The arrival of summer brings a bounty of melons varieties in all sorts of colors and sizes. Melon flesh can be red, pink, orange, yellow green and white.
Melons are in peak season in California July through September
Native to central Asia, the melon plant has been around for over 4,000 years. There are nearly 40 varieties including Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, crenshaw, canary, casaba, sugar melon, Piel de Sapo and many more.
California Leads the Nation in the Production of Melons
Although melons are grown throughout the state, most of California’s crop hails from the San Joaquin and Imperial Valleys.
There are two main families of melons: those with rough, netted or reticulated rinds (muskmelons, cantaloupes, etc.) and those whose rinds are baby-smooth (such as honeydew).
The most grown varieties are Cantaloupes and honeydews, with the state ranking first in the nation in the production of both. California grows about 60-90% of the country's cantaloupe melons every year and 80% of honeydew.
Culinarily a fruit, melons are botanically a veggie. They’re in the cucurbit family related to cucumbers, squash, zucchini, and pumpkins.
Food tastes best grown in its own season
To find the sweetest and juiciest melons, check out your local farmer’s market. Look for dense, richly colored, and deeply aromatic melons in the summer. They’ll be in a whole different league than the bland ones often found at the supermarket.
Eat the Rainbow
Different colors of produce provide different health benefits and eating a wide range of colors maximizes the variety of nutrients we’re consuming. The most vibrantly colored fruits and veggies are also the richest in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.
Sweet and juicy melons are a quintessential summer fruit. Summer’s their prime time, with the most impressive harvest in terms of variety. The over 700 farmers markets in the state are overflowing with their abundance.
Let’s celebrate the season with all the melon colors of the rainbow!
Want Watermelon Recipes?
Here's how I use melon all summer long - sweet and savory style.
- Watermelon & Feta Salad — sweet, juicy watermelon and creamy briny feta. Ready in 20 minutes and you'll want it all summer long.
- Watermelon Gazpacho — watermelon, strawberries, tomato, jalapeño. The prettiest cold soup of summer.
- Tomato Watermelon Salad — sweet, salty, juicy, crunchy, and all the colors of summer.
- Watermelon Popsicles — watermelon, sugar, lime, salt, chile. The best popsicles you'll make all summer.
If you spot colorful tomatoes, bring them home and play. And I’d love to see — tag me on Instagram, @danielagerson, so I can see your tantalizing tomato creations.
There’s a whole wide world of colorful fruits and vegetables out there, and I hope this guide inspires you to play with more of them in the kitchen.
Let's make waves in the kitchen.
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