Learn to cut a cantaloupe quickly and easily. Once you learn to cut melon wedges, slices, and cubes, you'll be able to make a fancy fruit tray or fruit salad in minutes!
Rinse the melon with water and vinegar to kill any surface bacteria. Place the melon on a cutting board set inside a rimmed baking sheet. This allows you to capture the juices instead of them spilling all over the counter top.
Cut off the two ends and stand the melon on one end.
With a chef's knife, cut away the rind, curving your cuts between the rind and flesh along the rounded shape of the melon.
Slice the melon through the center lengthwise.
Gently scoop out the seeds and inner membranes with a spoon and discard.
Depending on how you want to serve it, cut the melon into wedges, slices, or cubes.
Serve immediately or store the melon in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
Nutritional values are approximate and based on a two-pound melon, divided into 8 portions.Promptly store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.How to choose a good cantaloupe: select muskmelons that are heavy for their size, smell fruity, and have a thick, raised netting like exterior. A good melon should give slightly to pressure on the blossom end. The stem end should be smooth; if it's jagged, that means it wasn't ripe when harvested. Do not buy cantaloupe that smell strongly or that have soft spots.How to store an uncut melon: Store the cantaloupe at room temperature until ripe. Once it is ripe, store it in the refrigerator. It may absorb odors from other foods in the fridge, so wrap in plastic or a large ziptop bag if not using soon.To freeze melon: You can use frozen cantaloupe in smoothies or slushies. To freeze it, store it in portion-size containers in the freezer, for up to six months. Do not thaw, but add to blender frozen.