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How to Cut a Cantaloupe

in Sides, Snacks

A tutorial on how to cut one of my favorite fruits, cantaloupe.

cantaloupeAfter I wrote my post on How to Select and Cut a Ripe Avocado, I figured there are probably a whole slew of other fruits that people may be uncertain about how to cut.  After all, I was in that boat at one point too.  And then I thought, “I should share my ways with people!” (even if they are only what I consider to be the best ways).  Up next for my “how to cut” tutorial series is one of my all-time favorite fruits…

Cantaloupe!

How to Cut a Cantaloupe

Step 1

cantaloupeWash and dry the cantaloupe.  Grab a cutting board, the knife of your choice, and a trash can.

Step 2

cantaloupe 2Begin my slicing off one end of the cantaloupe.

Step 3

cantaloupe 3Repeat Step 2 with the other end of the cantaloupe.

Step 4

cantaloupe 4Set the cantaloupe upright on one of the flat ends.

Step 5

cantaloupe 5Using your knife, carefully “peel” the cantaloupe one slice at a time.

cantaloupe 6Step 6

cantaloupe 7Continue to slice away the rind of the cantaloupe, stopping to cut away any green pieces that are left behind (trust me, you do not want to eat these pieces).

Step 7

cantaloupe 8Once the cantaloupe looks like this, flip it over onto the other flat side.

Step 8

cantaloupe 9The cantaloupe will have a small strip of the rind remaining.  Carefully cut this away.

Step 9

cantalopue 10Once the rind is completely peeled away, slice off one side of the cantaloupe.

cantaloupe 11Step 10

cantaloupe 12Cut the slice of cantaloupe vertically.

Step 11

cantaloupe 13Cut the cantaloupe slice horizontally into the desired size that you prefer.  Repeat  steps 9-11 for the other three sides of the cantaloupe.

Step 12

cantaloupe 15Finally, cut away any additional pieces of the cantaloupe from the center that you can.  Store the cantaloupe slices in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

cantaloupe 2Twelve steps may seem like a lot, but you can accomplish all of these in about five minutes.  Not too shabby!

This particular post is dedicated to my mom.  I thought of her when I decided to write it.  While I was home over the Fourth of July, we were shopping together at the grocery store.  She put a container of pre-cut cantaloupe into our cart and I am pretty sure my mouth dropped open 😉  I explained to her that she could buy an entire cantaloupe for less than the price of that small container.  Her response, however, was that she did not know how to cut a cantaloupe.  I happily cut the one that we purchased, but now she has no excuse not to buy the whole cantaloupe next time!

How do you cut your cantaloupe?  I know some people slice it with the rind on, but I have never tried that.

What types of fruit are you uncertain about how to cut?

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{ 32 comments… add one }
  • Jessie August 12, 2014, 6:21 am
    Why thank you for teaching me a new one to cut cantaloupe. Learn something new every day :)
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 12, 2014, 12:52 pm
      Isn't it fun to learn new things? People definitely cut produce in various ways, so I love to learn others methods for doing so.
  • meredith @ The Cookie ChRUNicles August 12, 2014, 7:08 am
    I like this method because it seems to avoid dealing with the scooping out of the seeds in the center. I hate that part lol meredith @ The Cookie ChRUNicles recently posted...DASH Store And Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie RecipeMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 12, 2014, 12:53 pm
      The center/seed area is definitely SO messy, so any way to avoid that is a method that I am all for!
  • Holly @ EatGreatBEGreat August 12, 2014, 7:38 am
    This is awesome! I never really knew the proper way to cut a cantaloupe, so I'll be totally using this method next time! Thanks for sharing! Holly @ EatGreatBEGreat recently posted...Week 27 – Pregnancy BrainMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 12, 2014, 12:54 pm
      I have no idea if this is even the "proper" way to do it, but it works for me so I am going with it! ;)
  • Mom August 12, 2014, 8:05 am
    Thank you for teaching your mother something she should have already known how to do. You could do an entire series of tutorials on things I need help with in the kitchen!!
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 12, 2014, 12:54 pm
      Now THAT is a great idea! ;)
  • Joanna @Makingmine August 12, 2014, 8:06 am
    Pinning for future use! I'm clueless with a lot of this sort of stuff Joanna @Makingmine recently posted...glow run 5kMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 12, 2014, 12:55 pm
      There are definitely several types of produce that I STILL have to Google about how to cut them. Hopefully this will help others!
  • Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health August 12, 2014, 8:10 am
    you made it look so simple..i cut them similarly but no as clean. Also, i like to use melon scoop to make balls, freeze them for a snack. Also, soaking them in vodka makes it delicious for parties :P Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health recently posted...Juicing For BeginngersMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 12, 2014, 12:57 pm
      Haha! I have heard of people using watermelon and vodka for parties, but never cantaloupe! That is a fabulous idea :)
  • sarah k @ the pajama chef August 12, 2014, 9:01 am
    it's so funny to me that different people cut the same thing different ways. i always cut it with the rind on. first i cut it down the middle, then scoop out the seeds, and then section it off and cut it off the rind. it's how my mom taught me :) sarah k @ the pajama chef recently posted...Ultimate Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Waffles with Caramelized BananasMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 12, 2014, 12:58 pm
      Yes, I think that is definitely a very common way to cut it. I like to avoid the center/seeds so I work my way around it until I get to the middle!
  • Erin @ Her Heartland Soul August 12, 2014, 9:21 am
    I love this cutting series! Can you do a watermelon next? Erin @ Her Heartland Soul recently posted...Protein Packed Acai BowlMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 12, 2014, 1:00 pm
      I totally should, especially since I just recently learned how to cut one! ;)
  • Lish August 12, 2014, 10:00 am
    LOVE canteloupe! Your method of cutting it up looks much more efficient than mine - haha.
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 12, 2014, 1:01 pm
      I definitely played around with a couple of different ways for cutting them... and then finally decided that this was my favorite way! You should definitely give it a try :)
  • Kim @ Hungry Healthy Girl August 12, 2014, 10:05 am
    Love these tips! I'm guilty of buying the precut fruit because I'm just too lazy to do it myself. My husband gets so mad at me. We were actually just discussing it yesterday when he saw that I spent 10.00 on watermelon. Oops! ;)
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 12, 2014, 1:03 pm
      I totally understand you doing that for watermelon. Cutting those still sometimes intimidate me. I am totally guilty of buying pineapple precut as well :/
  • Lauren August 12, 2014, 12:00 pm
    What a good idea - I have never cut it this way! I've always done it with the rind on...but I like this idea better.
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 12, 2014, 1:06 pm
      I have tried it with the rind on and found it to be too difficult for some reason. I think it works for some, but this is definitely the method that I like the best!
  • Gracie August 12, 2014, 1:37 pm
    THANK YOU FOR THIS. Just this morning I tried to cut a cantaloupe and ended up hacking off like, half of the melon with the skin :( I saved the rest of it just to eat out of with a spoon :P Will remember this for next time! Gracie recently posted...on knowing your identity.My Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 12, 2014, 3:53 pm
      Haha, too funny!! Cutting certain fruits can definitely be super challenging. I hope this helps! I am glad to hear that you at least salvaged the cantaloupe too ;)
  • Katie @ running4cupcakes August 12, 2014, 1:45 pm
    Awesome tips - thank you!
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 12, 2014, 4:05 pm
      You are so welcome, Katie! :)
  • Heather @fitncookies August 16, 2014, 7:06 pm
    Have you cut a watermelon like this, too? I absolutely love this technique and have been using it for over a year. My husband and I are thankful we found it!! It was so annoying trying to cut it close to the sides but not getting them into the pieces. Heather @fitncookies recently posted...End of Summer Bucket ListMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 16, 2014, 8:39 pm
      I have not tried it with a watermelon yet, but it sounds like I need to! Watermelons can definitely be a pain to cut so I need an easier way to do it for sure.
  • WJewel88 September 6, 2017, 12:11 pm
    Interesting! I would not have thought to cut a melon this way. I've always cut it with rind on and had to scoop seeds. What a mess! This is similar to cutting apples, mangos and green peppers to leave the seed centers mostly intact and encapsulated. I LOVE cutting green peppers similarly.
    • ClnEatingVegGrl September 7, 2017, 8:30 pm
      Yes, I find this to be less messy which is why I like it!
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