Healthy Highlight: Honeydew

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Honeydew melons are in their prime right now. They are the sweetest from July to September, and we are in the thick of it. Did you know that honeydew is closely related to squash and cucumbers? Just like watermelon, honeydew carries plenty of water to keep you hydrated and healthy.

  • Honeydew is packed with Vitamin C. One cup of diced honeydew provides about one third of the daily requirement of Vitamin C.
  • Honeydew is low in sodium and high in potassium which helps regulate blood pressure. Honeydews, like most other melons, produce nitric oxide which smooths muscles in the body to relax, which also reduces blood pressure
  • One cup of diced honeydew is 61 calories, 1.36 grams of fiber, and 8% of the Daily Value of Potassium

Recipes:

Honeydew Sorbet (iheartvegetables.com)

  • 1 Honeyew Melon
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
  • 2 teaspoons Maple Syrup or Honey
  1. Slice the honeydew into 1″ chunks and spread out on a baking sheet.
  2. Put it in the freezer for 4-6 hours until frozen.
  3. Once frozen, put the chunks in the blender with the lemon juice and sweetener.
  4. You may need to add a couple tablespoons of water to help it to start blending.
  5. Blend until smooth.
  6. Put it back into the freezer for another 30 minutes until it sets.
  7. Scoop and serve

Honeydew Salad with Peanuts and Lime (today.com)

  • 1/3 cup Lime Juice
  • 1 Shallot, sliced thin
  • 2 Thai Chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
  • 1 clove Garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoons Table Salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
  • 1 Honeydew Melon, peeled, halved, seeded and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
  • 5 tablespoons chopped fresh Cilantro
  • 5 tablespoons chopped, fresh Mint
  • 5 tablespoons Salted, dry-roasted Peanuts, chopped fine

Combine lime juice and shallot in large bowl. Using mortar and pestle (or on cutting board using flat side of chef's knife), mash Thai chiles, garlic, and salt to fine paste. Add chile paste; sugar, if using; and fish sauce to lime juice mixture and stir to combine.

Add honeydew, 1/4 cup cilantro, 1/4 cup mint and 1/4 cup peanuts and toss to combine.

Transfer to shallow serving bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro, remaining 1 tablespoon mint, and remaining 1 tablespoon peanuts and serve.

Honeydew Salsa (sweetlifebake.com)

  • 3 tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Pepper
  • 1 Serrano Chile, finely diced
  • 2 cups diced Honeydew
  • 2 medium Cucumbers, peeled and diced
  • 1/4 cup finely diced Red Onion
  • Cilantro to taste

In a bowl whisk together lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and serrano chiles. Add honeydew, cucumbers and red onion, stir to combine. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. Before serving stir in cilantro.