313015 Fri Jul 28 02:20:08 -0700 2006 10 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1772486 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? Fri Jul 28 02:20:08 -0700 2006 10144 OnceUponABite 1 1772535 Sounds like they were bruised when you bought 'em and the damaged part of the fruit is beginning to rot. Fri Jul 28 02:51:26 -0700 2006 1772486 11798 MollyGee 1 1772948 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. Fri Jul 28 13:22:11 -0700 2006 1772486 12335 cheryl_h 2 1774434 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. Fri Jul 28 22:42:31 -0700 2006 1772948 11798 MollyGee 1 1773350 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. Fri Jul 28 16:18:01 -0700 2006 1772486 12743 DC Gal 1 1774045 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. Fri Jul 28 20:11:59 -0700 2006 1772486 11290 jfood 1 1774372 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. Fri Jul 28 22:18:52 -0700 2006 1772486 18264 steinpilz 1 1774399 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... Fri Jul 28 22:27:23 -0700 2006 1772486 12123 Cathy 1 1774413 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. Fri Jul 28 22:33:12 -0700 2006 1772486 13661 Alan408 2 1774435 Interesting! Fri Jul 28 22:43:42 -0700 2006 1774413 11798 MollyGee 1 1799043 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 Thu Aug 10 11:22:42 -0700 2006 1772486 19247 TexasToast