Tag Archives: Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe ~ Nature’s Finest Fruit!

I have been eating cantaloupes for over 80 years. And I have been juicing them for over 62 years, and Linda and I never tire of them.  I want to make sure you are juicing them as well, so I thought I would write a quick note about CANTALOUPES.

How to Juice: Peel your cantaloupes (unless they are organic and scrubbed very well) cut in long strips and juice entire cantaloupe, minus the seeds.  We add some fresh ginger root to the juice in the mornings to give it a little zest.  One cantaloupe (medium size) can juice more than a quart.  NEVER let your cantaloupe juice sit without refrigeration, and if you are saving it, it will only last 5 hours. So it’s best to juice it and then drink it immediately. Vitamin C in the juice along with the natural enzymes and lifeforce start to die immediately after you break open the cells of the fruit.
Here’s the Benefits:

Cantaloupe Gets an A+
Our food ranking system qualified cantaloupe as an excellent source of vitamin A on account of its concentrated beta-carotene content. Once inside the body, beta-carotene can be converted into vitamin A, so when you eat cantaloupe it’s like getting both these beneficial nutrients at once. One cup of cantaloupe is just 56 calories, but provides 103.2% of the daily value for vitamin A. Both vitamin A and beta-carotene are important vision nutrients. In a study of over 50,000 women nurses aged 45 to 67, women who consumed the highest dietary amount of vitamin A had a 39% reduced risk of developing cataracts. In another study that looked at the incidence of cataract surgery and diet, researchers found that those people who ate diets that included cantaloupe had half the risk of cataract surgery, while those who ate the highest amounts of butter, salt and total fat had higher risks for cataract surgery. Beta-carotene has also been the subject of extensive research in relationship to cancer prevention and prevention of oxygen-based damage to cells.
Cantaloupe also emerged from our food ranking system as an excellent source of vitamin C. While beta-carotene and vitamin A are fat-soluble antioxidants, vitamin C functions as an antioxidant in the water-soluble areas of the body. So, between its beta-carotene and vitamin C content, cantaloupe has all areas covered against damage from oxygen free radicals. In addition to its antioxidant activity, vitamin C is critical for good immune function. Vitamin C stimulates white cells to fight infection, directly kills many bacteria and viruses, and regenerates Vitamin E after it has been inactivated by disarming free radicals. Owing to the multitude of vitamin C’s health benefits, it is not surprising that research has shown that consumption of vegetables and fruits high in this nutrient is associated with a reduced risk of death from all causes including heart disease, stroke and cancer. One cup of cantaloupe contains 112.5% of the daily value for this well-known antioxidant.
Cantaloupe’s Pro-vitamin A Promotes Lung Health.
If you or someone you love is a smoker, or if you are frequently exposed to secondhand smoke, then making vitamin A-rich foods, such as cantaloupe, part of your healthy way of eating may save your life, suggests research conducted at Kansas State University.
If you or someone you love smokes, or if your work necessitates exposure to second hand smoke, protect yourself by making sure that at least one of the World’s Healthiest Foods that are rich in vitamin A, such as cantaloupe, is a daily part of your healthy way of eating.

Protect Your Vision with Cantaloupe
Three servings of fruit may sound like a lot to eat each day, but by simply slicing some cantaloupe over your morning cereal, topping off a cup of yogurt or green salad with a half cup of berries, and snacking on an apple, plum, nectarine or pear, you’ve reached this goal.

The fruit that we call the cantaloupe is, in actuality, really a muskmelon. The true cantaloupe is a different species of melon that is mostly grown in France and rarely found in the United States. It derives its name from the Italian papal village of Cantalup where it was first cultivated around 1700 A.D. From hereon, we will still use the term “cantaloupe” when referring to the muskmelon.
Cantaloupe is also known as rockmelon in several parts of the world. The scientific name for cantaloupe is Cucumis melo.
The exact origin of melons is unclear, although they are thought to have originated in either India, Africa or ancient Persia and have been cultivated in these lands since ancient times. Historical texts from Greek and Roman times note that these ancient civilizations enjoyed cantaloupes. They were introduced to the United States during colonial times but were not grown commercially until the very late 19th century. Today, major growers of cantaloupe include the United States, Turkey, Iran and many Central American countries.
How to Select and Store
Choose a melon that seems heavy for its size, and one that does not have bruises or overly soft spots. The rind, underneath the netting, should have turned to yellow or cream from the green undertones that the unripe fruit has. The “full slip,” the area where the stem was attached, should be smooth and slightly indented, free from remnants of the stem. The end opposite the full slip should be slightly soft, and you should be able to smell the fruit’s sweetness subtly shining through, although be careful since an overly strong odor may be an indication of an overripe, fermented fruit. Cantaloupe is so fragrant that you will be able to test for its aroma of ripeness even if you purchase already cut cantaloupe, packaged in a plastic container.
For the most antioxidants, choose fully ripened melon:

Key to the process is the change in color that occurs as fruits ripen, a similar process to that seen in the fall when leaves turn from green to red to yellow to brown- a color change caused by the breakdown and disappearance of chlorophyll, which gives leaves and fruits their green color.
Leaving a firm cantaloupe at room temperature for several days will allow the texture of its flesh to become softer and juicier. Please note that cantaloupe can be left at room temperature only if it is whole, intact, and not yet to the stage of full ripeness.
Since bacteria can grow on the surface of most melons, it is important to wash the outside of the cantaloupe before cutting into it. After washing, simply slice the melon into pieces of desired thickness and scoop out the seeds and netting. Remember to refrigerate your sliced cantaloupe if you are not going to consume it immediately.
No time to prepare your fruit salad right before serving? You can prepare it several hours ahead or even the day before and still have fresh, flavorful cantaloupe. Simply cut up the fruit while holding it under water. Once again, be sure to refrigerated your cantaloupe immediately after cutting. Looking for a way to keep pre-sliced ready-to-eat cantaloupe fresh longer, USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists found that slicing the fruit when it’s held under water short-circuits the signals plant cells send to each other when they detect an injury, such as being sliced.
No significant losses in phenolic phytonutrients were found in any of the fresh-cut fruit products. “Contrary to expectations, it was clear that minimal processing had almost no effect on the main antioxidant constituents. The changes in nutrient antioxidants observed during nine days at five degrees Celsiuswould not significantly affect the nutrient quality of fresh cut fruit. In general, fresh-cut fruits visually spoil before any significant nutrient loss occurs,” wrote lead researcher Maria Gil.
Cantaloupe is not a commonly allergenic food, is not known to contain measurable amounts of oxalates or purines, and is also not included in the Environmental Working Group’s 2010 report “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides” as one of the 12 foods most frequently containing pesticide residues.
Nutritional Profile:

Cantaloupe is an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C. It is also a very good source of potassium and a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B6 and folate.<a href=”http://blog.jaykordich.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Fruitbasket.jpg”><img src=”http://blog.jaykordich.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Fruitbasket-807×1024.jpg” alt=”" title=”Fruitbasket” width=”807″ height=”1024″ /></a>