# Salt on Melons (esp. Water Melon) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 5, 2019, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050 "2019-06-05T04:15:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/21 "2019-06-05T14:09:50Z")
I will salt a particularly underripe watermelon because the flavor is better than the plain melon. But a good watermelon is preferable unsalted. ---
**Author:** ![flaming\_yawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cab0a1/32.png) [@flaming\_yawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flaming_yawn)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/22 "2019-06-05T14:15:48Z")
Yup I have salted watermelon since I was a child! My husband thinks it is gross and will bring it up now and then at a cookout. Sometimes there are others like me. (usually my family tho LOL) cant wait to try pepper on cantaloupe Husband also thinks it’s weird that I put salt and PEPPER on corn on the cob. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/23 "2019-06-05T14:18:14Z")
Salt on cantaloupe, but not on watermelon. Dem’s da rules - sorry. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/24 "2019-06-05T14:21:18Z")
Salt on watermelon and cantaloupe, definitely. I notice that neither my wife nor my kids have copied my habit, however. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/25 "2019-06-05T15:54:55Z")
Salt on watermelon is disgusting. Salt on apples is just as bad. People who salt watermelon are probably the types who add salt to McDonald’s burgers and fries. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/26 "2019-06-05T15:56:54Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Salt on cantaloupe, but not on watermelon. Dem’s da rules - sorry. 😛 Agreed. ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/27 "2019-06-05T15:57:36Z")
Southerner. Absolutely salt watermelon. Very common here. But not ubiquitous - plenty of people don’t. Never heard of putting sugar on watermelon until I was an adult. Don’t eat any other types of melon so can’t comment there. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/28 "2019-06-05T16:08:02Z")
> [@GMANCANADA](#): > > I’ve never put salt directly on a watermelon or other melon, but I can see how the sweet / savoury combo could appeal. I love sweet & savory, but just plain salt doesn’t do it for me. And people salt apples, too? I have never heard of that. But apples eaten with a handful of salted nuts, sign me up! Or melon & prosciutto. Yum! Or salty cheese paired with fruit (usually preserves) on a cracker. Yes please. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/29 "2019-06-05T16:09:44Z")
Always. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/30 "2019-06-05T16:19:49Z")
On cantaloupe and melon, I’ve heard of, but not watermelon. I’ve tried it on the first two and just didn’t care for it. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/31 "2019-06-05T16:34:29Z")
It’s not a sweet / savory deal. Salt (well, table salt) isn’t savory of course. It actually makes it sweeter. Both by suppressing bitterness and [a direct mechanism for sweetening](https://sparkonit.com/2018/02/25/salt-make-food-taste-better/). ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/32 "2019-06-05T16:44:41Z")
Watermelon? Pass the salt. And no snarky comments, please. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/33 "2019-06-05T16:49:35Z")
Growing up salt on watermelon was common. I’ve put salt on watermelon as recently as yesterday. More often than not these days I just eat it plain. Sugar on melons seems like overkill to me. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/34 "2019-06-05T16:59:58Z")
I’m from the south. Pass me that salt shaker. Definitely salting watermelon, canteloupe, honeydew. Also lemons, limes, grapefruit. I don’t tend to salt oranges or tangerines, but they’re in the minority here. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/35 "2019-06-05T17:49:48Z")
It’s a southern thing. Yes ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/36 "2019-06-05T17:59:57Z")
Salt brightens the flavor of watermelon (never tried it on other melons). I’m not from the south and no one from my family is either. Learned it from my dad. I no longer put salt on my watermelons, however. If the melon is good and crisp and sweet, it doesn’t need enhancing. Plus, the less salt I eat, the better. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/37 "2019-06-05T21:29:08Z")
> [@flaming\_yawn](#): > > Husband also thinks it’s weird that I put salt and PEPPER on corn on the cob. He’d really think it weird that South Asians tend to put lemon and cayenne pepper on corn on the cob (the best way to eat it, IMO). I didn’t salt watermelon until a few years back, and now I think it’s far superior to do it that way. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/38 "2019-06-05T21:33:03Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Salt makes watermelon sweeter. This. Salt enhances flavors. Nobody poo-poos salted caramel. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/39 "2019-06-05T22:21:19Z")
My dad put salt on watermelon only. My mom salted other melons, excluding watermelon. Whatever works. ---
**Author:** ![CurrlyD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CurrlyD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurrlyD)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050/40 "2019-06-06T00:17:09Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > I’m from the south. Pass me that salt shaker. Definitely salting watermelon, canteloupe, honeydew. Also lemons, limes, grapefruit. I don’t tend to salt oranges or tangerines, but they’re in the minority here. Another Southerner here. Mom taught me to salt watermelon if it “needed” it due to bland flavor. She also lightly salted grapefruit and let it stand for a few minutes before eating. Mom said this cut the acidity. I wasn’t sure that this was correct, chemically speaking, but I knew better than to argue with Mom. And she was right about the improved flavors. These two fruits are the only ones that Mom salted, though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-on-melons-esp-water-melon/835050.md?page=3)