Summer appetizer ready in minutes to keep your guest cool in the heat. Melon ball skewers of watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew are soaked in lime, honey and ginger.
I don't think of myself as being super-strong in the appetizer arena. Once I prepare an entire meal and dessert, I don't have the energy to plan much around an appetizer. But a couple of weeks ago, I posted a favorite dip of mine, Creamy Feta Dip with Lemon, Rosemary and Honey, and now here I am suggesting these melon ball skewers for easy summer entertaining.
I promised you, these are very easy to make. First, scoop some honeydew, watermelon, and cantaloupe balls using melon baller, and slide them onto skewers. Next, drench them for a few minutes in a mixture of lime juice, honey, and ginger. And finally, serve them with a sprinkle with freshly sliced mint. So perfect for any party.
Prep Tips:
- If you want larger melon balls, I do not recommend using an ice cream scooper, unless you can avoid using the slider that removes the ice cream. Since the melons are very tender, the slider easily slices into balls, leaving very imperfect looking scoops. And then, obviously, they're difficult to skewer. So keep it simple, go smaller, and go with a real melon baller, like the one pictured below. I'm a big OXO fan, and use theirs, as I like the size grip it offers. Check it out on Amazon by clicking the below photo:
- I like to chiffonade the mint at the end, which is just a fancy way of saying sliced very thinly. The best way to do this is to stack 7 or 8 leaves on top of each other, and roll them tightly into a fat cigar shape. Next, using a sharp knife, thinly slice them horizontally.
- The melon balls are delicate when they're at their peak, and fall apart if precautions aren't taken. That's because they're very juicy. Therefore, always thread them into skewers before marinating, and be careful not to soak the melon balls too long.
Ingredient Tips:
- I purchase ginger paste in a tube, and find it's very fresh and lasts quite a long time in the refrigerator. I've tried a few, and the Ginger Paste by Gourmet Garden is my favorite. If your market doesn't sell it, here's a link on Amazon to purchase it. I use Gourmet Garden's Ginger Paste, Basil Paste, and Italian Paste all the time!
Honey & Lime Melon Ball Skewers with Mint
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium cantaloupe
- 1/2 medium honeydew
- 1/2 personal size watermelon
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup fresh mint
Instructions
- Using the larger end of a melon baller, scoop out as many melon balls as you can from the cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon. I got around around 50 melon balls. Slide them onto skewers. You should be able to get 6 - 7 melon balls onto each skewer. Arrange the skewers on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Whisk together the honey, lime juice, ginger paste, salt and half of the mint. Pour half of the marinade over the melon balls. Turn the skewers after 2 - 3 minutes, and pour the remaining marinade over them. Allow them to soak up the marinade for another 1 - 2 minutes, and serve with the remaining mint.
Liz says
Such a delicious, refreshing summer appetizer!! The marinade sounds lovely!
Karen says
What a great appetizer for this heat! I love the Gourmet Garden pastes and semi-dried herbs in a pinch. The ginger paste is a great ingredient for this recipe.
The Wimpy Vegetarian says
I use their pastes all the time! It’s a rare day I don’t use one of their products!
Rita says
Even without the marinade, this is a clever way to serve fresh melon to a “crowd”. No utensils needed, and wood skewers are organic or compostable.
The Wimpy Vegetarian says
Totally, Rita. I’m experimenting with various skewered appetizers. They’re so great for a crowd who wants to mingle before sitting to dinner 🙂
The Wimpy Vegetarian says
And I should add, no balancing of plates, napkins and wine glass required !
Laura@motherwouldknow says
What a simple, yet elegant appetizer. (My first thought was “what lovely balls” but then I started to say it out loud and began laughing hysterically. Sometimes sitting alone at a computer is a dangerous time for silly people like me.) I do have that OXO melon scooper and love it. I’ll have to pull it out of the drawer and set to work. No company coming tomorrow night, but we can dine elegantly just the two of us, right?
The Wimpy Vegetarian says
This made me LOL!!!!!!!!!
Rosemary says
Sounds delicious with your Creamy Feta Dip, which I know is delicious! I forget to use my melon baller, this is a good idea.
Carol Borchardt says
These sound and look absolutely divine! I love the lime, ginger and mint combination with the melon! Such a refreshing summer treat!
Barb | Creative Culinary says
These look and sound lovely…and so easy, my kind of appetizer too. I love appetizers, not sure why I don’t make them more often but I need to add this one to my summer rotation; just beautiful!
The Wimpy Vegetarian says
I’m trying to make more appetizers too. I just always leave them to the last minute and have to scramble to throw something together. I need to do better.
Diana Lopes says
I simply love these mini appetizer skewers! They’re perfect to serve in parties!
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