Cucamelons look like tiny watermelons and taste like cucumber with a hint of lime! If you do have some of these you must be wondering what to do with them…
Can You Freeze Cucamelon?
Yes, you can freeze cucamelons for up to 3 months. They make great bite-sized snacks when frozen or act as delicious and fresh ice cubes. (Full Instructions Below – Tips, Defrosting, Etc)
Do Cucamelons Freeze Well? Sometimes
Can You Refreeze Cucamelons? No
How to Freeze Cucamelons
Cucamelons are tiny. If you are growing them at home, you should pick them when they are about the size of a grape. If you leave them to grow longer than this, they can become bitter and unpleasant.
If you pick them at the right time, they are a delicious fruit, although they are a bit tangy so they may not be to everybody’s tastes. Freezing them is fairly easy to do.
Just follow this method for a bag full of delicious frozen cucamelons:
- Wash: Wash your cucamelons and make sure you get rid of any stems.
- Discard Damaged Cucamelons: Next, sort through the cucamelons and take out any damaged cucamelons or any that are showing signs of spoiling. You only want to freeze the very best!
- Cut in Half: Cut your cucamelons in half before freezing. This makes them a little easier to use at a later date.
- Flash Freeze: Lay out your remaining cucamelons onto a flat baking sheet. Make sure you only have a single layer of cucamelons because you want them to freeze individually. Pop the cucamelons into the freezer for about thirty minutes to an hour.
- Bag Up: When the cucamelons are frozen, transfer them from the baking tray into a freezer bag. Doing this extra step of freezing on the baking tray ensures that they freeze separately, and you can grab out just one or two from the bag at a time.
- Seal: Squeeze out any excess air and seal the bag tightly.
- Freeze: Label them with the date and contents and pop the cucamelons back into the freezer. Whenever you need an alternative ice cube or two, grab some out of the bag and pop them into your glass. Delicious and refreshing!
3 Tips for Freezing Cucamelons
Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 Top Tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing cucamelons to have the best results:
Flash Freeze
Your cucamelons will stick together if you just throw them in a bag altogether. Flash freeze them first on a baking tray.
Chop Them Up
You could freeze your cucamelons whole if you prefer, but they are the perfect size for a choking hazard so chopping them in half reduces this risk.
Toss Into Smoothies
If you are unsure how to use your frozen cucamelons, you could always add them to a blender with some of your favourite fruits and blend them up for a delicious and refreshing breakfast smoothie that is good for you as well as tasty.Â
How Long Can You Freeze Cucamelons?
We would recommend that you treat cucamelons like you would other fruits. Keep them in the freezer for up to three months.
If when you come to using the cucamelons, you find they have degraded or spoiled, then throw them away rather than risk eating them.
Cucamelons will last for around 7 days in the fridge. You should store them in an airtight container
How Do You Defrost Cucamelons?
The best way to use your frozen cucamelons is to keep them frozen! Use them as a great alternative to ice cubes and pep up your water. Or, pop them into a fruit salad as a frozen addition to adding texture and flavour.
If you defrost them, you may find that they have changed quite a bit in the freezer and won’t be suitable for eating as fruit. However, you can use defrosted cucamelons in smoothies or in your baking.
To defrost, pop a handful into a bowl and pop this into the fridge to thaw out slowly.
Can You Refreeze Cucamelons?
No, you shouldn’t refreeze cucamelons.
The texture is likely to have changed, and by the time you freeze and thaw for a second time, they just won’t be as good to eat!
Do Cucamelons Freeze Well?
Whether or not cucamelons freeze well is up for debate. However, if you plan to use them frozen, then they should freeze well.
But, if you thaw them out, then they may have changed and become soft and mushy rather than light and crisp. This is fine for some recipes, but it does make them difficult to eat as a whole fruit.
FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing cucamelons or cucamelons in general, then these may help:
Cucuamelons will only last for 5 to 7 days in the fridge when kept in a paper bag or open plastic bag. If you need to extend their life then the best option is to freeze them.
Yes! Take them out of the freezer and allow the outer layer to soften slightly so you can bite into them. You’ll then have a refreshing, juicy fruit snack that can be sucked on during those hot summer months.
