The most frequently asked question we get all summer long is, "How can I tell if a cantaloupe is ripe?" Just follow our tips and you will taste the difference in no time. To begin with, we recommend purchasing local grown cantaloupes that are not shipped on cold storage because they will have higher sugar content since they were grown on the vine longer. The next best sign is the scent of the cantaloupe, which is stronger near the "stem end". If it smells like a cantaloupe, then it will also taste like a cantaloupe. However, cold storage or refrigeration will attenuate a cantaloupe's aroma. Next after you smell the cantaloupe, rotate it 180 degrees and apply gentle pressure to the "blossom end". If it yields to slight pressure than it is ready to eat. Finally a ripe cantaloupe will have nice orange color bands across the flesh, and it should also contain a uniform mesh, netting, or web. In other words, the gaps between the mesh should be equally spaced between one another. Cantaloupes will continue to ripen after they have been picked, however you can always stop the ripening process by refrigerating them.