Honeydew melon – healthy and rich in vitamins

Whether honeydew melon,  watermelon , cantaloupe melon or Galia melon – the selection of different types of melons in the supermarket is large. The honeydew melon is easily recognizable by its bright yellow color and is perfect for a refreshing snack, especially on hot summer days: Due to its high water content, this melon variety has few calories, but still has a fruity aroma and a sweet  taste . Although their fructose content can be up to ten percent, honeydew melons are healthy because they contain many vitamins and  minerals . You can find a detailed overview of the ingredients and practical tips on buying and using honeydew melon in this article.

Honeydew melon: calories and nutritional values

Honeydew melons have a high water content. This is 85 to 90 percent and ensures the juicy taste. This makes them a welcome refreshment and a delicious thirst quencher, especially in summer.

Because of their high water content, honeydew melons also have hardly any calories: 100 grams contain only about  50 kilocalories (kcal)  or 209 kilojoules. They even provide slightly fewer calories than many other fruits, such as kiwis, pears or cherries.

However, the high fructose content of the sweet  melon should be noted : This means that the honeydew melon has significantly more calories than, for example, the watermelon. Watermelons only have about 24 to a maximum of 39 kilocalories (kcal), i.e. 100 to 163 kilojoules per 100 grams.

In terms of nutritional values, honeydew melon contains around  0.9 grams  of protein  ,  12.4 grams  of carbohydrates  and only  0.1 grams of fat per 100 grams.

Honeydew melon is healthy: vitamins and minerals

Despite its relatively high fructose content, the honeydew melon is healthy. It mainly contains the following ingredients:

• Vitamin B1:  This vitamin is of central importance for the function of the nerves and the energy metabolism. 100 grams of honeydew melon contain about 0.06 milligrams.
• Vitamin B3 :  Vitamin B3 is also important for energy metabolism and the nervous system. 100 grams of honeydew melon contain 0.6 milligrams of vitamin B3.
• Vitamin C :  Among other things , vitamin C protects the cells and supports the  immune system . 100 grams of honeydew melon contain 32 milligrams of vitamin C. 150 grams cover half the daily requirement.
• Vitamin A:  Vitamin A is important for cell growth and vision. 100 grams of honeydew melon contain almost 0.78 milligrams. 150 grams cover the complete daily requirement of vitamin A.
• Potassium :  100 grams of honeydew melon contains about 230 milligrams of potassium. The mineral regulates the water balance and is important for the transmission of nerve stimuli.

In addition, honeydew melon contains vitamins B2 and B5, as well as calcium,  iron ,  phosphorus  and  magnesium .

Unlike many other plants, honeydew melon is  low  in fiber .  These are generally good for digestion, but can also lead to gastrointestinal problems in the event of intolerance. People who develop symptoms more frequently after eating high-fiber foods such as legumes can therefore reach for honeydew melon more often.

Buy honeydew melon: ripe or not ripe?

Honeydew melons can weigh up to four kilograms and are easily recognized by their yellow color. The striking color has also given the melon the name “Yellow Canary”.

Due to the large distribution area, we can enjoy the healthy honeydew melon in Germany all year round: During the summer months, our honeydew melons come mainly from Spain, Greece or Italy. In winter they are mainly imported from Brazil and Costa Rica. The main season for honeydew melon in Europe is from June to September.

However, the exterior hardly allows any conclusions to be drawn about the degree of ripeness of the honeydew melon. This is often difficult to recognize: an all-round yellow, smooth and not too hard skin, which gives slightly under pressure, indicates a ripe melon. A ripe honeydew melon can also be recognized by its slightly sweet smell. If the smell is very strong, this can already indicate an overripe melon.

How do I store a honeydew melon?

Once purchased, the honeydew melon can be stored at room temperature. If there is enough space in the fridge or if you have a cool basement or storage room, you should preferably store the melon there. Depending on how it is stored, an uncut honeydew melon will stay fresh for about one to three weeks. Once cut, it should be wrapped in cling film and kept in the fridge. Stored in this way, it will keep for a few days and, thanks to the foil, will not absorb the smells of other foods that are stored in the refrigerator.

Preparation: delicious recipes with honeydew melon

If you are looking for a refreshing snack, you will quickly find what you are looking for in a recipe with honeydew melon: whether honeydew melon with ham as a delicious starter, served with other fruits as a low-calorie fruit salad for dessert or as a sorbet – the honeydew melon can be served in a wide variety of forms as a enjoy a refreshing snack.

Before eating, cut the honeydew melon in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. Then it is cut into columns, depending on the intended use, the shell can then be removed.

By the way: From a health point of view, you can save yourself the removal of the cores. Not only can they be eaten without hesitation, they also contain vitamins, minerals and protein, just like the fruit itself. So that these ingredients can be processed by the body, the kernels should not be swallowed whole, but chewed.

Face mask with honeydew melon

If you want to use this type of melon in a completely different way, you can also conjure up a face mask from the pulp. Because the vitamin E contained in the honeydew melon has a moisturizing effect on our skin. Simply puree the flesh of the honeydew melon and then leave it on for about 20 minutes.

origin and kinship

 The honeydew melon forms one of the three major subgroups of the sugar melon (Cucumis melo) along with the cantaloupe melons and the netted melons . This variety belongs to the pumpkin family and is therefore not a fruit from a purely botanical point of view. The cantaloupe is more closely related to the  cucumber  than to the watermelon, which, however, also belongs to the pumpkin family.

Honeydew melons originally come from tropical and subtropical West Africa. The first melons were cultivated and eaten in Egypt and the Persian Empire 4,000 years ago. Later, the honeydew melon spread to Asia and finally reached America by Spanish seafarers.