Melon

There are many melon varieties, but cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon are the most well known. Look out for more unusual melons at your local supermarket or farmer’s market for a different and tasty sweet treat!

Variety	Description	Availability
Cantaloupe	Actually called a muskmelon, this familiar fruit with orange flesh and khaki netted colored skin provides the most beta-carotene in the entire melon family.	Cantaloupe is typically available year-round, with a June through August peak season.
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 through December.
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 Persian melon with a 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.
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.	Honeydew is best from June through October, but is available year round.
Persian	This melon is quite similar to the Cantaloupe, but is slightly larger in size, has a reener rind, and on the outside it has finer netting.	Persian melons peak in August and September with the season beginning in June and ending November.
SantaClaus	This variety is similar to the watermelon with the green and gold stripes, but is about a foot long and isn’t as sweet as other melons.	This melon is also known as the Christmas melon because it peaks during the month of December.
Sharlyn	This melon tastes like a cantaloupe and honeydew combined. Sharlyn melons are sweet with netted outer layer, greenish-orange rind, and white flesh.	The availability of Sharlyn varies. Check with your local supermarket or farmer’s market.

How to store

Keep uncut melons at room temperature for two to four days or until fully ripe, then refrigerate for up to five days. You can refrigerate cut up melon in a covered container for up to three days. Remember that cut melons are aromatic and their smell will penetrate other foods.

Melon preparation is easy! Always wash melons in warm soapy water before cutting to get rid of any impurity on the rind that might be carried from the knife blade to the flesh. Then simply cut the melon in half and scoop out the seeds and strings.

Melons can be cut into halves, quarters, wedges, cubes, or scooped into balls with a melon baller.

Melons are best served at room temperature and are great seasoned with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice to enhance the flavor.

• Make quick melon kebobs! Thread different melon varieties on a skewers.
• Stir melon into your cold fruit soups
• Use sliced melons as an attractive edible garnish
• Make melon boats by scooping out melon balls then refilling the shell
• For dessert, melons make a great addition to fruit salads. Try drizzling melon cubes with syrups such as hazelnut or orange for an enhanced taste.
  
• For appetizers, wrap melon wedges or cubes with thinly sliced prosciutto ham.
  
• Diced up melons also make great fruit salsas
  
• Melons can also be added to mains, for example, try adding melon cubes to a chicken or seafood salad.