How to cook melons

Information for melons in our free cooking ingredients collection.

Melons

Melons, sweet-flavored members of the family that includes squash, cucumber, and gourds, come in an array of shapes, colors, sizes, and textures. They range in diameter from 3 inches to more than 3 feet. The skin may be white, green, yellow, orange, tan, or even black and has a surface texture that is smooth, ribbed, grooved, or netted. Inside the thick rind, the flesh may be pink, red, orange, yellow, green, or white and usually contains numerous seeds.

Family - Cucurbitaceae
Scientific name - Cucumis melo (melon), Cucumis melo L. indorus (honeydew melon), Cucumis melo var. reticulatus (cantaloupe), Citrullus lanatus (watermelon)
Common name - melon, honeydew, cantaloupe (muskmelon), watermelon

Varieties

Sweet melons are generally divided into two broad categories, dessert melons and watermelon. Dessert melons are further subdivided into smooth (or winter) melons, a group that includes the honeydew and casaba and the lesser known canary, Crenshaw, and Santa Claus; netted melons, including cantaloupe (also known as muskmelon) and Persian melon; and the much less familiar tropical melons, including Haogen and Galia. Popular melons include cantaloupe, honeydew, casaba, and watermelon.

Honeydew melons (Cucumis melo L. indorus) weigh 4 to 8 pounds and are characterized by a slightly oval shape and smooth, creamy-yellow rind. Two types of honeydew are available, those with green flesh and those with orange flesh. The orange-fleshed varieties are similar to cantaloupe in flavor and texture. Casaba melon (Cucumis melo var.) is globular with a pointed stem end and usually weighs 4 to 7 pounds. Casaba rind is chartreuse-yellow with longitudinal wrinkles, and the flesh is smooth, pale green, and subtly sweet.

The netted melons are generally oval and range from 5 to 8 inches in diameter. When ripe, the fruits have a raised “netting” on a smooth, grayish beige skin. The juicy, fragrant flesh is pale to bright orange and contains numerous white seeds.

Watermelons (Citrullus lanatus) average 15 to 35 pounds and may be round or oval. The rind may be two-toned green or gray-green and variegated or striped, and the sweet, juicy flesh (usually red, but also occasionally orange, yellow, or white) contains rows of shiny, black seeds, although some newer varieties are seedless. Over 200 varieties of watermelon exist, with some 50 varieties grown in the United States. Varieties tend to be localized to specific regions. Smaller varieties are referred to as Icebox or apartment-size melons.

Origin and botanical facts

Melons are believed to have originated in Africa, Persia, and India. Egyptian hieroglyphics that date to 2400 B.C. provide evidence that melons have been cultivated and enjoyed for thousands of years. Melons were introduced by the Spanish Moors to most of Europe and were later introduced to the Americas in the late 15th century.

The cantaloupe is thought to be named either for Cantaloup, a village in southern France, or Cantaluppi, a papal summer residence near Rome, Italy. The true cantaloupe is a European melon that is not exported to the United States, and American “cantaloupes” are actually a type of muskmelon.

The watermelon appears to be native to Africa, where in ancient times the fruit was valued as a source of portable water. Like the other melons, cultivation spread to India, China, and Egypt, where 5,000-year-old pictures of watermelon adorn ancient tombs. By the 1600s, watermelons were cultivated in England, Spain, and beyond. Watermelons also may be native to North America, because early French explorers found American Indians cultivating the plants in the Mississippi Valley. Thomas Jefferson grew watermelons at Monticello, and during the Civil War the Confederate army boiled down watermelons to produce sugar and molasses.

Melons grow on annual vine plants that creep along the ground, attaining lengths of 6 to 10 feet. Their leaves form a canopy over the fruits. Although melons can thrive in many kinds of soil, the highest yields and the best melons are produced with fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic sandy or silt loam. A long, frost-free season with ample sunlight, warm temperatures, and low humidity is ideal for melons. With such climatic requirements, it should not be surprising that in the United States, all but a few varieties are grown only in the south. Florida, Texas, Georgia, and California are the leading domestic producers.

Melons are ready to harvest about 70 to 120 days after seeds are sown. The ripeness of honeydew melons is determined solely by rind color. A change in color from predominantly green to predominantly white indicates the melons are ready for harvest. The maturity of cantaloupe is indicated by a thick, raised netting on the surface. In contrast, the ripeness of watermelons is difficult to judge; however, mature melons tend to have a hollow ring, the spot on the melon that touches the ground turns from white to yellow, and the leaves closest to the fruit dry and turn brown.

How to cook melons

Unripe melons can be ripened in a paper bag at room temperature. Because some melons readily absorb the odor of other foods even when uncut, they should be wrapped with plastic if kept in the refrigerator for more than a day. Melons keep well in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

Most melons can be used interchangeably in a variety of ways. They can be sliced and, if desired, the flavor can be enhanced with lemon or lime juice. The flesh can be cubed or scooped out and mixed with other fruits to make a salad. Puréed melons also make toppings for ice cream and can be used as a base for cold soups. Watermelon is always eaten fresh or pureed to make a refreshing drink. The rind is pickled to make a condiment, and in Asia the roasted seeds are eaten as a snack similar to sunflower seeds.

Nutrient composition

Honeydew melon is high in vitamin C and is a good source of potassium. Watermelon is high in vitamin C. Cantaloupe is high in vitamin C and is a good source of vitamin B6 and vitamin A. Watermelon is a source of lycopene, an antioxidant that may help protect against cancer.

• Nectarine
• Olives
• Orange
• Papaya
• Passion fruit
• Peach
• Pear
• Persimmon
• Pineapple
• Plum
• Pomegranate
• Prickly pear

• Grapes
• Guava
• Jackfruit
• Jujube
• Kiwi
• Kumquat
• Lemon
• Lime
• Longan
• Loquat
• Lychee
• Mango

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