Traditionally, the melon season in Europe begins in August. It is very difficult for a non-professional to determine by eye whether the fruit is ripe or not. However, according to experts, there are several ways to avoid making a mistake.
- Melon varieties
- Benefit
- When is the season
- How to choose
- How to store
Boris Spivakov, farmer and supplier of the online aggregator and delivery service for farm products “Eat Village”;
Anna Litvinenko, nutritionist at the Rassvet clinic.
What varieties of melon exist?
Melon is a melon crop that belongs to the pumpkin family.
Melon fruits are spherical, oval or elliptical in shape with a variety of skin colors, from yellow to dark green. On average, a melon weighs 3-5 kg. The edible part of the fruit is the pulp, which is white, pinkish or greenish. It is denser than that of a watermelon, but at the same time softer. There are several dozen varieties of melon, they differ in ripening time, color and flavor. The aroma is almost always sweet, honey-like.
Here's what popular and unusual melon varieties look like (1).
Torpedo Melon
This variety got its name for its characteristic elongated shape.
“Torpedo” is a fairly large melon variety that ripens later than others. The fruit can weigh up to 10-15 kg. The skin color is mostly light, with a slight grayish tint. The surface is smooth, but covered with a fine mesh. The flesh of the “torpedo” is sweet and juicy. The ripe fruit is greenish-white.
Melon “Kolkhoznitsa”
The Kolkhoznitsa variety is one of the most popular in Europe and in a number of CIS countries.
Externally, the Kolkhoznitsa melon resembles an almost perfect ball of rich yellow color. The fruits ripen quickly, they are small in weight, up to 2 kg. The rind of the Kolkhoznitsa is smooth, shiny in the sun. Sometimes there may be a small light mesh on the surface. The color of the pulp varies from white to cream. The taste of the Kolkhoznitsa melon is sweet and slightly crunchy.
Honey melon
It is distinguished by its sweetness and strong aroma.
The honey melon is mostly round, and can be slightly elongated. The average fruit weight is about 2 kg. The peel is deep yellow, with or without a distinct white mesh pattern. The taste of the fruit is considered one of the most sugary and sweet. The pulp also varies in color: it can be greenish near the peel with a smooth transition to a whiter shade in the center.
Melon with “toad” skin
This variety of melon received its name due to the characteristic color of its peel.
One of the exotic varieties of melon for European latitudes is “piel de sapo”. From Spanish the name literally translates as “toad skin”. This melon was nicknamed for the special color of the skin – dark green and with inclusions. The pulp of “piel de sapo” is white and juicy, tastes like a pear (2).
Cantaloupe Melon
It looks little like a melon, both inside and out.
Cantaloupe melons have pale green skin with several distinct darker stripes running lengthwise. They are usually round or oval, weighing about 1 kg. The flesh ranges in color from pumpkin-orange to salmon. It has a soft, juicy texture with a sweet, musky aroma (3).
What are the benefits of melon?
Melon is rich in nutrients and also contains a large amount of water.
The nutritional profile of melon is varied and has a relatively low calorie content for a sweet product. A small portion of 100 g contains 36 kcal and 9 g of carbohydrates (4). The fruits and seeds of melon contain various vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are important for the body.
Melon is a source of electrolytes and important micronutrients, it quenches thirst and can be a great low-calorie dessert, ingredient for summer salads or smoothies.
When does melon season start
Melon ripens 75-120 days after planting
Like watermelons, melons are a summer fruit. They like a hot and dry climate with an optimal temperature of 25–30 °C. The fruits accumulate sweetness in the last ten days of the growing season (5). Therefore, to be sure of the right choice of melon, you can focus on the time of harvest.
In Europe, the first varieties of melon ripen at the end of July. In the southern regions, the melon season may begin earlier. The peak of harvesting occurs in early to mid-August and may continue until autumn.
“For example, the ‘torpedo’ and ‘zimovka’ varieties are harvested before the frosts, in October, and they can easily last until the New Year if stored properly,” says Boris Spivakov, a farmer and supplier of the online aggregator and delivery service for farm products, Eat Derevyanskoe.
How to Choose a Sweet Melon: 6 Rules
To be sure of the quality of the melon, ask the seller for product certificates and laboratory test results.
Like any melon crop with a dense skin, melon does not allow you to judge its quality only by eye. However, according to the expert, there are some tricks that will help you choose the sweetest and juiciest melon. To do this, you must first take into account the following nuances.
- Melon color. It should be bright and saturated. “There is an immediate exception here: now the market offers varieties not only in shades of yellow, but also in green, when the flesh also remains green when ripe. Therefore, it is impossible to evaluate a melon only by its color,” Spivakov notes.
- Scent. It should be aromatic and not have any foreign, atypical for melon impurities. “But the tail of the melon does not always indicate ripeness. Rather, it characterizes the amount of time since harvesting. If the tail is dry, then the melon has been lying on the counter for a long time,” the expert says.
- Integrity of the peel. You should not buy a melon that has mechanical damage, the melon peel should be whole. If there are signs of impacts, rotting, you should refuse to buy, because bacterial inclusions can develop in places where the peel is torn, it is dangerous to eat such a melon.
- Fruit weight. Melons increase in weight as they ripen, so the heavier ones will have more juice, sugar and flavor.
- Mesh. The texture, which looks like a net on the surface of the melon rind, should be thick, convex, well-defined and creamy in color. A smooth melon, unless it is a characteristic of a particular variety, is a melon that is not yet ripe.
- Density and sound. Feel the opposite side of the melon from the stem. Ripe fruits should feel slightly soft. If it is hard, the melon is unripe. Click the melon rind with your fingers – the sound should be dull (6).
How to store melon
The cut fruit should be stored in the refrigerator.
Whole melons…
