Give Overripe Melon A Second Life As Flavor Bomb Ice Cubes
Whether you got a bit overzealous upon seeing all the seasonal melons hit market shelves or simply have an overripe melon for which you have no immediate urge to eat, consider prolonging the life of the fruit by turning it into colorful, delicious balls of ice.
When you find yourself with extra watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, or Galia melons, get ready to unleash your inner craftsperson and make frozen melon ice cubes. You'll need a melon baller to scoop out spherical shapes from your overripe melons, and it is best to freeze the fruit balls first on a sheet of parchment paper before compiling them together in a container or plastic bag for storage.
Once you have your round melon ice cubes frozen and ready to serve, you have plenty of options when it comes to using them in refreshing cocktails, colorful non-alcoholic beverages, and food recipes perfect for summer menus.
Fruity ice with many uses
The next time you're tempted to reach for normal ice cubes to chill a glass of water to serve, place a few melon balls into the glass, instead. The colorful presentation will add bright festivity to an otherwise colorless presentation and the melon ice will infuse your guests' drinks with subtle tastes of the fruit you've thriftily frozen.
Apart from using the frozen melon to flavor spicy melon cocktails and sparkling sodas, the icy pieces of fruit can be easily added to fruit salads or used to make skewers with mozzarella, prosciutto, and basil leaves. Melon balls can also be soaked in alcohol before freezing and served as an adult-friendly treat or alongside scoops of ice cream.
If you need more reasons to consider freezing that overripe melon, you can easily incorporate melon ice balls into a refreshing fruit smoothie or use the frozen melons to make a cantaloupe gazpacho to serve on a hot summer's day.