Melons

I love watermelons but hate canteloupe. Are there any other melons besides watermelons that don't taste like canteloupe? Thanks.

ants

Depends on what you mean by taste like cantaloupe. Most will have some similarity. The Asian crisp melons will have a crisp (crunchy) texture which I will describe as somewhat similar to a cucumber with sugar on it. Spanish melons also have a harder flesh with a somewhat different flavor than a cantaloupe (muskmelon). That will include canary, ananas, and toad skin types.

There is also many European and Mideastern Melons like casaba, canary and true cantaloupes. Casaba is a personal favorite. European melons have a smoother, creamier interior and a taste quite different from American cantaloupes. You may like these if you don't like muskmelons. Baker Creek has a huge selection.

There are also 'melons' that are actually melon relatives like African Horned Cucumber Melon AKA Jelly Melon (not to be confused with wild melons/gherkins that are toxic and purely ornamental).

Thank you. I don't really know what it is about the taste of cantaloupe that I don't like. Could you give examples of Asian crisp melons? Those sound good :) These are ones I am thinking about ordering. Anyone know what these taste like & what kind of melon they are?

Ananas pineapple
Boule d'or
Green nutmeg
Haogen
Sakata sweet
Toadskin

Thanks again.

ants

Sakata Sweet is an Asian crisp melon. Haogen is similar in flavor to Galia melon. tastes like a honeydew crossed with a muskmelon. Nutmeg is a green fleshed muskmelon, slightly spicy flavor. Toadskin (piel de sapo) and Ananas are Spanish melons, long season, firm whitish flesh, long shelf life.

Thank you. Would I have to keep these very far apart to keep them from crossing or can they be separated by time, like corn?

ants

Very far, They are insect pollinated so a half to a quarter mile. difficult to seperate by time because of the long season and long bloom time. Bagging blossoms is the best answer if you want to sav e seeds.

This message was edited Mar 12, 2010 7:25 PM

Thank you. I just finished reading some on bagging blossoms. Will have to try a few this year.

ants

Another name for some cantaloupe is "musk-melon". I guess some people can taste the musky taste and some can't. My husband doesn't like cantaloupe either, but he likes Honeydews okay.

Old thread, great info!

I just planted some Avara hybrid. Never tried them before. Outside looks like a cantalope and turns yellow when ripe. Inside green fleshed.

I love cantaloupe, room temp sweet juicy muskmelons with the true muskmelon flavor- not those crunchy undergrown green things you get on buffet bar. Favorite place to find- Charleston, Mo! Large as tetherball, pepper and salt and ripe. Yummmm, Honeydews are ok, but haven't found the ones that used to get soft before they were overripe, flavors were better.

rita, I think you mean Arava, a good Galia type. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/95867/ Flavor is more akin to honey dew than muskmelon, but it is a combination of the two. Grows like a muskmelon, slips when ripe.

Yes, that looks like it. I got my seeds from High Mowing Seeds.

http://www.highmowingseeds.com/organic-seeds-arava-f1-hybrid-melon.html

They call it Arava F1 Hybrid Melon. I like Cantalops, muskmellons, honeydews, watermellon. I like them all!

The slugs ate up most of my seedlings and I had only ten seeds to start with, so bummed. I only have two plants left. I bought more seeds and just started them but I am worried that it is too late in the season.

I had never thought of squash tasting like a cantelope especially those bannana looking things that most fix with brown sugar and butter. My tastebuds must have came from another planet or something?!! Cantelopes of course one of my favorites, honeydews ain't bad, and who is there that would refuse a summers day watermelon?!
I remember winter squash years ago when I tried some and that wasn't bad either!
And even still I don't believe I never never even knew an orange sweet watermelon existed till about ten years ago.The things that we miss or never get to try or do.......my oh my oh my,..........Gooodnesss .

I keep trying to grow a good melon though,well,..maybe someday I will get it right.