Also indexed as: Canary Melons, Cantaloupe, Casaba Melons,
Cranshaw Melons, Galia Melons, Honeydew Melons, Muskmelons, Ogen Melons, Persian Melons,
Prince Melons, Santa Claus Melons, Watermelon
Many melons are named after the regions in which they are grown.
Melons are widely available and grown in many parts of the world. In ancient Egypt,
watermelons were traditionally offered to thirsty travelers, and they are still important
today in times of drought or water pollution. Aromatic melon varieties were prized from early
times in the Middle East. Melons are related to cucumbers, pumpkin, squash, and gourds,
growing as they all do on long, trailing vines.
Varieties
Summer melons include the following:
Watermelon
This large melon can weigh from just a few pounds (about 454 to 1,360 grams) to up to 90
pounds (40.5 kg). It has a water content of up to 95 percent and is a popular summer treat,
eaten sliced, or cut into fruit salad. It wears a green rind (some varieties have pale green
stripes), with red, white, yellow, or pink flesh, and can be found in a round, oval, or oblong
shape, with seeds and seedless. The watermelon is said to be African in origin, with over 50
varieties in existence worldwide.
Cantaloupe
Called Charentais in France, cantaloupes have orange flesh and a distinctive taupe,
rough-surfaced rind, sometimes with green stripes. What Americans call cantaloupes are in
reality a variety of muskmelon.
Muskmelon
Also called netted melons, muskmelons are round, with orange flesh and a ruddy beige
“netted” skin. Several hybrid varieties exist that combine desirable
characteristics of the muskmelon and cantaloupe.
Cranshaw
This is an oval-shaped summer melon with a golden-yellow rind.
Winter melons (available in American markets, but imported from tropical climates) include
the following:
Honeydew
These melons have a smooth, pale-green to creamy yellow skin with sweet, pale-green flesh.
Honeydews can range in shape from round to oval and usually weigh from 3 to 6 pounds (about
1,362 to 2724g).
Casaba
Casabas are round or oval melons with yellow or orange skin that is green at the ends. The
flesh is creamy white.
Canary
Fragrant when ripe, these oblong melons have bright yellow rinds and sweet, off-white
flesh.
Persian
This variety looks like a large muskmelon. It has dark green skin with taupe netting and
firm orange flesh.
Prince
Similar to a honeydew in outer appearance, the round Prince melon has orange flesh.
Ogen
This is a small, round, hybrid melon created in the 1960s on an Israeli kibbutz. It usually
has green to yellow skin with juicy pink or light green flesh.
Galia
Also an Israeli hybrid, this melon has a beige rind and aromatic, light green flesh.
Santa Claus
This oblong melon has yellow skin with prominent green and black stripes. The Santa Claus
melon has a pale green flesh similar to that of a honeydew.
Buying and storing tips
Because melons are highly perishable, growers pick them early, making it difficult to
choose a flavorful melon. Choose melons that are heavy and free of bruises. Look at the navel,
where the stem attached, to detect mold, excessive softness, or evidence that may show when
the melon was harvested. If a shriveled stem is still attached, it was picked too soon. Melons
do not ripen after picking, and only keep for about two weeks after that, instead only growing
softer. A melon’s ripeness can sometimes be detected by a delicate aroma, or by tapping
it lightly for a hollow sound. Hard melons can be good if left to soften at room temperature
for a couple of days. Store ripe melons in the refrigerator and, if cut, be sure they are
tightly covered.
Availability
Although many melons are now available year-round, their peak seasons are as follows:
watermelon, May to August; cantaloupes and muskmelons, June through August; cranshaws, July
through October; honeydew and prince melons, June to October; casaba, canary, Ogen, Galia,
Santa Claus, and Persian melons, July to November.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Melons are often served for breakfast, as an appetizer, dessert, or snack. Larger melons
are sliced in serving-size portions; smaller melons are typically cut in half and the pulp and
seeds are scooped out before serving. Depending on their size, melons can be served in their
skins, halved or cut in wedges, or peeled for used in salads or appetizers. The flesh can also
be cut into cubes or scooped into balls with a melon-baller.
Nutritional Highlights
Melon (cantaloupe), 1 cup (approx. 11.5
balls)
Calories: 56
Protein: 1.4g
Carbohydrate: 13.4g
Total Fat: 0.45g
Fiber: 1.3g
*Excellent source of: Vitamin A (5,158 IU), and Vitamin C (67.5mg)
*Good source of: Potassium (494mg)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular
nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good
source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily
Value.
Copyright © 2004 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved.
www.healthnotes.com
Learn more about Healthnotes, the company.
Learn more about the authors of
Foodnotes.
The information presented in Foodnotes is for informational
purposes only and was created by a team of U.S. registered dietitians and food experts.
Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using
any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed
medications. Information expires March 2005.
| 
