muskmelon harvest

Question

I have several musk melons and they are not ripe yet. Is there a way to pick and store them to enjoy later on? Will a frost hurt the melon itself?

Answer 1

The melons will soften once picked, but will not get any sweeter if picked to early. For this reason, it is best to leave them on the vine as much as you can until as close to ripe as possible. If you must pick them before ripe, you can place them in a paper bag and in a few days they will be soft enough to eat, though you may find they are not as sweet as they could be.

The fruit can take a light frost, but should be picked after any frost has touched the plant.