Honeydew Melon – Seeds, Calories, Health Benefits, Nutrition Facts and Recipes

What is a Honeydew Melon?

Honeydew melon is a pale yellow fruit, which belongs to the cultivar group of the muskmelon, i.e. the Cucumis melo group. It originated in France, and is the sweetest of all melons. It is a fruit which has a smooth white rind and a greenish or a whitish luck, and does not possess a musky smell. The flesh of honeydew melon is green in color, but its peel may vary, from greenish to yellow. It is the yellow honeydew melon.

Picture 1 – Honeydew melon Picture

Honeydew Melon Scientific Name

The scientific name of honeydew melon is Cucumis melo. Its cultivar group is Inodorous.

Growing Honeydew Melon

Honeydew melons have a very pleasing taste. The most important factor to be considered while growing these melons is harvesting. This fruit prefers well-drained, dark, warm soil, with high organic matter content. The pH of the soil should be 6.5 to 7.5. Sandy soils or the light textured ones are preferable for the growth of honeydew melons.

The plant requires short growth seasons, with a cool weather. the harvesting procedure is the most important factor that we should definitely take care of. We should harvest this fruit when the stems are young, and can be pulled off easily from the fruit. If we have to apply force to pull it off, then the stem is not mature, and therefore do not pull it off then. You should harvest honeydews when the end on the opposite the stem is ripe and soft.

These seeds are picked when they are just ripe. The honeydew melon seeds mature, and thus the outer fruit becomes edible, and fit for consumption. You can enjoy the fruit soon after picking, when it is ripe and fresh.

Honeydew melon Plant

Honeydew Melon trees grow well in a warm atmosphere. These trees take time for maturing, and grow in the zone 4 of USDA region. The growth season of this plant is very short compared to the other melon plants.

Honeydew Melon Seeds

Honeydew melons also have seeds like any other fruits. These seeds need a warm climate for germination. They cannot grow into a baby plant unless the climate is favorable for it, and the most favorable weather is definitely a warm one.

Honeydew Melon Nutrition

Honeydew melon is a nutritionally rich fruit. It is a complete fruit; which has almost all the nutrients in adequate proportion. It is relatively less rich in Sodium. It does not contain any amount of saturated fat in it. Yet t is a good source of vitamins, folate, potassium and vitamin C. The quantity of various nutrients in 100 grams of this fruit is as follows:

Total fat – 0 mg
- Saturated Fat – 0g
Trans Fat – 0 mg
Cholesterol – 0 mg
Total carbohydrates – 16 g
- Dietary fiber 1 g
- Sugars 14 g
Protein -1 g
- Vitamin A – 2%
- Vitamin C – 53%
- Iron – 2%
- Calcium – 1%
- Sodium – 32 mg

Honeydew Melon Calories

The proportion of calories in honeydew melon is moderately rich. A 100 gram of this fruit contains 84 calories on an average.

Honeydew Melon Vitamins and minerals

Honeydew melons are a rich source of vitamins and minerals. It contains many vitamins. It boosts energy due to the fact that it is a storehouse of such essential vitamins of our body.

The various minerals that constitute this fruit are:

Calcium
Iron
Phosphorus
Potassium
Manganese
Copper
Sodium
Zinc

The vitamins that are present in Honeydew melons are:

Vitamin C
Riboflavin
Vitamin A
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Vitamin B-12
Niacin
Folate
Retinol
Thiamin
Pantothenic acid

Honeydew Melon Facts

Some well known and important facts about honeydew melons are as follows:

Honeydew melons require a cool weather, but they should not be chilled.
They are also known as Temptation melons
Honeydew melons are of two kinds – one with a green flesh, and the other has an orange flesh.
Of all melons, honeydew takes the maximum time to ripe.
They are the sweetest of all melons.
The one fact that makes honeydew very special is that it continues to ripe even after it is picked. This makes it a different fruit.

Benefits of Honeydew Melon

Honeydew melons provide many benefits that include both health and nutritional benefits. It is popular, not only because of its sweet taste, but because of the host honeydew melon benefits, as provided by this fruit.

Honeydew Melons health benefits:

The health benefits of honeydew melons are plenty. Some of them are:

This fruit contains potassium and minerals, which prevents the muscles from cramps.
It contains plenty of water, which is very good as it keeps us hydrated.
It is a rich source of vitamin C, which prevents us from many diseases as it is a very good antioxidant.
It is a rich source of folic acid, which is good during pregnancy, as it prevents birth defects in the child.
It is good for those people who want to lose weight, as it contains 0% cholesterol, and is almost fat free.
It is a good and healthy alternative to sweets as it tastes naturally sweet due to the presence of fructose in the fruit.
It is a good choice for those who want to control Diabetes, blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Honeydew Melon and Diabetes

Honeydew melon is very good for a diabetic patient. Owing to the fact that this fruit is cholesterol free and contains no fat at all. Although it is sweet, yet the percentage of fat is zero. This implies that a diabetic patient can enjoy this sweet fruit, without the fear of any further increase in the body sugar level. It is totally free of cholesterol, yet it provides the essential energy to the body. It also has a low glycemic index. Even the carbohydrate level is low. Therefore it is very good for a diabetic patient.

Honeydew Melons Nutrition Facts

The flavor of honeydew melon is subtler. It is a nutritious fruit. Some of the important nutrients in honeydew melon are:

Folic Acid – It is rich in Vitamin B, and is very important for fetal health.
Potassium – This nutrient balances the electrolyte level in the body. It is a very important component of the tissues of our body.
Vitamin B6 – honeydew contains lots of vitamin B6, which is responsible for the maintenance of a healthy immune system.

Honeydew Melon Varieties

Honeydew melons are available in many varieties. The basic and the primary fruit is the one that is available in green flesh. It assumes a yellow rind once it matures. Other than this, honeydew melons are also available in orange flesh and in golden flesh. In the orange fleshed melon, the rind is waxy and is of pink color. The golden fleshed melon has a creamy white rind, and tastes very sweet.

Orange Honeydew Melon

The orange honeydew melon is a hybrid variety of the honeydew melons, which is extra juicy and flavored. It is a cross between a cantaloupe and honeydew melon. It has a creamy orange flesh. It tastes very sweet and is used for a variety of dishes, fruit salads to sorbets.

Picture 2 – Orange Honeydew Melon Image

Honeydew Melon Recipes

Honeydew melons can be eaten in any form – raw or cooked. It can be eaten raw, as it is a fruit. For this reason it is a good choice for various fruit salads. It tastes great and can be used to cook up some very delicious dishes. Some of the recipes that can be made with this fruit are:

Cantaloupe and cucumber salad
Fresh fruit Salad
Honeydew melon in Anisette
Sundia Honeydew
Curried sundia honeydew Vinaogrette
Persian fruit salad
Margarita fruit salad

Honeydew Melon Sorbet

This is a very delicious dish that can be prepared with honeydew melons. To prepare a sorbet, the flesh of the fruit is taken out and is mashed to release oil. You should definitely try this delicious dish, it will surely delight you with its yummy flavor.

Honeydew Melon Juices

Honeydew Melon juice is one of the most beneficial and delicious fruit juices that are available. It has a very sweet taste, and gives a cooling effect to those who consume it. It contains pre-digested sugar, and gives nourishment to the one who drinks it.

Picture 3 – Photo of Honeydew Melon Juice

Honeydew Melon Smoothie

Honeydew melon smoothie is a deliciously nutritious drink. It is very easy to prepare. It contains other fruits like banana, plain yogurt and honey.

Honeydew Melon Soup

Honeydew melon soups are very healthy may be served either hot, or chilled. There is a recipe called Honey Dew melon soup with ice, and the other is hot honeydew melon soup. The following are the other varieties of soup that can also be prepared:

Melon soup with Proscuitto
Kiwi and lime melon soup

Honeydew Melon Extract

Honeydew melons can be used to extract the flavor from them so as to make organic flavors out of them. These flavors can be organic or natural, depending upon the process of using them. We can extract honeydew melon powder from the fruit. The powder is available in a dried form, and is used as a flavoring agent.

Honeydew Melon Allergy

Some people may develop some sort of allergy towards this fruit. Therefore it should only be consumed by those who are resistant to the allergic qualities of honeydew melon. One such allergy is the Oral Allergy Syndrome. This allergy is caused due to the consumption of certain fruits or nuts. Therefore it is very much possible that people may develop oral allergy syndrome towards the honeydew mellow. The other spectrum of allergies ranges from the common touch allergy to other allergies to specific minerals and vitamins.

Honeydew Melon is a very sweet fruit. It will surely delight your taste buds, so go and try this fruit and take advantage of its manifold benefits.

References:

https://www.verywellfit.com/honeydew-nutrition-facts-calories-and-health-benefits-4118573

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeydew_%28melon%29

https://healthyfamilyproject.com/produce-tips/honeydew-melon/

http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-melons-honeydew-i9184

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/melons/honeydew-melon-ripeness.htm

http://www.answers.com/topic/melon

https://foodsubs.com/ingredients/honeydew-melon

https://www.healthifyme.com/blog/honeydew-melon/

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/carbcounts/a/honeydewmelon.htm