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Year of the Melon

© Connie Krochmal

Each year, the National Garden Bureau honors two plants. For 2005, they selected melon, making 2005 as the Year of the Melon.

Smell the tantalizing aroma, and taste the sweet flesh of a really ripe melon, and you're a melon fan for life. Ideally, we would all want to grow our own melons. But, this isn't always possible. An alternative is to visit local tail-gate markets and farmers' markets where farm-fresh, locally grown produce is marketed by the growers themselves. You are more likely to get a premium melon at the peak of perfection.

One of the most frequently question about melons is how to tell when they are ripe. Whether you are buying one in a supermarket, or picking your own home-grown fruits, it makes no difference. The following tips should help.

For cantaloupes, look for a change in color. The rind will begin to change from green to tannish-yellow between the veined areas. The fruit should also have a fragrance. If it doesn't, be suspicious. There is a correlation between the flavor and the aroma. Ones without a fragrance are more likely to be insipid. When you are picking your own cantaloupes, you should be able to get the stem to separate easily from the vine. If it doesn't, delay picking until this happens.

Moving on to honeydews, it is easy to tell when these are ripe. Depending on the variety, the skin will become either yellow or white. In addition, you can check the blossom end for an additional clue. This should be slightly soft. Unlike cantaloupes, the stem will not easily separate from the fruit. It will be necessary to cut this with a knife or scissors.

For specialty melons, such as the Crenshaw and other winter melons, check for the same signs discussed under the honeydew.

Most melons will continue to ripen a little more after they are harvested if they are stored at room temperature.

Because there are so many kinds of melons (at least fifteen kinds), it is a good idea to look at some individual descriptions and names. The name cantaloupe applies to several different kinds. First, the muskmelon is actually a particular type of cantaloupe with netted rind and orange flesh. What we usually grow in the East is the Athena cantaloupe. Their fruits resemble those of the muskmelon in terms of netting. However, the flesh of the Athena is typically yellowish-orange. As strange as it may sound, the true cantaloupe is not often seen in the U.S. The original melon is named for a town in Italy, and is most often grown in Europe.