We a pleased to announce a new product from the Ninja Honey Bee natural garden, Cantaloupe Butter. One taste tester describe it as “This sweet cantaloupe butter has a warm spice flavor of combination of spices, my new way of eating cantaloupes“.
The cantaloupe does not get as much respect as other more popular fruits, but it should. This tasty, although odd-looking, melon is packed with nutrients. Read on to learn why you may want to think more about adding cantaloupe to your diet. Adding fruit of any kind to your diet is beneficial, just do it in moderation. Cantaloupe, a variety of musk melon, is a particularly good choice.
Beta-carotene once eaten is either converted into vitamin A or acts as a powerful antioxidant to help fight free radicals that attack cells in your body. When it comes to beta-carotene, cantaloupe knocks other yellow-orange fruits is better than more common fruits according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), cantaloupe has more beta- carotene than:
- apricots
- grapefruit
- oranges
- peaches
- tangerines
According to the USDA, 1 cup of balled cantaloupe contains over 100 percent of the recommended daily value (DV) of vitamin C. According to the Mayo Clinic, vitamin C is involved in the production of:
- blood vessels
- cartilage
- muscle
- collagen in bones
Folate is also known as vitamin B-9. Folate is the term used when it’s naturally present in foods. Folic acid is the term used for supplements and fortified foods. Two cups of balled cantaloupe have 74 micrograms of folate, or around 19 percent of the daily value.
Like most fruits, cantaloupe has high water content, at almost 90 percent. Eating cantaloupe helps you stay hydrated throughout the day, which is important for heart health.
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015–2020, we need 22 – 34 grams of fiber depending on our age daily. Cantaloupes have a natural fiber in them to help us reach our required grams.
One wedge of a medium-sized cantaloupe provides 4% of your potassium daily value. Potassium is an essential electrolyte mineral.According to the American Heart Association, potassium helps keep the right water balance between cells and body fluids. Potassium is also vital to nerve health and proper muscle contraction. Eating a potassium-rich snack like cantaloupe after exercise helps replenish depleted electrolytes.
One cup of cantaloupe contains 1.5 grams of protein. It also has small amounts of many other vitamins and minerals, including:
- vitamin K
- niacin
- choline
- calcium
- magnesium
- phosphorous
- zinc
- copper
- manganese
This butter is similar to our Honey Apple Butter, just made with a different fruit. You will be able to spread it on toast in the morning or save it via our proper canning techniques for a spread over pork chops in the dead of winter.