Cantaloupe is one of my favorite foods, especially this time of year when they are at their peak. But I stopped buying (and eating) it last year after so many people got sick, and even died because of them being contaminated with Listeria.
There have now been changes in how some facilities clean the cantaloupes which make them safer to eat. Water was an issue with the spread of Listeria. Cantaloupes were washed in recycled water, which brings a higher risk of cross contamination. If one melon has bacteria that float off into the water of the rinsing tub, the bacteria could attach to other melons. Now the melon-washing facilities used by association farmers have fresh water hitting the melon rinds each time they are brought into the plant.
When I was at the grocery store the other day I saw some beautiful Rocky Ford melons on sale for $1.88 each. There was also printed information from Rocky Ford with some great safety tips (some I knew and some I didn’t) about melons that can also apply to other fruits and vegetables. Remember, even if you are peeling your produce, you still need to be aware that skins can trap bacteria, which can cause cross contamination.
CANTALOUPE SAFETY TIPS:
- Unlike wine, cantaloupe does not get better with age. Plan to eat your cantaloupe within four days of purchase. Some melons come with stickers now that contain a bar code you can scan. This information will tell you the date each melon was packed and from what packing plant. Melons can also be traced to what exact field where it was ripened.
- When you get your melon home, or other produce you’re worried about, place in a colander or bowl and rinse with running water. Scrub the entire surface of the rind, taking your time. A simple splash of water isn’t going to do it.
- You can blanch the rind by placing in hot water.
- A USDA study showed that immersing whole, unpeeled melons in 180 degree water for 3 minutes killed the bacteria on the skin but didn’t affect the texture of flavor of the flesh.
- Store washed cantaloupes on the counter at room temperature of 72 degrees or below for up to 2 days. If it will be longer than 2 days before you eat it, store washed melons in the fridge.
- Wash your knife and cutting board after each use, before cutting up other produce. ALWAYS wash your melon or produce BEFORE cutting. If you cut into an unwashed melon, your knife can become contaminated and contaminate the inside flesh.
Young and elderly people are particularly susceptible to getting sick so take extra caution if this applies to your household.
For more tips on how to better protect your family from getting sick when eating fresh produce, here’s some great tips from the FDA:
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm256215.htm
I’ve been trying out new fruit and veggie salsas and the newest recipe I’m loving is a melon and cucumber salsa. I have served it with steak, pork chops and shrimp and it’s really delicious. I think mango would taste really good to if you wanted to sub that out for the melon.
Melon & Cucumber Salsa –
I prefer a chunkier salsa so I chop my fresh ingredients but if you prefer, you can finely dice them.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Chill: 2 hours or more
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 1 large cucumber, seeded and chopped (if English cucumbers are on sale, I use those, otherwise just a regular cucumber)
- 1 1/4 cup cantaloupe, chopped
- 1 1/4 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 1/4 lime, juiced and zested
- 1/4 red onion, chopped
- 1 small Roma tomato, chopped
- 1/4 to 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, cover, and chill for at least 2 hours. Gluten free and vegan.
**As with most recipes, you can add more of what you like. If you prefer a bit more bite, add more onion or jalapeno. You can start off with these amounts and taste as you go along and then adjust to your liking.
I swear this is so good, I can eat it like a salad! It’s great with tortilla chips too.
