How to select for best flavor:

Like other melons, the best way to choose honeydew is by the color of its skin. It should be creamy white to creamy yellow. Honeydew rind is usually very smooth. Occasionally you will find a melon with a patch of rough net. This is usually considered a sign of exceptional sweetness. The skin should have a soft, velvety feel, slightly sticky or oily. A ripe melon will also have a rich, musky scent. Avoid smooth, hard and shiny melons. These will never ripen properly. Also avoid dead white or greenish tinted melons. These were picked too soon.

As with cantaloupe, shaking a melon and listening for rattling seeds is not a good test for ripeness. There are several factors that determine the looseness of the seeds, including how many times they have been shaken.

Peak of the season:

Some honeydew are available all year, because quite a lot are imported from Latin America. Texas, Arizona and California produce a large quantity between June and October, and this is when you will find the best melons at the best prices.

Nutritional value:

Honeydew is a good source of potassium and vitamin C. One-tenth of an average melon provides only 45 calories, 1 gram of fat and 13 mgs. of sodium.

General information:

Honeydew melons, as long as they are not green, will ripen at room temperature. Once they have been cut, any uneaten melon should be refrigerated.