Rock Melon — season, tips, and recipes in Australia
Rock Melon is a fruit available in Queensland during December, January, February, March, peaking in January, February. This page is a practical guide for home cooks: when to buy rock melon, how to pick a good one, how to store it, what it goes well with, three original recipes, and detailed nutrition information.
Also called cantaloupe. Queensland is the main growing region, with some production in the Riverina (NSW) and SA. The orange flesh is sweeter than honeydew.
How to pick a good one
Should smell sweet at the stem end. The skin should have a pronounced netting pattern. Should yield slightly when pressed at the blossom end.
How to store it
Ripen at room temperature until fragrant. Fridge once cut. Eat within 2-3 days.
Goes well with
prosciutto: One of the best two-ingredient combinations in food. Salty, fatty cured meat against very sweet, fragrant melon creates a back-and-forth that makes both taste more intense than either alone.
mint: Mint's coolness amplifies melon's refreshing quality. The combination is a simple salad or drink ingredient that requires almost no effort.
lime: Lime acid sharpens melon's sweetness and makes the aromatic compounds more volatile -- which means the melon smells and tastes more of itself.
feta: Salt and sweetness. Feta's crumbling texture and mild acidity add a savoury dimension to what is otherwise a one-dimensional fruit.
Recipes
Melon & Prosciutto
The Italian classic. 2 minutes.
Ingredients: half rock melon, 8 slices prosciutto, black pepper, olive oil
Method: Slice melon into wedges. Drape prosciutto over each. Crack pepper, drizzle oil.
Melon & Mint Salad
Refreshing, light, summer.
Ingredients: half rock melon, handful mint, 1 lime, pinch chilli flakes
Method: Cube melon. Tear mint. Toss with lime juice and chilli.
Chilled Melon Soup
Starter that surprises people.
Ingredients: 1 rock melon, 200ml yoghurt, 1 lime (juice), pinch salt, mint to serve
Method: Blend melon flesh with yoghurt, lime juice, salt until smooth. Chill 1 hour. Serve with torn mint.
Nutrition
One cup provides 120% of your daily vitamin A and 100% of your daily vitamin C. That's an exceptional combination from one food. The orange colour comes from beta-carotene. Very hydrating at 90% water. About 54 calories per cup. One of the most nutrient-dense fruits per calorie.