melon ball

{{Short description|Utensil to scoop out balls of melon}}

{{For|the cocktail 'Melon ball'|List of cocktails}}

File:Kugelausstecher 30mm Durchmesser (retuschiert).jpg

Melon ballers are utensils to make balls of melon from a scoop with a diameter from around 1 centimeter to 3 centimeters (about 3/8 inch to 1 inch). These are generally used to make fruit salad.{{Cite book|last1=Bellingham|first1=Linda|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uDsqBgAAQBAJ&dq=melon+ball&pg=PA69|title=Food Styling for Photographers: A Guide to Creating Your Own Appetizing Art|last2=Bybee|first2=Jean Ann|date=2012-11-12|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-1-136-10166-3|pages=68–69|language=en}}

File:Fruit_salad_flanked_by_Sabre_flatware.jpg and watermelon balls in a fruit salad]]

Melon balls are made by pressing them into the melon's flesh and rotating. It can also be used to cut other soft fruit and ice cream. The diameter of a melon baller's bowl varies from around 1 centimeter to 3 centimeters (about 3/8 inch to 1 inch), and it is typically made of stainless steel with a handle of wood, metal, or hard plastic. Some varieties have the handle in the middle and a different-sized bowl on each end, and the bowl typically has a small hole in the middle to allow air and juice through. It is more commonly known as a prepping utensil. Melon ballers can be used for a variety of melons; like watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KQY5AAAAIAAJ&dq=melon+balls&pg=PA630|title=The Code of Federal Regulations of the United States of America|date=1967|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|pages=680|language=en}} They typically are multifunctional utensils. They are also used for balling other soft fleshy fruits, trying small bits of other foods such as ice cream, or making chocolate truffles.