I had my cantaloupe in a bag and moisture built up causing mold on the outside of it. Is it still okay to eat the cantaloupe? The inside looks good.

Cora
  • Posted by: Cora
  • June 8, 2015
  • 65882 views
  • 9 Comments

9 Comments

Cora June 8, 2015
Thank you all for the quick responses. I ate the cantaloupe!
 
Susan W. June 8, 2015
I'll bet it was super sweet and juicy considering mold happens when fruit is just beyond ripe. I had the exact same thing happen and I lived to tell about it too. :)
 
Claire S. June 8, 2015
I personally would probably eat it but you should know that mold starts off as, and spreads by, spores which are invisible. Once there is visible mold on food it almost always means there is invisible mold throughout the food as well.
 
ChefJune June 8, 2015
On the other hand, there are molds that are meant to be eaten. Look at cheese!
 
Claire S. June 8, 2015
Very true, June!
 
Susan W. June 8, 2015
Mold on cheese is a completely different thing from mold on over ripe-rotting food.
 
drshakyhands June 8, 2015
I might just wash it gently first and try to remove as much of the mold as possible. That way you don't drag your knife through it when you cut it open and contaminate the flesh.
 
Greenstuff June 8, 2015
From the University of California at Davis:
Blackish to blackish-green mold, typically Alternaria spp, will invariably develop over time on cantaloupes, sometimes first observed at the stem scar where nutrients are exuded at the moment of "slip" or harvest. Other dark or "sooty" molds may be present on the surface of cantaloupes (and many other leaves and fruits) due to insect (aphid, leaf hopper, etc) feeding activity leaving nutrient laden deposits on the rind. Whatever the cause, the primary questions become; Is the product quality reduced? Is the product safe to eat? ... There are no Yes/ No answers to any of these questions. Most likely the edible flesh is unaffected if the mold is truly superficial...

 
PieceOfLayerCake June 8, 2015
I don't see why not.
 
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