Why is my cantaloup rotting before ripening?

[OnceUponABite]

I bought four cantaloup, because they were on sale.

I left them on the counter, still in the plastic bags but not loosly.

They were still unripe when I bought it, a few days back.

Now they are close to ripe, but two of them have big soft rot spots already.

This has happened before when I didn't leave them in the bag.

Did I just buy bad fruit?

[TexasToast]

Cantaloupes take their name from a town outside Rome where they are thought to have originated. I just don't like melons and avoid them all! But Alan 408 is correct about Muskmellons.

TT

[Alan408]

You probably did not buy cantaloupes, but rather muskmelons (if you live in the US).

I do not think cantaloupes are grown in the United States. In the US, muskmelons are sold as cantaloupes. Cantaloupes have a smooth skin, muskmelons have a mesh or net surface.

Muskmelons do not ripen off the vine, they do soften. Once a melon is picked or removed from storage they last 3-4 days.

[MollyGee]

Interesting!

[Cathy]

They would be ripe if you can hear the seeds loose inside when you shake it. Also you should be able to smell it on the stem end...

[steinpilz]

I agree about plastic bags, an evil supermarket trick... maybe it got frozen, also maybe it got a fungus, I think both these would cause it to rot before ripening.

[jfood]

no prob, happens all the time. i sometimes wait until one of these bruises looks a little ugly, then i knw the cantaloupe is really sweet. since i halve the fruit and then slice and dice into chunks into a tupperware container, i just cut around the bruise. BTW the crop this year has been outstanding.

[DC Gal]

I agree with the part about having them in plastic bags with no air. I've found this to be true as well with melons and other "sensitive" produce. It works far better to have them on the counter with air available then in the plastic bag from the store with no air.

[cheryl_h]

Take them out of the plastic bags, they rot faster if they don't have good air circulation. High heat and humidity also make things go bad quickly.

I agree with MollyGee that the soft spots are probably bruise marks. You don't have to throw the fruit out, cut the bad spots out. If the rest of the cantaloupe tastes OK, it should be fine to eat.

[MollyGee]

The plastic bag problem is less a function of not enough air circulation and more a problem w/ fruits (especially bruised fruits) giving off a gas that hastens ripening and rot (ethylene or is it ethelene or ethelyne- chemist anyone?). I guess apples are notorious for giving off the ripening gas and it's why you shouldn't store other fruits w/ apples (I've heard the same about bananas) and you shouldn't store non refrigerated fruit in bags in general unless you want to speed up the ripening process.

And cheryl h is right. Cut off the bad stuff and you've probably got a fine fruit.

[MollyGee]

Sounds like they were bruised when you bought 'em and the damaged part of the fruit is beginning to rot.