Do You Salt Your Melons? (cookies, tomatoes, consume, sugar)

[Lakewooder]

Basalmic vinegar is good on strawberries -- must be the salt!

[MICoastieMom]

Originally Posted by Bobilee

I had two friends over for lunch last week, and I had cantaloupe for dessert. Before I served it I asked them if they wanted salt on it, which surprised them, they had never heard of salting melons. So it made me wonder if this is a southern habit, like my naievely serving sweet tea to some Michiganders, who were less than enthusiastic.

This totally cracks me up. My dad and my sister are both Michiganders born and bred, and they both not only salt, but pepper their melon. My mother, my other three siblings and I do not and we are all Michiganders, too. It brings up an interesting theory of mine. I have come across many, many food practices that Southerners like to claim as their exclusive domain. Many of them are practiced in my own family, which came to the U.S. through Canada. This leaves me to believe that these practices are less Southern and more English/Irish/Scottish/Welsh in origin.

[Nomadicus]

Well as they say confession is good for the soul. Well now I'm as southern as it gets. I have a son who was born down town Detroit. Now to cut to the chase when he was a toddler and got his first cantaloupe he begged way after the point of diaper rash. Well we figured that if we put a wee little bit of black pepper on it he'd quit and go play. The schemes of mice and parents rang true. The more pepper the faster he ate it. You just don't know now do you. Hey he still has southern genes from both sides now.

[I Am Woman]

Originally Posted by Tek_Freek

Always, except for watermelon.

So do you like cottage cheese and peaches salt and peppered, too?

I do put salt on melons. And yes, cottage cheese with peaches are also salted and peppered!

[vemureaux]

I salt my watermelon (it brings out the sweetness!), but never have tried it on any other type of melon. But I'm not surprised (think prosciutto & melon).

Definitely not limited to the Southern states. The practice is found world-wide.

[Flamingo13]

Not to be prostlelitizing (spelling, you know what I mean, lol) - why would you mess w/the good flavor the fruit has? If I want a different taste for dessert, I'll do a splash of balsamic vinegar on peach slices, otherwise - I like my fruit to taste like it should (I do add a dash of pepper to fresh tomato wedges sometimes). As an aside, how many people have high blood pressure and I wonder about relation to salt intake.

[southernnaturelover]

I used to when I was a kid, but not now. I never really thought of it as being a southern thing. I do like a little salt on sliced cucumber.

[movingtohouston]

I personally don't salt my melon but my grandparents did. They were from Michigan so I don't think it is specifically a southern thing.

[findinghope]

no i dont salt melons, and i do think its completely crazy!
but i am not adverse to wrapping a lovely piece of salty prosciutto di parma around it

[Bazzwell]

Depends on the natural sweetness. If a melon or 'lope has good flavor, no salt. But if you grab a dud then salt really does help it.