Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
ons because their skin is netted rather than scaly. Other than that, they're pretty much the
same, although their aroma can be a little more floral - hence the name muskmelon.
It's not really important that you know the ins and outs of all these different families - at
the rate that farmers are experimenting with new varieties, that's quite a challenge. What is
important is that you recognize the difference between smooth-skinned and rough-skinned
melons, because you select these melons in very different ways.
Rough-skinned melons are the easiest to choose, because they give you so many clues.
The first thing to check is the netting or scaling. It should be tan or golden in color and
definitely raised above the background skin, which should be golden in color, not green.
Some rough-skinned melons are also ribbed. In a mature melon, those ribs are more pro-
nounced.
Inspect the skin for the pale spot the French call the couche, which is the place where
the melon rested on the ground. It should be creamy or golden and pronounced, but ideally
not too much so. If there is no couche, the melon may have been picked too early. If the
couche is too big, the melon rested in one place for too long. Really good farmers turn
their melons so no single spot touches the ground for the entire time. A clean bellybut ton
is important, too. All rough-skinned melons are harvested at what farmers call "full slip,"
which means that the fruit slips cleanly away from the vine, leaving no trace of a stem in
the bellybutton. Any stem at all indicates that the fruit was harvested too early. One of the
best ways to choose a rough-skinned melon is also the most obvious: give it a sniff. When
fully ripe, these melons develop a heavenly, musky floral perfume that you can smell at
the other end of the produce section.
Sadly, the only one of these clues that works for smooth-skinned melons is the couche.
These fruits are devilishly hard to choose. They don't have netting, so you can't check that.
They don't "slip" from the stem, so the bellybutton is no help. And they usually don't have
a smell. You don't have to be psychic to choose a good melon, but you do have to be ex-
traordinarily sensitive. (Come to think of it, a little ESP couldn't hurt.)
The first thing to look for is color. This is extremely subtle, the difference between a
"hard" green or white and a more golden "creamy" color. If you look at several melons,
you'll see the distinction. When these melons are fully mature, they also develop a slightly
waxy texture.
The best indicator of quality I've found in smooth-skinned melons is what growers call
"sugar spots." These are brown flecks on the surface. Unfortunately, you'll see them only
