Can’t Get Enough of Cantaloupe

It won’t be long now before cantaloupe is completely out of season again. So make the most of the last pickings with these must-try ideas for the whole family:

• Mellon dippers: Use a melon baller to scoop out cantaloupe balls and serve with a bowl of cream, plain yogurt or cottage cheese for dipping.
• Cantaloupe sorbet: 4 cups cantaloupe + 1 tbs lemon juice + simple syrup (1 cup sugar dissolved in 1 cup water over low heat). Mix ingredients in the blender and freeze mixture for 3 hours.
• Dried cantaloupe slices: Cut cantaloupe into slivers and arrange on a silicone baking tray. Bake until dry (2 to 3 hours), flipping over every 45 minutes.
• Cantaloupe skewers: Thread a combination of cantaloupe, ham, watermelon and strawberries onto a skewer for a palate pleasing afternoon snack.
• Fizzy cantaloupe smoothies: Blend the cantaloupe to a pulp and simply add some lemonade.
• Cantaloupe ice cubes: Place your cantaloupe balls in the freezer until hardened, then plonk them in your drinks for a dash of refreshing flavour.
• Cantaloupe shapes: Use cookie cutters to cut shapes out of the cantaloupe. You can take it a step further by filling the “holes” with similarly shaped watermelon.