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Cantaloupe |
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| Fresh cut fruit products which may contain cantaloupe from the Honduran grower Agropecuaria Montelibano, which has been identified by the FDA to have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Fresh Foods had previously begun to recover this product, based on a notice published. |
| Cantaloupe has a rough rind
and its surface may easily be contaminated in the field by
soil, unclean irrigation water, animal droppings or unclean
water during post-harvest wash. Therefore, it is important
to scrub the cantaloupe with a clean brush (used only for
produce) under running water before cutting in order to prevent
Salmonella from contaminating the flesh. |
| Use clean cutting surfaces and utensils
when cutting this fruit. Wash cutting boards, countertops,
dishes, and utensils with hot water and soap between the preparation
of raw meat, poultry, or seafood and slicing cantaloupe. If cantaloupe skin is bruised or damaged, cut
away these parts before eating. Leftover cut cantaloupe should
be discarded if left at room temperature for more than two
hours. Use a cooler with ice or use ice gel packs when transporting
or storing cantaloupes outdoors. |
Cantaloupe and other melons
are tasty and nutritious, and we don't want people to stop
eating them, Keene said. The most important advice for consumers
is to promptly refrigerate or eat cut melons.
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How to buy fresh Cantaloupe?
Cantaloupe, generally available from May through
September, are produced principally in California,
Arizona, and Texas. Some are also imported early in
the season.
Purchase cantaloupes that
are not bruised or damaged. If buying fresh-cut cantaloupe,
be sure it is refrigerated or surrounded by ice.After purchase,
refrigerate cantaloupes promptly. Wash hands with hot, soapy
water before and after handling fresh cantaloupes. Scrub whole
cantaloupes by using a clean produce brush and cool tap water
immediately before eating. Don't use soap or detergents.
Look for: There are three major signs of full maturity.
First, the stem should be gone, leaving a smooth
symmetrical, shallow base called a “full slip.” If all or
part of the stem base remains, or if the stem scar is
jagged or torn, the melon is probably not fully matured.
Second, the netting, or veining, should be thick,
coarse, and corky, and should stand out in bold relief
over some part of the surface. Third, the skin color
(ground color) between the netting should have
changed from green to yellowish-buff, yellowishgray,
or pale yellow.
Signs of ripeness: A cantaloupe might be mature, but
not ripe. A ripe cantaloupe will have a yellowish cast
to the rind, have a pleasant cantaloupe aroma, and
yield slightly to light thumb pressure on the blossom
end of the melon.
Most cantaloupe are quite firm when freshly displayed
in retail stores. While some may be ripe, most
have not yet reached their best eating stage. Hold
them for 2 to 4 days at room temperature to allow
completion of ripening. After conditioning the
melons, some people like to place them in the refrigerator
for a few hours before serving.
Avoid: Overripeness is indicated by a pronounced
yellow rind color, a softening over the entire rind, and
soft, watery, and insipid flesh. Small bruises normally
will not hurt the fruit, but large bruised areas should
be avoided, since they generally cause soft, watersoaked
areas underneath the rind. Mold growth on the
cantaloupe (particularly in the stem scar, or if the
tissue under the mold is soft and wet) is a sign of
decay. |
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Special fruits for this week
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