Melon balls- any suggestions?
I've got melon balls on the menu for our tea party. This is the first time I've done them... I do have the correct tool from my chef kit. asnyone have any suggetions for successful melon balling??? Also- the party is the 21st, how soon beforehand can I do them? |
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I was going to ask which side you would dress them on, in honor of Ginny, but I'll hold off.  |
| I wouldn't ball them too early. If you ball them ('scuse my language!) and then put them in the fridge for too long I find they sometimes get kind of watery.
The scooping goes pretty fast, so I would just cut the melon, ball, repeat. |
| Don't use it like an ice cream scoop, or you'll wind up with rolls of melon strips instead of balls. It's all in the wrist action to twist the baller through the melon.
Of course, you'd figure this out in the first 8 seconds just like I did. Boy, was I disappointed. 
Then again, maybe I've got it all wrong -- I never went to melon balling school. |
I didn't know my tiopic would elicit such... interesting responses! Do you think I could do them a day ahead without them getting icky? I've got a lot of stuff to do, the shower's at 2, I'm trying to spread food prep out as much as I can! |
| Have you finalized your menu yet, Karen? |
| Yep! We're having the following:
Finger sandwiches: Cucumber finger sandwiches Watercress and cream cheese sandwiches Hor Devours: Rolls with herb butter Melon balls Colored eggs Cheese plate Deserts: Fruit and regular scones with clotted cream, lemon curd, blackberry, raspberry and grape preserves (in a basket) Blackberry sorbet Petit fours Finisher: Teapot shaped cream cheese mints Drinks: Earl Grey Tea Imperial Peach Tea Lemon Tea Coffee Pomegranate Punch |
That sounds marvelous!! Good job, Karen!! 
Now...what are colored eggs? and are you making your clotted cream from scratch or did you find a place to purchase it? |
| Everything except the jams are from scratch- thus the reason I need so much prep time. Only the best for Dale!!!!
We're coloring hard boiled eggs- like for Easter....
It was my sister's idea actually. We'd gotten an egg coloring kit for Easter with a wax crayon to write stuff on the egg before you color it. She enjoyed herself so much she decided to do that for the shower too! We're gonna write bridal stuff on there. I've gotta find some little bridal stickers to put on the eggs too. It's really the only non tea food we're serving. |
wow! That's gonna be a lot of work! Making the cheese, etc... 
I still don't know if I would make the balls the day before. Well, are you planning on serving them at room temp? If so, then I would make them the day of (can you have your sister scoop them?)... Maybe buy a melon today and try it out... |
| Ok ok- the cheese plate is being brought by the bride's mother... I'm not making the cheese, and I'm not baking the bread for the finger sandwiches... I am baking the rolls from scratch though! But the menu is as "from scratch" as it can be!
I may do a little experimentation with melon before hand... That's really the only thing I'm nervous about... Ok that and the petit fors... I'm nervous about those too. But I'm a good baker, so I hope they'll be fine! |
| I'm impressed.
Please share your recipe for clotted cream. I had one many years ago, but I have no idea what became of it. I remember it took a long time to make and you had to watch it simmer for hours. 
I make homemade jellies and would be glad to share them with you if you're interested. I have blackberry & grape (fruit from my parents' house), but no rasberries.  |
| I would think that most fruits/melons ( Canteloupe, Honeydew ) would be ok to ball ahead of time, IF you dunk them in an acid liquid such as orange/pineapple/lemon juice to reduce browning (especially the honeydew). Don't forget seedless grapes (none for your dog!) strawberries, apples, peaches, pears -- and don't forget the lemon juice!
Watermelon might not keep quite as well, if I recall it will drain out and fill the bowl with liquid, but that's a vague memory. It might not be too bad if you keep it separate then add it within a few hours of serving, except that it might not be quite as "juicy" as fresh. Remember to seed the watermelon -- if you don't ahve the time to do that, go with a different fruit. I don't think that banana will hold up well, but you could slice it in quickly before serving. (And that will do it for another addition of "Recipes from Ron") |
| GOOD HEAVENS RON- YOU'LL HAVE ME SERVING AN ENTIRE FRUIT BAR!!!
We're just going to do honeydew and cantaloupe melon balls. I'm putting a lot of $$ into the food, and that's my fruit budget right now! That's a great tip[ with the acid dunk... THANKS! I have bought the preserves already- but thanks for the offer! I'll gladly take recipes on making jellies, I planted a mini orchard this spring!!!
Here's the devonsire cream recipe from epicurious that I'm gonna use: 1/2 cup cold water 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin 1 cup chilled sour cream 1 cup chilled whipping cream 1/4 cup sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Place water in small saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes. Stir mixture over low heat until gelatin dissolves. Let stand just until cool but not set, about 10 minutes. Place sour cream in medium bowl. Stir in gelatin mixture. Beat cream, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl until soft peaks form; fold into sour cream mixture in 2 additions. Cover; chill at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.) Makes about 3 cups. |
| Sounds good! Thanks, Karen! |
| I don't think I would put the melon balls in an acid bath if they are being served solo--I think it would make them too tart. I think it would work if you were serving them in a fruit salad and there would be other tarter fruit there, but melons are so NOT tart, that it might distort their taste.
You could buy them pre-balled... |
| True - good point, Steph. Sam's has them frozen and is usually cheaper than buying the fruit and doing it yourself. |
| If you buy them pre-balled they WILL have preservative on them.
If you use watermelon, it should stretch the fruit budget! I don't think a rinse in an acid bath will destroy the taste, but whatdoIknow.... Nothing! Really! |
| Here's some cantaloupe info...from the www.thefresh1.com website.
They say it is best to eat cut and refridgerated melons within 1-2 days, so I guess cutting ahead would be okay... One easy, delicious fruit that health-conscious folks can add to their diet is The Fresh1® cantaloupe. This honey-sweet melon is so simple to enjoy—just cut it open, scoop out the seeds, and enjoy the delicious fruit in slices, cubes, or melon balls. It’s great as a nutritious snack, or on the side of a brunch plate. One melon yields a considerable amount of fruit, so serve it at a picnic or to the whole family. Health Benefits Cantaloupe is fat and cholesterol free, high in vitamin C, and is a good source of Folate. Folate is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells, which is especially important during periods of rapid cell division and growth such as infancy and pregnancy. It's also high in beta carotene, which our bodies convert into Vitamin A. Selection Tips You should be able to smell a good quality cantaloupe. When selecting them in the store, look for round, creamy-colored rinds covered with webbed or netted texture. Ripe cantaloupes should give to gentle pressure. Fun Facts Cantaloupe comes with its own serving bowl. Just cut them in half through the middle and scoop out each half with a spoon. Add cantaloupe cubes or balls to fruit salads or serve small cantaloupe wedges as an edible garnish for breakfast, lunch or dinner entrees. Availability The Fresh1 cantaloupe comes from California, Texas, and Arizona and is available year round. Storage Store cantaloupe in the refrigerator and use within a week of purchase. Cut fruit should be eaten in one or two days. |
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