It’s coming on to summer here in the land down under and temperature is climbing up to a balmy 26°. To celebrate the occasion, I’ve finally put away my dark winter clothes and brought out my pastel summer outfits hoping I can still squeeze into them after the long lockdowns that we had. In my local fruit shop, the summer fruits, like mangoes and rockmelons (as we call cantaloupes over here) have also made an appearance.
I have fond memories of eating sun ripened melons in my fathers farm when I was young. My dad had the sweetest melons and honeydews which we harvested at the start of summer. Am I just imagining that the melons were sweeter before? Either that, or my taste buds have changed. What hasn’t changed is my fondness for fruit based coolers like this thirst quenching cantaloupe melon drink.
I make my melon juice by coarsely grating half of the rockmelon, and the other half I use a baller to make melon balls. I think the little balls make a great surprise addition to the drink . I have also, on occasion added a splash of gin, but that’s just between you and me.
What you need to make this cantaloupe melon drink ..
- Cantaloupe Melon – Also known as musk melon and rockmelon here in Oz. They have a bright orange flesh with a hard rind. To select a ripe melon, choose one which feels firm and not too soft and should have a good melon smell. It is very important to wash melon thoroughly before use. This is because rockmelons have thin porous skin, and bacteria have been known to leach from the soil.
- Sugar Syrup- A simple sugar syrup is 1 part sugar to 1 part water and simmered just until the sugar dissolves. This is handy to have in the fridge in summer for cocktails and other drinks. Store leftover in the fridge. A teaspoon of vodka maybe added if you want to keep the sugar syrup for longer.
- Lemon- A bit of lemon actually enhances the melon flavour
- Lots of Ice and Cold Water
- A melon baller if you want melon balls, optional.
How to make it…
- Cut melon into two. Scoop out melon balls from one half.
- Use shredder to shred half of the melon
- Add cold water lemon juice and sugar syrup to taste
- Serve with ice