How to Freeze Honeydew Melon

Honeydew melon tastes great in so many forms — even when it’s frozen. When honeydew melon is in season and less expensive, you can stock up on it and then have a sweet treat all year round just by freezing it. Here are some great ways to freeze honeydew melon to enjoy a nice, frozen treat this summer.

* Start with a ripe, but not overly ripe melon.

* Wash the outside of the melon first. Make sure you pat it dry and that it’s thoroughly dry.

* Cut the honeydew melon into strips. You want them to be able to bend a little, so be careful not to cut them too thick.

* Carefully cut the honeydew melon’s rind off the edible portion of the melon. You can ball it up if you have a melon baller, or just cut the edible melon into chunks.

* Place the cut-up or balled-up honeydew melon onto a cookie sheet in one layer and place in the freezer for an hour or so.

* Remove the cookie sheet and store in an airtight plastic container in the freezer.

* Another option is to store the chunks of honeydew melon in a sugar syrup that’s 30% sugar in the freezer. The syrup should be cold and you need to use just enough to cover the honeydew melon in the container. To ensure that it remains covered, top with a piece of parchment paper or store in a freezer bag and make sure you squeeze all the air out.

* When preparing the sugar syrup, if you use 1 ¾ cups of sugar to 4 cups of warm water and dilute the sugar in the water and then chill, it will help retain the melon’s color and even its taste. You can use honey or corn syrup to create the sugar syrup in place of some of the sugar. You can also replace up to one fourth of the sugar with a mild flavored honey or a light colored corn syrup.

* If you use vacuum sealer bags to freeze the melon, then let it freeze overnight first before vacuuming out the air.

* When you are ready to eat the melon, take it out of the freezer and allow it to defrost in the refrigerator.

* Don’t defrost it completely. Honeydew melon is not as watery as some other melons such as watermelon. It freezes better because of that and doesn’t become complete mush when it defrosts. However, it can be a little soft after being frozen, so eating when it’s slightly frozen still will give it a nicer texture.

Freezing honeydew melon is not just a matter of putting it into the freezer, and when you eat it you can get a nice reminder of summer. You do have to cut it up carefully to make it freeze better and taste as fresh as possible. While the sugar syrup does help retain the color and flavor of the honeydew melon, it is not mandatory when freezing. It is highly recommended, though.

If you follow these steps then you should have a tasty summery treat any time of the year.