Melon mania is upon us. There’s nothing like sinking your teeth into a slice of cold, juicy melon, fresh from one of several farm stands at our markets. You’ll find everything from the seedless small round watermelon and beautiful orange flesh Honeydew to a dozen heirloom varieties in between.
Familiarizing yourself with the many varieties of melons gives you the best chance of going home happy. Melons are divided into two broad categories- muskmelons and watermelons.
Muskmelons are a diverse group divided into 2 major types – those with netted skin (like cantaloupe and Persian) and those with smooth skin (like Honeydew, Crenshaw and Juan Canari). Skin color ranges from creamy to jade green to the green and gold stripes of the Santa Claus melon; flesh colors from soft peach, golden, orange and lime green. Some favorites now making their appearance are Ambrosia, Charentais and French Afternoon. All muskmelons contain seeds in the fibrous center hollow and the flesh is seed free.
Watermelons are the other major type of melon with the red variety still stealing the scene. Orange, yellow flesh and seedless varieties are now more readily available but still lack the firm texture of the muskmelon family.
Did you ever wonder where the seeds come from to grow all those seedless watermelons? Actually the seedless watermelon isn’t really seedless – it’s just that the seeds are so underdeveloped when the melon is picked that they’re barely noticeable. Some smart scientist developed the melon by selecting watermelon strains in which the seeds mature much later than the flesh. So, when the flesh is ripe for eating, the seeds still have a long way to go. When grown in areas with very long, hot growing season, the seeds will finally mature, but by that time the flesh has deteriorated and is no longer edible.
Melons are like gift boxes that can hide a treasure or a disappointment. The only full proof way of finding a deep colored densed-flesh watermelon is to buy it already cut….but there are signs to look for when buying them whole. The hard skin changes from its shiny state to a dull finish and the patch that develops during growing (where the melon is in contact with the ground) should turn from tan to a richer yellow color. If you prefer to judge a watermelon by sound, slap it on the bottom section and it should respond with a dull thump.
Tell tale signs of ripeness to look for when choosing a netted muskmelon (like cantaloupe) are a tan or gold color skin under prominent netting and a slight give to pressure at the blossom end. Ripe, smooth skinned muskmelons (like honeydew) are velvety and slightly sticky to the touch.
Enjoy and see you at the market!
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