In addition to serving as a pick up location for the Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative (LFFC) Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), we also sell their locally-grown produce in our Organic Produce Department. This information about melons comes directly from LFFC’s fresh and informative email newsletter, The Compost. Here are some useful tips about the sweet, sweet melon season that we’re currently enjoying.
With melon season in full swing, this post is all about these sweet juicy gems. Indulge in the flavors, facts, and recipes that we gathered here for you, and you’ll surely find your experience anything but melon-choly!
Nutritional Benefits of Melon![Watermelon Pile]()
- Packed with Vitamin A + antioxidants: promotes healthy eyes and skin!
- Good source of potassium: a popular workout snack companion
- Good source of Vitamins B and C as well as mineral Manganese: all help build the body’s natural defense mechanisms
- They are also surprising low in calories, so snacking is guilt-free!
The Art of Harvesting a Ripe Melon
Little do many of us realize, it is actually quite the art form knowing exactly when to pick melons from the vine to ensure they are ripe. Once they have been harvested, they may grow softer on the inside over time if they are still a bit under ripe, but they will not continue to sweeten. Here are some of the techniques our farmers follow to ensure it is the right time to cut those babies free:
- Keep track of when they were planted. Melons take on average around 80 days to reach maturity, with each variety varying slightly. Once you are around a week within the maturation date, start checking for ripeness in the field.
- Check the underside of the melon that is resting on the ground. Carefully and without putting stress on the stem, see if the spot touching the ground has started to turn yellow or cream in color. If it is still white or light green, it’s probably not quite ready. Some cantaloupe slips right off the vine when ripe!
- Check the nearest tendril on the vine. Melon vines send out tendrils to help support their sprawling growth. If the tendril has started to brown and wither while the rest of the vine and leaves are still green, the fruit is most likely ripe.
- Thump, sniff and touch the melons. These techniques are learned through experience and the “art” behind it all. If the fruit makes a dense hollow thud sound when smacked or knocked, if it smells sweet by its base, and if the firmness feels full with slight play, then the melon is usually ripe.
- Remember that all melons are one of a kind! The variety, weather, moisture, and soil content are all main contributors that will affect when the fruit will reach peak ripeness.
Not Sure What to do with Your Melon?![honeydew]()
Check out the couple of recipes featured in this newsletter as well as the following fun ideas:
Hot Sauce Watermelon Gazpacho Recipe
100+ Ideas on How to Use Watermelon from Pinterest
Pesky Melon Seeds? No Problem!
They are completely safe to eat and actually have their own health benefits! Enjoy reading this article from the Huffington Post, “Why You Should Be Eating Watermelon Seeds, Rather Than Spitting Them Out.”
Thanks for supporting local farmers! You’re One in a Melon to us!
The post You’re One in a Melon! appeared first on Harvest Market Natural Foods.