I have written a couple of posts about growing melons, so go to those links for the basics. Here I am going to dive deep into tips for increasing your success by paying attention to the details. I dove so deep I made two pots. part 2 will follow in a couple of weeks.
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I wrote a post, Fruit for the Month: July, in my monthly series about small fruits that can be grown sustainably in a mid-Atlantic climate, with melons as the focus. In our climate, July is the month to start harvesting muskmelons (often called cantaloupes), Asian melons, and canary melons. Watermelons are slower to ripen.
Melons love warm, sunny days and need 80-100 days from seed sowing to harvest. For good production, melons need warm weather, along with a steady supply of water. Melon plants also need good air circulation, so leaves and fruit can dry fairly quickly after dew or rainfall. To help prevent the spread of diseases, rotate crops and avoid growing them where other cucurbits were planted in the previous year or two.
Melons thrive in well-drained soil, sandy loam, or in clay soils that have been good levels of organic matter, so long as they get plenty of sunshine and warmth. Soil pH should be 6-7 for healthy melons and good yields. Encourage drought-resilient crops by using drip irrigation, so that roots grow deep. Look for resistance to diseases you know to be a problem in your area.
They have no frost tolerance. Vines can sprawl and cover a 4' (1.2 m) bed, or fill even a 7' (2.13 m) row when grown on the flat, and for a longer harvest from each planting, do not crowd them.
Melon seed specs are the same as cucumbers for size and weight: seeds/oz, 36 seeds/gm. 0.5oz sows 100', 6 oz/' at 6 seeds/ft. (100 seeds, or 11gm/m at 2.5 cm spacing.). Melon yields will be affected by irrigation during fruit development, but not by watering levels during vegetative or flowering stages. Adequate water is especially important in the seedling stage and during fruiting. Marketable yields of muskmelons can be 7,000-10,000 fruits per acre (17,500-25,000 per hectare) when grown on plastic mulch, and down to half that on bare ground. Most melon plants will yield 3 or 4 good melons.
Jeff McCormack of Saving Our Seeds distinguishes 8 types of Cucumis melon:
Of these types, we mostly grow muskmelons. Externally, they turn beige and slip from the vine when ripe. They have a yellowish-buff skin with a raised netting, and sometimes lengthwise sutures (ribbing). They have soft sweet orange flesh, with a complex sweet aromatic flavor, and the 3'7lbs (1.5'3kg) fruits take 75-84 days to mature. They are sometimes divided into two types: Eastern varieties are sutured (scalloped in shape) and can have a very short shelf life, while Western ones are typically not sutured but are netted (covered with a corky mesh of lines), and they will usually hold for two weeks after harvest. I see many netted and scalloped melons, so I don't use this classification.
Kansas (90d from transplanting) is an heirloom muskmelon with excellent flavor, fine texture and enough sturdiness to stand up to humid weather and variable rainfall. The 4lb (1.8 kg), oval fruits are sutured and moderately netted. They are hardy, productive, with good resistance to sap beetles that can destroy fruit of other varieties. They ripen almost all the way out to the rind (not much waste!). Pick these at full slip, and be sure to inhale the aroma at the stem end, as you carry them to the table.
Pike (85d) (see photo at top of the post) was bred for growing in unirrigated clay soil. It is vigorous, high-yielding, disease-resistant and (depending on irrigation) it produces 3-7lb (1.4-3.1 kg) fruits with great flavor. We have also had success with Edisto 47 (88d OP) about 6-7' (15-17 cm) in diameter. With resistance to ALS, PM, and DM, it exceeds the disease resistance of many hybrids. Hales Best has also done well here. For Downy mildew resistance, tolerance to cucumber beetles, and great flavor, grow Trifecta from Commonwealth Seeds and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.
The University of Kentucky has a publication on specialty melons.
Fastest to produce a crop are the 65-day Asian melons such as Torpedo (replaced Sun Jewel), or Early Silver Line. A good type for people with short growing seasons, provided you can make a warm spot for them. These 1-2lb (0.5-1kg) melons have refreshing crisp white flesh and are pleasantly sweet without over-doing it. The long oval fruits average 7' x 3 1/2' and are pale yellow with shallow white sutures ('seams'). Some people disparage them as 'cucumber melons,' but their good points are earliness, tolerance of chilly weather, being easy to grow and having a pleasant flavor. They ripen to a more buttery yellow and slip off the vine when ripe. Plants are resistant to downy and powdery mildews, and can be very productive. We buy seed from Johnny's Selected Seeds.
Galia tropical melons have green flesh, yellow-tan skins and a round shape.
I wrote a post for Mother Earth News Organic Gardening Blog about personal size melons, something we tried for a couple of years. These 'individual serving' melons weigh about 2-2.5 lbs (1 kg) each, compared to standard cantaloupes at 3-6lbs (1.5-2.5kg) each. To serve, just cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Add ice cream if you like. We tried Tasty Bites (they top out at 3lbs/1.4kg) and Sugar Cube 2'2 1/2 lb (1kg). The advantage of having a smaller fruit was not more than the disadvantage of harvesting smaller fruits for us.
More and earlier success comes with sowing melon seeds indoors, where the right temperatures can happen earlier in the year. Melons are a bit finicky in their youth, but given a strong start, they can do very well. Melons need slightly warmer temperatures than cucumbers. The seeds take 8.4 days to emerge at 68°F (20°C), 4 days at 77°F (25°C), and 3.1 days at 86°F (30°C).
Cucurbits are not very easily transplanted, so choose a method that minimizes root damage, such as soil blocks, Winstrip trays or 2' (5 cm) deep cell flats that are easy to eject plants from. Sow 2-3 seeds per cell 0.5' (1 cm) deep.
Sow 3-4 weeks before you intend to plant out: we sow our first melons 4/15 to transplant with hoops and rowcover 5/6, which is a week after our last frost date. Temperatures below 45°F (7°C) can stunt growth. If the spring is cold, just wait it out. Melons will do OK with fluctuating temperatures, provided they are not too cold.
After germination, the temperature should be reduced to 75°F (24°C). We always ensure our melons get a spot in the greenhouse with very good light and no drafts.
Keep the soil moist and when seedlings have reached 2' (5cm) in height, single them (thin to one plant per cell) by cutting off weak seedlings at soil level, leaving one strong seedling per pot or cell. Keep temperature above 70°F (21°C) during the day and 60°F (16°C) at night.
Once the first true leaves appear, lower the temperature to 65°F (18°C) and reduce watering a little. Cucurbit seedlings are sometimes damaged by foliar sprays, especially ones including soaps, so avoid killing by mistaken kindness.
Harden off the plants for a week, by reducing water, before you set them into the garden. Set them outside in a shady area on warm days, gradually increasing the time outside each day from one hour to two hours, to three, and so on. Alternatively, use shadecloth and increase the sun exposure by an hour a day.
If you want a faster harvest than you'd get from direct sowing, but you don't want to do transplants, you can chit (pre-sprout) the seed. Put the seed on damp paper towels, roll them up and put the bundles in plastic bags loosely closed, or plastic sandwich boxes, not sealed. Keep at 70-85°F (21-29°C). Check twice a day (this also introduces fresh air to the seeds), and sow before the root reaches the length of the seed. Seeds which are already sprouting will not need more watering after sowing until the seedlings emerge, unless the soil is dry as dust.
Stephen Albert writes the very informative Harvest to Table website, which includes step-by-step details on pre-sprouting melon (and other) seeds. It takes only a few days, and gets the tiny seedling through the tough seed coat. How to Plant and Grow Melons
For sowing in open ground wait until the soil temperatures is 59°F (15°C), the minimum to germinate melon seeds. We make a furrow 0.5-0.75' (1.3-1.8cm) deep, water the furrow if the soil is dry, put one seed every 6' (15 cm), pull the soil back over the seeds and tamp down. Growers commonly space seeds at 2' (5cm), but using the wider spacing gives us no problems, and uses less seed. We cover all our early cucurbit sowings with rowcover until the plants start to flower (about a month) as we have many pests and diseases. Later sowings get ProtekNet insect netting rather than rowcover. When the plants start to flower, we remove the covers, hoe and thin to 18-24' (45-60 cm). Melons can use 7.5-15 ft2 (0.7-1.4 m2) each on plastic mulch, and double that space on bare ground. Melon rows are typically up to 6-10' (2-3 m) apart.
It is possible to sow cucurbits through plastic mulch by jabbing holes in the plastic and popping the seeds in. This method leads to earlier harvests, as the mulch warms the soil, and there will be no weeds.
For a main crop, we direct sow 5/25 and 6/25. Maximum germination temperature is 100°F (38°C).
Melons are admittedly delicate to transplant. Wait for the right conditions and take great care when handling the plants.
Check your local weather forecast to ensure that your melon plants will not be subjected to chilly, windy conditions when they are newly transplanted. Warm overcast conditions late in the day are best for transplanting, and rowcover (preferably on hoops to reduce abrasion) can be used to provide warmer and less breezy conditions.
Before starting transplanting, check the soil temperature: the soil should be at least 70°F (21°C) for melon survival. Melon plants exposed to temperatures cooler than recommended might not set fruit later on. One way to speed up soil warming is to cover the area with black plastic mulch for 1-3 weeks prior. Cut an x-shaped slit where for each plant and hold the edges of the plastic down with rocks. We space our melons at 2' (60cm) apart in the row, with rows 6' (2m) apart.
To help reduce transplant shock, water the flat (or pots) well the day before and again one hour before transplanting. Avoid disturbing the roots when transplanting. Cucurbit transplants are often leggy, and they should be planted so that the entire stem up to the base of the leaves is below soil level, otherwise the fragile stem is liable to get broken. The stems will do better protected in the ground. Water the soil thoroughly. If you are not using plastic mulch, hoe as needed for a few weeks, and wait until hot weather before spreading organic mulch (straw, spoiled hay or dry tree leaves), as this keeps the soil cool, and as I stressed already, melons like heat. Depending on soil fertility, you may want to add fish emulsion to encourage growth.
Another tip for protecting transplants against insect damage is to mix up a kaolin clay soup, invert the plug flat and dip the upside-down plants in the liquid before taking them to be transplanted. Three cups to one gallon of water make up into a suitably thick mix for this technique. Surround is the best-known brand. You can also spray the plants during their growth, with Surround. This does wash off if it rains or you use overhead irrigation, and you will need to reapply (or switch to netting if the plants are not yet flowering.)
This is another post in my new monthly series, about small fruits that can be grown sustainably in a mid-Atlantic climate. I cover planting, pruning, harvesting and care of the plants, according to the season. I'll give links to useful publications. We have a focus fruit, and then more about others that need attention during the month. We do grow apples and pears, and some other tree fruit, but I'm not writing about those as I don't have much recent experience.
July is the month in our climate, to start harvesting muskmelons (often called cantaloupes), Asian melons, and canary melons. Next month I'll talk about watermelons, which are slower to ripen.
Melons love warm, sunny days and need 80-100 days from seed sowing to harvest. For good production, melons warm weather, along with a steady supply of water. Melon plants also need good air circulation, so leaves and fruit can dry fairly quickly after dew or rainfall. To help prevent the spread of diseases, rotate crops and avoid growing them where other cucurbits were planted in the previous year or two.
Melons thrive in well-drained soil, sandy loam, or in clay soils that have been good levels of organic matter. Soil pH should be 6-6.5 for healthy melons and a good yields. Encourage drought-resilient crops by using drip irrigation, so that roots grow deep.
Fastest to produce a crop are the 65-day Asian melons such as Torpedo (replaced Sun Jewel), or Early Silver Line. These 1-2lb (0.5-1kg) oblong melons have refreshing crisp white flesh and are mildly sweet. Some people disparage them as 'cucumber melons,' but their good points are earliness, tolerance of chilly weather, being easy to grow and having a pleasant flavor.
Muskmelon (Cucumis melo reticulatus, commonly, but inaccurately called cantaloupe) is the melon type I have most experience with. They have a yellowish-buff skin with a raised netting, and sometimes lengthwise sutures (ribbing). The flesh is orange with a complex sweet aromatic flavor, and the 3'7 lbs (1.5'3 kg) fruits take 75-84 days to mature. We have enjoyed Pike, Kansas, Delicious 51, Edisto 47 and Hales Best. My long-time favorite was Ambrosia from Seminis Seeds, but when Seminis was bought by Monsanto, I stopped growing it, as I don't want to support Monsanto in producing GMOs. For Downy mildew resistance and tolerance to cucumber beetles, grow Trifecta from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
True cantaloupes, Cucumis melo cantalupensis, are rarer in the US. They are rough and warty rather than netted. Prescott Fond Blanc and Petit Gris de Rennes are true cantaloupes, as are charentais melons. Charentais melons are smaller, round, good-flavored orange-fleshed melons. I have successfully grown 78-day Savor, a 2lb (0.9kg) melon with a green-grey skin and deep orange flesh.
Canary melons are smooth yellow 4lb (1.8kg) fruits with white flesh and are quite sweet.75 days to maturity. We have had good success with Mayor.
Crenshaw melons are large oblong 78-day melons with light yellow skin and very aromatic pale creamy orange flesh.
Galia tropical melons have green flesh, yellow-tan skins and a round shape. Honeydew melons are fast-maturing, smooth skinned oval melons, usually with pale-green flesh, although Honey Orange is salmon-colored. 3lbs (1.4kg), 74 days.
We tried some smaller (individual serving) melons, Tasty Bites. personal-size melons (they top out at 3lbs/1.4kg) and Sugar Cube 2'2 1/2 lb (1kg). The advantage of having a smaller fruit was not more than the disadvantage of harvesting smaller fruits.
Melons are a bit finicky in their youth, but given a strong start, they can do very well. You can sow melon seeds directly in the garden, but the seeds need soil temperatures of 59°F (15°C) minimum to germinate, and their best temperature is 86°F (30°C). At that temperature they only take 3 days to emerge. More and earlier success comes with sowing melon seeds indoors, where the right temperatures can happen earlier in the year. Maximum germination temperature is 100°F (38°C).
Up to three weeks before your average last frost date, sow 2 or 3 melon seeds in potting compost at a depth of ½' (1cm) in 3' (7.6cm) pots or plug flats. We are in zone 7a, with an approximate last frost date of April 25 ' we sow April 15 for May 6 transplanting (21 days after sowing). After germination, the temperature should be reduced to 75°F (24°C). We always ensure our melons get a spot in the greenhouse with very good light and no drafts.
Keep the soil moist and when seedlings have reached 2' (5cm) in height, snip off the weakest ones at soil level, leaving one strong seedling per pot or cell. When the first true leaves appear, lower the temperature to 65°F (18°C) and reduce watering a little.
Harden off the transplants for a week before you set them into the garden. Set them outside in a shady area on warm days, gradually increasing the time outside each day from one hour to two hours, to three, and so on. Alternatively, use shadecloth and increase the sun exposure by an hour a day. Reduce watering a bit, to slow plant growth. Check your local weather forecast to ensure that your melon plants will not be subjected to chilly, windy conditions when they are young.
Before starting transplanting, check the soil temperature: garden soil should be at least 70°F (21°C) for melon survival. Melon plants exposed to temperatures cooler than recommended might not set fruit later on. One way to speed up soil warming is to cover the area with black plastic mulch for 1-3 weeks prior. Cut an x-shaped slit where for each plant and hold the edges of the plastic down with rocks. We space our melons at 2' (60cm) apart in the row, with rows 6' (2m) apart.
Melons are admittedly delicate to transplant. When outdoor conditions, soil temperature, and timing are right for transplanting melons, take great care in handling the plants. To help reduce transplant shock, water the flat (or pots) well before transplanting and avoid disturbing the roots when transplanting into the garden. Plant the entire stem in the ground, leaving only the seed leaves upwards exposed. The stems are fragile, and will do better protected in the ground. Water the soil thoroughly. If you are not using black plastic, spread organic mulch (straw, spoiled hay or dry tree leaves) around the melon vines. You might rather hoe and wait until hot weather to spread organic mulch, as this will keep the soil cool, and as I stressed already, melons like heat. Depending on soil fertility, you may want to add fish emulsion to encourage growth.
If the weather is less warm than you hoped, use hoops and thick rowcover until you are more confidant in the temperatures, then switch to netting. We hoop and net our melons immediately after transplanting, to keep the bugs off. We keep the netting on until we see female flowers (they have miniature melons between the flower and the plant). Melons require pollination, so it is necessary to remove the netting.
If weeds emerge through the mulch, pull them slowly, while stepping next to the melon stem. Melon roots near the surface can easily be injured. As melons ripen, put a piece of cardboard under the fruit to help prevent rot. With the late summer planting, you can pinch off new flowers to steer the plant's energy into fruit that has already set. Keep the soil around melons watered with 1-2' (2-5 cm) per week, up until the last week or two before harvest. Holding back on water during this time leads to sweeter melons.
In our climate we can sow melons three times, a month apart. The first row is from transplants, set outside May 3-6. We direct sow the second bed on May 25, then June 25 and once, on July 15 for a 'Last Chance' crop.
Like most cucurbits, melons are vulnerable to striped cucumber beetles. These pests chew on plants and spread diseases, such as bacterial wilt and mosaic virus. Protect against cucumber beetles with rowcover or insect netting applied at transplanting, or hunt them every morning on leaves and inside flowers, when beetles are more slow-moving. Watch for aphids in the garden, as they can also spread viruses. You can usually hose off leaves or apply an insecticidal soap to kill aphids before they inflict too much damage. In warm, humid climates like ours, melons are subject to powdery mildew, which can wipe out a melon crop if not caught in time. Look for melon varieties that are disease resistant.
Sudden wilt is caused by cold weather in late summer when the plants are loaded with ripening melons.
I recommend harvesting daily, in the mornings, once the dew has dried, to avoid spreading fungal diseases.
With muskmelons, when the background-color of the skin beneath the 'netting' changes from gray-green to buff or a yellowish color, the melon is almost ripe. A honeydew melon will turn a light yellow-white color when it's ripe.
For some varieties (but not all), if gentle pressure is applied to the base of the stem, and the stem separates from the vine, the melon is ready. This is called the 'full slip' stage. (The half-slip stage requires a bigger nudge.) Crenshaw and Canary melons require a good tug ('forced slip'). Honeydew, Charentais, and Piel de Sapo must be cut from the vine ' don't wait for them to slip!
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Storage time for melon depends on the type. Relative humidity should be 85-95% for best results. Muskmelons will last a couple weeks at 40°F (4°C); honeydew can be stored up to three weeks at 50°F (10°C). Store other melons at 45-50°F (7-10°C) for 7-14 days.
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Blackberries, blueberries, crabapples, elderberries, gooseberries, goumi berries, mulberries, peaches, black and red raspberries.
https://harvesttotable.com/how-to-plant-grow-prune-and-harvest-blackberries/
https://harvesttotable.com/how-to-grow-elderberry/
If you live in Virginia, see https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pdf/producechart.pdf
Water all fruit crops. Pack away blueberry netting after fruiting. Mow aisles, weed and water all fruit.
In late June/early July (after fruiting): Renovate one-year-old strawberry beds to carry over for another year, by mowing or shearing/clipping the plants, weeding and mulching, but don't compost them at this stage. Dismantle two-year-old strawberry beds after gathering any propagation material.
If preparing to plant new plug-strawberries, till an area in late June or very early July and sow buckwheat by July 4. After three weeks, till in the buckwheat and prepare the beds.
If preparing to plant bare-root strawberries, (perhaps rooted runners in the paths of older beds), till the area by the beginning of July and prepare new beds with compost, driptape, and landscape fabric.
In early July, or at least by mid-July, plant new bare-root strawberry transplants.
July 6-14: To propagate from your own plants, pot up pencil-thick crowns, with 2 or 3 leaves, 4' (10cm) petioles. Use Round-50 plug trays. Or use runner tips. Set up a shadecloth propagation tent in a cold frame, or other protected area Set up a misting system and timer. Also handwater once or twice a day, to keep the soil damp.
When melons are at the height of their season in late summer, you can find them at local farm stands and markets in a delightful variety and abundance. Whether sliced for snacking, blended into a refreshing melon drink, added to salads, or even grilled, they're versatile and full of flavor.
Having grown up on supermarket foods in the '90s, I didn't see much by way of melon diversity. I had tasted the standard cantaloupes and honeydews, but even as a child, I turned my nose at super-sweet fruits and insisted I didn't like melons. Give me crisp. Give me tart'I'm a sucker for a little pucker. Later, while traveling in Asia and Europe, I was romanced by melons that looked nothing like the ones at home. Some resembled pumpkins, some were colorfully striped, and many were absolutely bursting with the various flavor nuances I craved in fruit, from bittersweet to green and earthy. Today, I'm game to try any new melon I meet.
Given how many varieties of melons there are, do yourself a favor the next time you're at the market and pick one up, even (or perhaps especially) if it looks different from what you're used to seeing. 'Don't limit yourself to what's available at the grocery store,' says chef Thomas Trainor, a lecturing instructor at the Culinary Institute of America. 'Check out your local farmers market for fresh, seasonal options. And visit an Asian grocery store in your area for great options beyond the watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew.'
Trainor adds that melons stand out in sweet and savory applications, "can be added as a fresh bite to elevate many dishes," and "have a unique ability to cross into many different cuisines and styles." Plus, they can be used at or before peak ripeness with equally delicious results. To help you make the most of the summer fruit, we've put together this guide to some popular (and lesser-known) melon varieties and how to best use them.
Melons are a sun-loving fruit that grow on trailing vines. 'They love to grow in places that have warm temperatures and lots of sun, so photosynthesis sends sugars to the fruit,' says Penelope Perkins-Veazie, PhD, a professor of horticultural science and specialist in postharvest produce at North Carolina State University. She notes that cool nights are also essential to help keep the sugars in the fruit.
All melons belong to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae'that means they share much in common with cucumbers and both summer and winter squash. What differentiates them is sugar and soft flesh. 'The sugar content in these sweet melons is between 8% and 16% as opposed to the 3% to 4% in squash,' says Perkins-Veazie. 'Melons also have a lot more free water content.' Meaning, they're refreshingly juicy!
Breakfast & BrunchThe Cucurbitaceae family splits into four genera, two of which are the sweet melons: citrullus lanatus and cucumis melo.
The citrullus genera includes fruit with seeds spread throughout, like watermelon. The more commonly grown cucumis melo have a central seed cavity, like cantaloupes and honeydew, and are actually more closely related to cucumbers than to watermelons. Watermelons were originally cultivated in Africa and came to the Americas via European colonists and the slave trade, while melons came from Southwest Asia and spread through Europe before making their way to the colonies in the late 16th century.
'There's an enormous number of melons, and most people are not familiar with the extraordinary diversity,' says Amy Goldman, an heirloom seed preservationist and author of The Melon. 'Farmers and amateur breeders have developed hundreds of varieties over hundreds of years, and I think there's a melon for everybody, for every inclination.'
Goldman explains that melons have 16 horticulture groups. The melons we're most familiar with in the US generally settle into one of two groups.
Regarding sweetness levels, the industry measures melons in degrees of Brix using a refractometer device. Goldman says a reading of 11 degrees or more will put a smile on your face. Below is an overview of 10 melon varieties'a few standards you'll find at any supermarket, as well as several specialties that you may see at local markets, farm stands, or Asian grocers.
Origin: Persia and western Asia
Group: Reticulatus
Color: Beige-yellow rind, orange flesh
Flavor: Strong musky aroma and sweet like honey
Texture: Dense
Sugar Content: 10-11° Brix
Best Uses: Pair with cured meats, black pepper, celery, or mint.
The melon Americans call cantaloupe is technically a muskmelon'a melon group characterized by a robust musky aroma and a raised netting pattern or deep grooves on their skin.
The orange flesh that's subtly sweet like honey is often used in fruit salads and desserts, but Trainor says cantaloupe pairs exceptionally well with salty items and benefits from a bright, fresh herb like mint or basil. 'An acidic vinaigrette can also help enhance the flavor of the melon,' he says. 'A great example of this is the classic Italian melon and prosciutto salad.' Or step it up by pairing melon with with jamón serrano.
An example of a true cantaloupe is the highly fragrant charentais, which is common in Europe. 'This melon has beautiful flesh and a prominent level of sweetness,' says Trainor. 'Just eat it as is or with a pinch of salt to bring it to the next level.'
Origin: Western Africa and western Asia
Group: Inodorous
Color: Creamy yellow rind, pale green flesh
Flavor: Sweet like honey and vegetal
Texture: Smooth and tender
Sugar Content: 11-12° Brix
Best Uses: Pair with cilantro, cucumbers, fish, mint, or salty ham. Great in fruit salads and as a base for chilled soups and drinks, like a Pimm's cup.
Honeydew is one of the sweetest melons around. It's an inodorus wintermelon, which is less aromatic than cantaloupe but offers a sweet, refreshing flavor. Similar to cantaloupe, the seeds are located in the center channel. These seeds are edible, like pumpkin seeds, so you can roast and salt them for snacking.
'Honeydew pairs amazingly with citrus and spice,' says Trainor. 'The classic Mexican fruta con chile would be a fantastic way to use honeydew. Just top the melon with a spiced chile mixture, like Tajín, and lime juice.'
Origin: Northeastern Africa
Color: Green rind, red or yellow flesh
Flavor: Juicy and sweet
Texture: Crisp, grainy, watery structure that compresses when you eat it
Sugar Content: 10-11° Brix
Best Uses: Grill, pair with salty cheese, purée to make a beverage, pickle the rind.
Watermelons vary in size and appearance but tend to be oblong with a smooth, dark green rind and light green stripes. They're a more distant relative to the other melons on this list. Heirloom varieties may feature different rind color patterns and flesh that ranges from white and yellow to red and pink. The typical supermarket watermelons feature stripes on the rind and a bright red seedless interior.
Seedless versions of the fruit are created by treating young plants with a chemical that causes the plant to produce fruits with nonviable seeds that don't develop a fibrous black coating. Perkins-Veazie says 97 to 98% of watermelons are seedless now. 'It's funny, now it's the seeded ones that fetch a premium price.' That's because seeded melons are typically sweeter.
If you don't mind some seed spitting, buy your watermelons at a farm stand. They will almost always be sweeter. 'My customers tell me our melons are the best they've ever tasted,' says Ashley Armstrong, a fourth-generation farmer and owner of Armstrong Farms in Bastrop, Louisiana. 'The Summer Flavor 720 we grow is hard to beat,' she says of a variety that can be both seeded or seedless. 'I can't go in the store and buy melons anymore because they don't taste the same, and I don't want to disappoint myself.'
'Watermelons taste great with salty cheese,' says Trainor, like in this watermelon and feta salad. 'You could also compress it with a food saver or vacuum sealer with high-end olive oil and some soy and make a nice faux tuna dish.' Or keep it simple and purée it into watermelon margaritas or limeade. 'I love a good watermelon because it is so versatile,' says Trainor. 'Every part of the watermelon is edible, so pickled watermelon rind is a nice bonus.'
Origin: Persia
Group: Inodorous
Color: Bright yellow rind, white flesh
Flavor: Sugary, tangy, and tropical tasting, with hints of coconut and passion fruit
Texture: Tender and supple
Sugar Content: 12° Brix
Best Uses: Cold soups or salads, and with herbs such as basil, mint, and cilantro.
Canary melons, also known as amarillo, are football-shaped muskmelons with a smooth skin that's a little wrinkled. 'They turn bright yellow when ripe, so it's easy to know when they're ready,' says Perkins-Veazie. The white flesh is Asian pear'like in texture with an umami-rich depth of flavor. Closer to the rind, you'll get a bit of tartness, with almost citrusy or passion fruit notes. Unlike many other muskmelons, the canary contains much less of an overpowering musky scent, so it can complement a wide variety of ingredients. Trainor says it's a terrific addition to a fruit salad. Look for the canary melon in Asian grocers, farmers markets, or specialty stores.
Origin: Israel
Group: Hybrid
Color: Beige-yellow rind, pale green flesh
Flavor: Like an extra-sweet honeydew
Texture: Smooth and tender, like honeydew
Sugar Content: 14° Brix
Best Uses: Chilled with a sprinkling of sea salt.
Galia melon is a hybrid of cantaloupe and honeydew melon, but slightly smaller and sweeter than both. It's covered in a netted rind like a cantaloupe but with juicy green flesh like a honeydew. Like a cantaloupe, the rind will turn from green to golden when it's ripe. Enjoy it as you would cantaloupe or honeydew, or serve it chilled with sea salt.
Origin: Japan
Group: Inodorous
Color: Ivory rind with green spots and stripes, white flesh
Flavor: Mildly sweet with green vegetal flavor, with notes of cucumber and under-ripe pear
Texture: Firm, densely packed, and lusciously soft
Sugar Content: 11° Brix
Best Uses: Sprinkled with lemon or lime juice or added to a fruit salad
The ivory gaya melon, also known as snow leopard, is a small muskmelon with an oblong shape, a smooth rind with variegated streaks and speckles, and firm white flesh. Its flesh has a crisp consistency closer to the skin and a softer, juicier flavor near the seeded core. This variety can be challenging to find, but look for it at farmers markets and Asian grocers.
The melon's crisp consistency allows it to be eaten as-is, or sprinkled with lemon or lime juice to enhance the flavor. You can also wrap it in salty cured meats as an appetizer or blend it into smoothies, juices, and cocktails.
Since the melon is small, you can slice it and use the melon halves as individual serving bowls filled with cottage cheese or yogurt and granola. Ivory Gaya melons also pair well with other fruits, such as berries, citrus, and kiwi, making it a great addition to a fruit salad.
Origin: Northwestern China
Group: Ameri
Color: Yellow rind, light orange flesh
Flavor: Mild floral sweetness, subtle Asian pear
Texture: Crisp and watery, like a watermelon
Sugar Content: 11° Brix
Best Uses: Slice and eat or use in place of cantaloupe.
The Hami is a larger melon that's also known as the Asian muskmelon. It's golden yellow with subtle netting, oblong in shape, and known for its pleasant floral sweetness. It tastes like a cantaloupe but with the texture of an Asian pear or jicama. The flavor is very mild and subtle but aromatic and blossomy. Find this melon at Asian grocers.
The Hami melon is excellent simply sliced and eaten as-is, or try using it to make a melon liqueur or syrup. 'Melon syrup works great in addition to, or instead of, Midori and is usually not as sweet,' says Trainor. 'I've also used it as a dessert sauce or flavoring for sparkling water.'
Origin: Turkey
Group: Inodorous
Color: Yellow-green rind, pale orange flesh
Flavor: Sweet and slightly peppery with slight cucumber notes
Texture: Dense and chewy, almost gummy
Sugar Content: 10° Brix
Best Uses: Grilled, sprinkled with chili flakes.
Crenshaw melons, a.k.a. Crane melons, are a type of large cantaloupe. They bear a sweet, vegetal, and floral aroma. The flesh is dense and slightly spicy. Their rind is thick and dark green when young but turns golden yellow or yellowish green when ripe and has a waxy feel. They're oval-shaped but taper to a point at the stem end. Find crenshaw melons in late summer at farmers markets or specialty stores.
Trainor wants people to see melons more as a cooking fruit versus something you'd just eat raw, and the crenshaw is an example of a melon that is sturdy enough to stand up to light cooking, like kissed on the grill for a savory-sweet flavor. 'A big reason to cook melons is to intensify or add flavor,' he says. 'I feel we will see cooked melons start to take off in the culinary scene the same way we have seen a surge in cooked stone fruits, like grilled peaches, mango salsa, and poached plums.'
Origin: Korea
Group: Makuwa
Color: Striped yellow rind, white flesh
Flavor: Delicately sweet and aromatic with a slightly bitter rind
Texture: Crisp
Sugar Content: 12° Brix
Best Uses: Chilled and sliced.
Korean melons are smallish fruits with an oblong shape. They are known as Chamoe in Korea, but they are sometimes labeled as Oriental melons in Western markets. They have a thin, edible rind and intense aroma. Like cucumber seeds, the seeds of the Chamoe have an aqueous membrane around them. 'The flesh is bright white with a wonderful crispness,' says Goldman. Korean melons have a delicate floral, sweet, and subtly vegetal flavor that's well suited for chilled, fresh preparations. Some consumers discard the skin due to its bitter nature, but others enjoy how it balances the sweet flesh.
Origin: Turkey
Group: Inodorous
Color: Yellow-green rind, white to yellowish-green flesh
Flavor: Clean and mildly sweet, with an earthy quality
Texture: Soft, tender, and spongy
Sugar Content: 9° Brix
Best Uses: Paired with salumi, blue cheese, and Marcona almonds or puréed into chilled soups, like gazpacho.
The Santa Claus melon, also known as the Christmas melon, is harvested around the end of summer to early fall. It has a longer shelf life, about two months, so it can still be on the store shelves during the holiday season, hence its festive name.
The melon's rind is thick, hard, wrinkled, and rough, covered in textured striping and mottling. When the melons are young, the rind is green, and as the fruit ripens, the rind transforms into a bright yellow hue. The flesh ranges in color from white to pale green and is smooth, soft, and tender with a succulent consistency. It tastes refreshing and sweet with a subtly earthy nuance. Santa Claus melons will not emit a strong aroma when whole due to their thick rind, but once sliced, they release a fragrant scent.
This is a good melon for making a cold soup. In La Mancha, a region in Spain, a similar melon called piel de sapo (translation: toad skin) is used in a twist on gazpacho. Trainor says he loves to tweak cooking methods to create distinct melon-based gazpachos'smoking, grilling, salting, and dehydrating are all processes that will change the flavor and texture of a melon and yield a unique soup every time.
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