Do You Salt Your Melons? (juice, Kansas, Massachusetts, Kansas City)

[Nomadicus]

I need to clarify one itty bitty thing about me putting salt on my melons. Now it depends on what I'm using them for. If I'm eating yes, but if they are for target practice why bother?

[atlmburns]

Originally Posted by MICoastieMom

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.

I'm British and i can assure you that it is NOT an English/Irish/Scottish/Welsh thing, oh yuck, no way.

[CheyDee]

I never even thought to add salt or pepper to fruit and have never observed it being done.

[Stormcrow73]

I was wondering about this myself the other day! I salt watermelon but no other melon. My buddy who is Chinese also salts his. He grew up here but his parents are from China so I'm not sure if they also do that or if it was picked up here. I've NEVER heard of peppering melon though!!

[stone-ground]

Na ah. never heard of it before ..

[gemkeeper]

I would venture to guess that no matter where you go on the planet you will find someone who likes to put salt and/or pepper on their melons.

The world has long valued salt as a necessity of life. It was used as currency in ancient times (I don't mean the 1900's). It has always been used as a preservative by every culture worldwide.

I would guess, since I am not Wikipedia, that when any crop would come in during a poor growing season, the first thing to appear would be the salt lauder. Salt will enhance and rev up any flavor - even sweets are nicely balanced out with salt.

(We never had a sweet apple pie at home without a slice of cold, very sharp, cheddar cheese (salty) on the side. And, always, extra pie dough.

The leftover pie crust was always made into two treats. One was a salt pie and the other a milk pie, both about 8 inches in diameter baked on paper grocery bags(?). Don't ask.

The salt pie was about a cup of rolled out leftover pie dough which was sprinkled with salt. The milk pie was a mixture of milk and sugar (about 2T. milk and 1/4 C. sugar) poured over a hunk of leftover pie dough rolled out with the edges turned up a little. We sprinkled cinnamon over the milk/sugar mix and baked all pies together in a 375 oven.

The salt pie came out after about 10 minutes, followed by the milk pie 10 mins. later, and lastly the apple pies. The milk pie's topping was custard-like, as it baked with some of the flour from the dough mixing into it.

My dad and mom were both German and PA Dutch, so I am assuming that it is typical of Germanic people, also, to use salt for many foods.

This has absolutely nothing to do with MELONS!)

[MICoastieMom]

Originally Posted by andthentherewere3

When I was growing up in Oklahoma some of my family salted their melons, and even their grapefruit. I never did that, and never will. I haven't lived in Oklahoma for 30 years, and I've never run into anyone outside the south who salted their melons. Judging from posters here though, I guess people do it everywhere.

Some other "strange" things my family did was add sugar and milk to their rice, and some drank iced tea straight with no sugar or flavoring whatsoever.

You sure your family wasn't from Canada? LOL

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by breeze823

I've never put salt on catelope but love salt on watermelon. I got that from my mom and always assumed it was the normal way to eat it!

If you like that, try eating watermelon with feta cheese.

[PinkString]

Originally Posted by fjtee

Wow. Y'all are some strange, strange people. Now, I think I'll try salt on the next melon I eat. I don't like melons aside from watermelon, so maybe it will make them better. But, how would I work cheese into my chocolate chip cookies?

It's easy. Just mix in some little chunks of cheddar cheese in the cookie dough. It's really good. Try it once with just a few cookies and you will see.

[sandgirl]

No, I don't. I do like salty apples.