In the 19th century, the melon baller, or fruit rounder, first appeared in France and was used by many wealthy hosts to keep their hands clean and to show off to guests. Since it's a well-known tradition, feel free to show your waiter this article which he will pass on to the head chef.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Scooping A Melon
Step 1. Wash the melon, knife and melon baller
Brush all parts of the melon with a clean brush under running cold water. When slicing, the bacteria on the skin of the melon can easily contaminate the flesh of the melon if you neglect this step. Wash the knife and melon baller in hot, soapy water.
- Don't wash the melon until you're ready to cut it, as a wet melon skin can attract mildew.
- Avoid soaps and detergents that can penetrate into the melon flesh. Soap foam is harmless, but not necessary.
Step 2. Cut the melon in half and remove the seeds
You need a bowl to take the juice. It doesn't matter if you've already cut into quarters or into slices. If the center of your melon contains a lot of pulp, use a large spoon to remove it.
Step 3. Plug the baller into the melon flesh
Hold the handle or make an acute angle against the melon. Press the baller into the melon flesh until all parts of the baller spoon are submerged. If the part of the spoon is still visible on the surface of the melon, you won't get a circle, but just an out of shape piece.
Step 4. Rotate your baller 180 degrees
Rotate the melon baller 180º so that the spoon is facing you. You will get the perfect melon ball on the spoon.
- If you're not satisfied with your melon ball, turn it two full turns before you remove the spoon.
- If you're using a baller with a plastic spoon or plastic handle, don't use too much force as it will break if you use it on solid fruit.
Step 5. Differentiate the size of the ball with other equipment
Many shapes of melon ballers with different sizes of spoons. If you want to make the ball an additional size, then you can rotate it using a metal measuring spoon.
Plastic measuring spoons can be used on soft fruit such as watermelon
Method 2 of 2: Other Uses
Step 1. Scrape the core of the fruit
Cut an apple, pear, or other fruit in half through the stem. Press the large melon baller into the center of each section to remove the hard core.
Cut the cucumber into two equal lengths, then grate the seeds using a melon baller
Step 2. Discard the deformed fruit
Cut the peach in half and pull out the seeds. If the pulp around the seed becomes dry or moldy, grate it shallowly with a melon baller. Remove similar minor defects on other surfaces that the knife is difficult to do.
You can remove the potato eyes in the same way
Step 3. Use it to shape other foods
Any solid ingredients can be formed into balls with a melon baller, such as biscuit dough or meatball mix. Make sure you use the correct size melon baller. When cooking, if you are making on a large scale, small spots may burn during cooking.
- The melon baller may only work with soft foods, such as making sorbets.
- Try dipping a baller in hot water, then grab an ice cream sundae with the baller.
Step 4. Peel the small fruit using a sharp spoon
Some melon ballers have sharp edges for a more controlled grip. Use this spoon to pluck strawberry leaves or prepare cherry tomatoes for stuffed tomatoes.
