The Fair Housing Council of Greater San Antonio can be reached at: Toll-free telephone number: (866) 733-4953. San Antonio telephone number: (210) 733-3247. McAllen telephone number: (956) 682-3247.
How to Store. Let a not-quite-ready cantaloupe ripen at room temperature for up to 2 days (keeping it in a closed paper bag will speed up the process). Refrigerate a whole ripe melon for up to 5 days. For cut wedges of cantaloupe, cover the surfaces and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (If possible, leave the seeds intact. They prevent the flesh from drying out.) Cubes without the seeds will last 1 to 2 days in a resealable container in the refrigerator.
If you pick cantaloupe too early, it won't be as sweet and the flesh won't be very tender. If you wait too long to pick it, the flesh will be too soft and mealy. Don't water your cantaloupe plants the last week or so before harvesting them. This will allow the plant to concentrate the sugars and make for sweeter melons. There are a few things to look for to determine if your cantaloupe is ready for harvest.