This year, we’ve been growing some melons and watermelons and let me tell you: They all get ripe at the same time. Result – we ended up with too many melons to eat at once. Especially with my high blood sugar, eating one to three melons a day was not an option. So, I’m storing some in a cold dark room – aka “the basement”, but I’m also freezing them for rainy days. And that’s exactly what I’ll show you here – how to freeze melons and why!
How To Freeze Melons
Before you can freeze the melons, you want to clean them. For this, I like to wash the melon on the outside first. Although you won’t be eating the peel, I feel like this is important because melons lie on the soil while growing. So, when you cut into the melon, you might contaminate the inside with whatever has been on the outside (soil and the bacteria in it). So I always wash the outside first.
Then cut the melon in half.
Scoop out the seeds using a spoon, like you would for a pumpkin. Interestingly, I just found out that melons were originally grown and used for their seeds. Those seeds are rich in protein and omega-3’s. (source) So can you eat melon seeds? Apparently so.
scoop the melon seedsNext, cut the melon into wedges.
Then cut along the rind to separate the fleshy part (what you want to eat) from the “peel”.
Now, before you remove the rind, cut the melon into bite-sized pieces.
Now we’re ready to freeze. Here you’ve got two options.
Freezing Melon Option 1:
You can either pre-freeze the melon pieces by placing them onto a baking sheet and freezing for 2-3 hours. This way you will end up with melon pieces that won’t stick together once they’re in the freezer bag.
Once the melon pieces are completely frozen, take a freezer bags, open and using tongs transfer the frozen pieces into the bag. You don’t want to use your fingers for this transfer, because pieces will start to melt from the warmth of your hands.
Once you’ve filled the bag with the frozen melon pieces, roll on the top to squeeze out excess air. This will help prevent oxidation, which can make your fruit spoil faster. So try to basically – vacuum the air out (as good as you can).
Seal the bag, place in the freezer. You can also label with the date – maybe do that before filling it.
Repeat for as many melons you have and stack the bags on top of each other in the freezer (do not overfill them, so they can lay flat).
Freezing Melons Option 2
This is the not-so-thorough, “lazy option”. It’s for the people who will forget they have put melons to freeze for 3 hours. It is what I did, since I don’t have space in my freezer for a baking sheet and I have enough reminders in my phone to also put: “take out frozen melon and place into bags”.
So, once you’ve cut the melon into pieces, place the “cubes” directly into freezer bags, again squeezing the air out to prevent oxidation and early spoilage.
Seal the bag and place it in the freezer, stacking bags on top of each other. You can also label the bags with the date, to make sure you’re not eating something super old.
I love this option because it’s quick, but the result isn’t as perfect as the one with pre-freezing.
The issue with this method is that melons, because they’re so juicy – will stick to each other once frozen. They will make clumps. And you might not be able to always take out the melon piece by piece (without using force). Honestly, to me, that’s fine. I just break apart as many “clumps” as I need and put the rest back in the freezer.
But if you want to do better – do the pre-freezing for easier take out of the melon pieces.
Storage tips
They say frozen fruit lasts 3-4 months in the freezer. But I have had fruit that’s been in the freezer for over 10 months and have been fine. To be on the safe side – eat the frozen melon within 3-4 months.
Make sure not to let the melon thaw and then refreeze – this can make the fruit spoil faster. Just take out as much as you need and put the bag back in the freezer.
Why Freeze Melons
Well, obviously to save the melon if you don’t want to let it spoil.
But also, having melon already cut up and ready to use in, for example, smoothies or shakes, is very practical too. You don’t need to cut it at all – you’ve already done yourself that favor.
Frozen melon is great for making smoothies, other drinks and even healthy ice cream. Some people even use melon to make jam – I haven’t tried this, but I’m very tempted right now. I’ve got 5 more melons that are on the verge of spoiling and I’m running out of freezer space. So, jam might be it! If you decide to use the frozen melon for jam – thaw it first.
How To Use
The best way to use frozen melons, in my opinion, is to make smoothies, slushies and other refreshing drinks. I made this slushy/soft serve ice cream the other day and it was SO tasty. Just blend melon and milk of choice 1:1, add some vanilla and blend a few times until “smooth” and enjoy. It’s something between ice cream and a shake. I usually just have it with a spoon – super refreshing and tasty. The exact recipe is coming soon.
Benefits Of Melons
Over the years, I’ve heard many things about melons. Mostly not good things. You shouldn’t eat them with anything, they’re high in sugar…Well, that’s all of it actually.
But when you dig, you find out melons also have good things about them. For example, they’re rich in antioxidants like carotenoids and vitamin C and fiber and can be important for eye, skin and overall health. It depends on the variety. I honestly don’t remember what the variety of my melons were, I planted different ones. But freezing works the same for all of them. I hope you enjoy freezing some of the melons you’ve got as well as the recipes you use them in!