Ripe melons by gently tapping their sides and listening for a hollow sound. Choose heavy, firm melons without soft spots. They should have a slight aroma, but if their scent is too strong, the melons are probably overripe. Different melon varieties are easy to recognize.
Cantaloupes are round, with netted beige skin and juicy orange meat.
They're usually oval or egg-shaped. Honeydews are slightly oval with smooth, creamy yellow skins and light green meat. In addition to eating melon raw, try making jam or chutney with it. Real cantaloupes are melons that originated in Italy and are rarely found in North America. These also have orange flesh, but their rinds are very rough, with deep grooves.