellent addition to fruit salads, appetizers, or drinks. Honeydew is also a popular ingredient in cocktail drinks.
As mentioned earlier, honeydew is very versatile. Aside from smoothies and drinks, you can use the fruit in savory recipes.
Here are nine ways how to use honeydew in the kitchen.
Honeydew melon tastes best when served fresh. It has a crunchy and juicy mouth feel. Cut your ripe honeydew into bite-sized cubes and eat them as is. You can also toss them with some lime juice for a nice contrast.
Level up your appetizers by adding honeydew slices. One way to serve honeydew as appetizers is by wrapping them up in prosciutto.
Honeydew slices are a great addition to charcuterie boards. You can also pair them with soft and salty cheeses. The fresh, juicy bites will cleanse the palate and mellow out the salty and nutty flavors.
Honeydew is great as is, but you can punctuate the sweetness by adding some spice. Slide your honeydew cubes into skewers and sprinkle chili powder and salt on top. Squeeze lime juice over your skewers and serve. These fruit skewers make for great appetizers.
You can also puree honeydew with jalapeno peppers and honey for a well-balanced dip. This dip recipe cuts through salty dishes like BBQ ribs, steaks, and meaty pizzas.
Fruit is a popular addition to breakfast, and honeydew is no exception. It’s a go-to breakfast treat that pairs well with oatmeal, cereal, or granola bars. You can eat it fresh or add it to breakfast muffin recipes.
Asian breakfast recipes usually call for heavy and fatty carb dishes. Adding honeydew as a side dish in the morning is one way to freshen up the palate. It’s also an excellent sweetener for light breakfast soups.
Honeydew is an excellent contrast for meat-loaded recipes. You can roast them together with steaks or barbecue. This fruit also tastes delicious in kebabs. If you’re planning on adding it to kebabs, we recommend giving it a good marinade.
To make the marinade, mix plain yogurt, vanilla, and honey. Coat the fruit slices and roast them together with the meat in skewers. The sweet flavors ooze out of the fruit and infuse with the smoked meat.
Honeydew tastes delicious in frozen yogurt. But feel free to pair it with flavored yogurts too. The best flavors are strawberry, mango, or Greek yogurt.
Whether you add it as a topping or eat it like a banana split, it’s heavenly either way. Most people treat it as a dessert and sprinkle it with peanuts and chocolate sauce.
If you want to serve honeydew for later, we recommend freezing it. There are three ways to go about this. The first process is to cut the fruit into cubes or slices and store them in the freezer.
The second way is to juice the fruit and make frozen honeydew cubes. If you want to add it to your cocktail, try adding vodka or tequila to the juice before freezing it.
Did you know you can make a refreshing salsa with honeydew? Its sweet taste and pleasant aroma are a great contrast to savory Mexican recipes.
To use in salsas, turn honeydew into a puree. Add in chopped onion, lime juice, and cilantro. Honeydew salsa tastes divine with grilled or boiled seafood.
Honeydew is also perfect for a fruit salad. Its mild and sweet flavors go well with any fruit. The best fruits to pair honeydew with are blackberries, strawberries, nectarines, or peaches. Citrus fruits like lemons and limes are also an excellent choice.
Or you can go for a classic melon medley of honeydew, watermelons, and cantaloupes. For the dressing, we recommend honey or coconut milk.
Honeydew is also a favorite ingredient in beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. It adds a refreshing hint and lends the drink an appetizing pastel green color.
Here’s how you can use honeydews in drinks.
Honeydew is the perfect smoothie fruit. Try mixing honeydew with spinach, basil, and avocado for an energizing breakfast drink. You can also add green grapes or other leafy veggies. Don’t forget to add a pinch of salt and lime juice for a tangy kick.
Blushing Rose is a complicated cocktail, but it’s worth a try. Aside from the 20 ingredients it uses, this drink also needs honeydew melon. Then you add pomegranate juice and rose nectar. This gives the cocktail its signature sweet, floral, and zesty flavors.
Tropical Rooibos Cooler is actually a mocktail. It’s an excellent choice for brunches if you’re still nursing a hangover. It’s made with honeydew juice, pineapples, bananas, and lemon syrup. The secret ingredient is rooibos tea, which gives the drink its smoky aftertaste.
Honeydew melons are one of those fruits best kept in your pantry rather than in the fridge. Keeping it at room temperature will prevent the moisture from escaping. It also helps the ripening process and makes the flesh juicier.
But after you cut the honeydew, we highly recommend storing it in the fridge. Since it mainly consists of water, its moisture will dry up fast. Keep honeydew slices in an airtight container before chilling them. Eat within three to four days to maximize its freshness and quality.
Ripe honeydew will have a fragrant aroma and feel heavy. If you tap the rind, the sound should be hollow. Another way of testing ripeness is by touching the fruit gently. If the flesh yields, then it’s ripe and fresh.
Yes, honeydew melon seeds are edible if you cook them. You can roast, toast, or bake the seeds. The process is similar to pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
Since honeydew has “honey” in its name, it’s only safe to assume honeydew tastes like honey. But the taste of honey can range from slightly sweet and tart to rich, molasses-like. Honeydew, on the other hand, has a consistently sweet, floral taste. But the riper the honeydew is, the sweeter it is. Many people liken the flavor to honey. So, yes, it may taste like honey, depending on the fruit’s ripeness.
Honeydew is a winter melon available from August to December. It’s primarily grown in California but is famous all around North America. It has a pale green rind with firm yet juicy flesh.
It’s often mistaken for watermelon or cantaloupe. This is understandable since they come from the same melon family. But what does honeydew taste like?
Honeydew has a sweet flavor with a musky aftertaste. Its taste may be likened to cucumbers or cantaloupes. You can use honeydew for almost any recipe. They’re best served fresh or in smoothies, salads, or kebabs.
