Get Savvy With A Melon Baller
May 12, 2008 :: by Ingrid
This picture illustrates a perfect round turnip ball scooped out by my ever-handy melon baller.
Definition of a Melon Baller
A kitchen utensil designed to scoop out spherical chunks of melon, or other foods.
I love little kitchen gadgets, especially those that can function in more ways than it was originally designed and a melon baller fits this description. I use mine for all sorts of tasks.
Ways with a melon baller
~ Use to scoop out the core and the stem ends of apples and pears.
~ Scoop out the top and the bottom before slicing the apple in half. Then scoop out the core using the baller.
~ Scoop out the seeds and ribs from peppers.
~ Remove the seeds and surrounding pulp from vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, winter squash, and from fruits like papaya and kiwi.
~ Scrape seeds and strings from squash.
~ Hollow out vegetables and fruits to fill or stuff.
~ Make mini ice cream and sorbet balls.
~ Use it to scoop out and help shape cookie dough into rounds.
~ Use it to form truffles.
~ Carve out balls from multiple fruits and vegetables.
~ Use it to make artful and creative garnishes.
~ Remove pits from cherries.
Using a melon baller
Using a “melon” as an example ~ sink the melon baller into the flesh of the melon then twist in a circle and scoop out a perfect neat round ball. Apply this method to other fruits, vegetables, and foods.
Choosing a melon baller
It is quite an indispensable kitchen tool well worth acquiring. Look for one that has a solid handle that is sturdy and feels heavy in your hand. Melon ballers come in an assortment of sizes and some are double ended. This little multi-tasking tool is also available with an oval and scalloped scoop like this one.
Here is a bit of trivia. The tiny hole in the scoop is a drainage hole to keep it from clogging.
It is amazing what you can do with one little gadget.
