3 Answers

Where the stem is cut off, smell it. Hold it right up to your nose. If you smell cantaloupe, then it's ripe. If you can not smell anything, then it's not ready. The stronger the cantaloupe smell, the riper it is. I choose one that has a hint of cantaloupe, that way I know I have at least 2 days before it's ready. My grandmother taught me that years ago. I've never bought a wrong cantaloupe since. 

Colleen

Honey Dew is easier than cantaloupes. You can go by color AND smell. A golden yellow color means it's ripe. Brown spotting means that section is high in sugar. You can smell any part of the Mellon for a sweet smell. That means it's ripe. Honey Dews have a softer skin so the fruits aroma can permeate it unlike a cantaloupe which has a very tough skin.

The stem end  should also be a little soft.  Too firm and the melon is blah.  Too ripe and your thumb will go right through.  Should have a little sponginess to it, along with the good smell.  

It's really important to clean fruits and vegetables well. I have a special brush for dirty Cantaloupe. Scrub, scrub, scrub in all those little grooves. That's where the Pesticide and other bad stuff can settle and it's difficult to get out. When your knife goes through the Cantalope, you've already done the damage.