The Melon Primer

There are dozens upon dozens of varieties of melon. As we all know, summertime is the best time for melons.

By far, the most popular of the melons are honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelon (a.k.a. The Melon Three).

This article is offered as a quick primer to the more common melons that you might find in the local grocer. Armed with this new found information the less common varieties will be just as appealing as The Melon Three.

Regular Seedless Watermelon

The watermelon, as the name implies, is approximately 90% wa­ter! The most popular of all "melons" is not really a melon at all, but is actually a gourd. It has a smooth exterior rind (green and yellow) and juicy, sweet, usually red interior flesh. In addition to containing vitamin C, watermelons also contain more lycopene than to­matoes, an important antioxidant that helps us fight disease. The watermelon is also the only "melon" that tastes better the colder it is.

Cantaloupe

Another extremely popular melon in the United States, the can­taloupe is actually called a muskmelon. This familiar fruit with orange flesh and netted khaki-colored skin provides the most beta-carotene in the entire melon family, and more vitamin A than any other fruit. Select melons that are slightly golden with a light fragrant smell (an indication of ripeness).

Honeydew

The sweetest of all the melons and averaging five to six pounds, honeydew melons have a creamy yellow rind when ripe and pale green flesh. They are best from June through October, but are available year round.

Crenshaw

These melons can weigh up to ten pounds and deliver a unique sweet and spicy flavor. They are a hybrid between the Casaba and the Persian melon, with yellowish skin and salmon-colored flesh. Peak season for Crenshaw melons is August through September, with the fruit season begin­ning in July and ending in October.

Orange Flesh Melon

This delicious melon is a cross between a Cantaloupe and a Honeydew. It is fairly round, with smooth skin and a creamy white rind. The soft flesh is a rich orange color and has an earthy, almost mango like flavor.

Juan Canary

A football- shaped melon that sports a bright yellow rind, this variety first became popular on the Canary Islands, hence the name. Canary melons have white flesh with a crisp texture; sometimes a little pink color can be seen near the seeds. This melon is particularly fragrant.

Casaba

Unlike the other melons, Casaba melons do not have an aroma. This is a large melon that is pale yellow when ripe and has white flesh with a sweet taste. This melon peaks in the fall, but starts showing up in markets in July and can sometimes be found through December.

Santa Claus Melon

Also known as the Christmas Melon, the Santa Claus Melon is shaped like a small watermelon, and sports a rind with blotches of dark green and yellow or light green. It has pale green flesh, which is very sweet and very juicy, and tastes a little like a Honeydew melon.

Seedless Mini Watermelon

Seedless mini watermelons are about the size of a cantaloupe or smaller, making them perfect for two people. They fit easily into a refrigerator. These miniature watermelons are very sweet from the first bite all the way to the very thin rind. The flesh contains an abun­dance of juice and can vary in color from deep pink to the usual deep red. (More about this melon on this month's front cover.)

Tuscan-Style Cantaloupe

The Tuscan melon is a smallish, round to slightly oval melon, and like the mini water­melon, it is the perfect serving size for two people. Tuscan melons are very sweet, with a rich honey like finish, usually tasting considerably sweeter than regular cantaloupe. They have orange flesh and are very fragrant. This melon variety is easily recognizable by its tan skin (like a cantaloupe) and prominent exterior striations encircling the melon that change from dark green to a golden-cream color as they ripen.