[3759allen]

hi all.

my melon plants have completely died off now, so taken them all out today.

now i have a couple of buckets full of melons, does anyone know how long they will keep? and where to keep them?

i also have a 3 small un rip melons, does anyone know if you can do anything with these rather than wasting them? thinking some sort of chutney maybe?

thanks in advance

[JayG]

I've only grown melons (Sweetheart) once, although I did try to repeat my first time success, but unfortunately last summer wasn't the right time to be doing that! 

I'm surprised you have several ripe melons ready at once - mine tended to ripen in succession which was handy because unlike marrows or winter squashes they don't keep for long when ripe.

Ripe melons can be frozen, but given the high water content can't be defrosted and eaten as if they were still fresh (usually used for things like sorbets and purees.)

If you Gurgle "unripe melon" you will find a few ideas, but basically they are used with other ingredients to hide the fact that they're not quite what they should be.

(Warning - don't look too far down the results page - using the word "melon" seems to result in all sorts of unexpected responses for reasons which entirely escape me!      )

[surbie100]

Freeze in chunks and blitz with rum, lime juice and icing sugar for a frozen melon daiquiri?

[tosca100]

Echo the freezing problem. Unless you can use them as an ingredient for something while still frozen they just mush. I was given a few and froze them as the chooks are very fond and they like the slush on a hot day. But you have to triple wrap them as everything gets a melony perfume if you don't.

I would be inclined to give what you can't eat to your friends rather than risk them being wasted.

[Kate and her Ducks]

I

(Warning - don't look too far down the results page - using the word "melon" seems to result in all sorts of unexpected responses for reasons which entirely escape me!      )

I had my first ripe lovely melon today and was very excited. Sat eating it still warm from the sun with a friend when OH arrived. Very proud and without thinking said "Admire my melons!" I thought he was going to choke on the effort of all the things he wanted to say but couldn't in front of my friend's 9 year old son!

[JayG]

I had my first ripe lovely melon today and was very excited. Sat eating it still warm from the sun with a friend when OH arrived. Very proud and without thinking said "Admire my melons!" I thought he was going to choke on the effort of all the things he wanted to say but couldn't in front of my friend's 9 year old son!

9 years old seems about the right age for a boy to fully appreciate that sort of "joke" (unless times have changed dramatically in the last xxx years without my noticing!    )

[Kristen]

Very proud and without thinking said "Admire my melons!"

You/he might be amused to google for the Claire's Allotment youtube video for "naked gardening day"

[tosca100]

I thought the melons had finished, everyone is clearing their land here at the moment. But was handed two huge watermelons at the weekend! The chooks will be happy.