Melons come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors and there are several different types. Honeydew melons, cantaloupes, and watermelons are some of the most commonly eaten melon varieties in the summer. Yet, you don’t have to stick with these yellow or green melons if you don’t want to. There are several other types of sweet, juicy melons to try.
Melons have been grown for thousands of years, beginning in South Asia, Africa, India, and Iran. Melons are a kind of fruit belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. Melons come in a variety of shapes, from oblong to perfectly spherical. Melons come in a variety of hues, including orange, yellow, red, pink, and green.
Several melon types can fit in the palm of your hand, making them ideal for carrying. Melons of various kinds may grow to weigh up to 200 pounds (90 kg) apiece. Melons are among the sweetest and juiciest fruits you can eat, which is one thing about eating any type of melon. You’ll learn about a few of the most common varieties of melons available in this article.
Types of Melons (With Pictures and Names)
Vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients are all abundant in all types of popular melons. Melons are also beneficial for your digestive system because they contain a lot of water and fiber.
Muskmelons (a species of melon)
A kind of melon is Muskmelon (Cucumis melo). Cantaloupes, honeydews, casaba, and Persian melons are among the melon cultivars available in this variety. Smooth-skinned muskmelon varieties exist, but their green skin is covered with light to strong netting. Let’s take a closer look at 16 well-known and lesser-known types of melon.
Canary Melon
Canary melon has a mildly sweet flavor, is an indulgent variety of melon with a smooth golden skin. The yellow skin of this kind of melon looks like that of a canary bird, hence the name. Soft light green or yellowish flesh similar to a pear but with a much higher sweetness is revealed when you cut a Canary melon in half. In comparison to a honeydew melon, some people describe the flavor as mildly tangy.
The flesh of this variety of melon will be extremely juicy and succulent, with no sweet flavor, when it’s ready to eat. All of the salmon-colored seeds in this golden melon are located in the middle of the fruit, much as honeydew melons are. When a Canary melon is mature, it looks bright yellow with no green hints on it. You know it’s ready to pick. When the rind is completely ripe, check for a waxy feel to it. Melons from Canary Islands can reach a weight of 4 or 5 pounds (1.8 or 2.2 kg).
Cantaloupe Melon
Cantaloupe melons (Cucumis melo var. cantaloupes) are one of the most popular varieties. One of the most popular melon varieties is cantalupo) with its netted green and beige skin and delightfully sweet orange flesh. Around the late 1800s, this sort of melon travelled from Asia to the United States and Europe. The unusual peel of European and North American cantaloupes is what distinguishes them from other melons. Some cantaloupes have mesh-like patterns and dark stripes that may make them seem like basketballs.
A kind of muskmelon with a floral aroma is the cantaloupe melon. The light-orange flesh is wonderfully sweet and juicy, with a green rind. Chopping the flesh and eating it raw is the best way to eat these wonderful melons. The smooth silky texture and aromatic fragrances of green cantaloupes, according to many experts, make them unique among all the melon varieties.
Compare the weight of a fresh cantaloupe to that of comparable melons to determine how succulent it is. The more succulent the fruit, the heavier it will be. Ripe cantaloupes should be slightly soft to the touch and emit a lovely floral aroma. These 1-pound melons have a spherical shape and are green beige.
11 pounds (0.45 kg) to 5 kilograms. The Asian Cantaloupe, with lightly netted green skin and the Infinite Gold cantaloupe, with dark orange flesh, are two other varieties of cantaloupe melons. The Galia cantaloupe, with green flesh and a distinct banana aroma, is one of Israel’s types of melon.
Ananas Melon (a Variety of Muskmelon)
Unlike the cantaloupe, which has an oval form, muskmelons of the Ananas variety have a round shape. In several European languages, the name for pineapples is Ananas. These are very juicy muskmelons with pale creamy flesh and a smooth texture. The name pineapples isn’t quite accurate; however, the lovely pineapple scents that come from a really sweet Ananas melon are spot on.
Honeydew Melon
Honeydew melons have a pale green peel and flesh that is similar in hue to that of honeydew. When allowed to mature fully on the vine, honeydews are at their sweetest. Honeydews (also known as honeymelons) have silky smooth flesh and a wonderful flavor, making them a type of muskmelon. Honeymelons don’t have vividly coloured flesh, unlike types of cantaloupes. However, the fact that they are a delightfully sweet sort of melon remains unchanged.
One of the most common varieties of winter melons sold in North America is honeydews. Because they have a long shelf life and ripen slowly, this is the case. Gently press the blossom end of a honeydew melon to smell if it gives off a light fruity scent to determine when it is mature and ready to eat. Honeydew melons weigh between 4 and 8 pounds (1.8 and 3.6 kilograms) on average. These muskmelons can be found in shops all year round in several countries.
Watermelon
One of the largest types of melon is the watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), which has red or yellow flesh. The green skin of this fruit is striped with dark green lines. The rich red melon flesh is very tasty, and the thick rind protects it. Watermelons with red or pink colored flesh are the most common kind. Orange or yellow flesh can be found in some varieties, though.
While seedless watermelons are becoming more popular, most varieties of watermelon include a lot of seeds throughout the flesh. Watermelons are a huge melon variety, and they should be on the list. They may reach a diameter of 24″ (60 cm) and weigh between 20 and 51 pounds (9 and 23 kg) in rare circumstances.
Korean Melon
Korean melons are a yellow oval muskmelon with light stripes on the skin and light-colored flesh. They are a kind of small melon. Korean melons have smooth yellow skin and white, nearly transparent, delicate flesh, in contrast to many varieties of muskmelons.
Some describe the flavor of this brilliant yellow fruit as honeydew melons or pears, and it is very sweet. The skin on Korean melons is extremely thin, making it possible to eat it. If you want to eat the fruit with its skin, make sure to wash it thoroughly. Korean melons are particularly popular because of their distinct flavor, despite being a small variety of melon. A mature Korean melon might be around 1.5 pounds (700 grams) and barely 5 inches (12.5 centimeters) long.
Santa Claus Melon
Santa Claus melons are a huge oval green kind of fruit with pale-green flesh and a thick dark blotchy rind. They are a huge oval green variety of fruit. Others believe that the Santa Claus melon skin (also known as Christmas melon) has the form of a canary melon and is colored like a watermelon. Yet, certain types of this melon may have a greenish-yellow skin as well. The melon’s light green flesh has a honeydew melon aesthetic and a mild sweetness.
The color of the rind – yellower the color, sweeter the taste – is usually used to distinguish between sweet and bitter Santa Claus melons. You should gently squeeze the blossom end of this sort of melon to determine if it bruises slightly in order to tell if it is ripe. The aroma of completely ripened Santa Claus melons is limited due to their thick green/yellow skin. These enormous green melons may reach a weight of 9 pounds (4 kilograms).
Honey Globe Melon
Honey Globe melons are a round to oval fruit with pale green flesh and a large, white fruit. Green lines may be seen on the white melon’s webbed rind from time to time. When compared to other green and yellow melon varieties, this gives the fruit a very dramatic appearance. This kind of melon is considered to be of high quality and extremely sweet by many. And it’s Honey Globe’s delectable flavor that distinguishes it from other melons.
The light green meat is succulent and chewy, with a sugar content of over 15% making it one of the sweetest melons. The flesh is chewable and tender, and you may bite into chunks of Honey Globe melon. Honey Globe melons average about 4 pounds (1.8 kg) in weight.
Valencia Melon
Valencia melons are elongated ovals with thick dark green skin and pale white succulent flesh. The Valencia melon is a smaller version of the Santa Claus melon that originated in Spain. The flesh is sweet, tender, and very refreshing, with succulent chunks of Valenciamelon.
It has a extremely long shelf life and may be eaten into December and January due to its thick melon skin. The Valencia Winter melon is a name given to this variety because of this. A variegated Valencia melon is one of the rarest types. The thick skin of this melon variety has vivid yellow and black green patterns.
Sprite Melon
Sprite melon is one of the smaller varieties of melons with firm succulent flesh and a pale-yellow color. In North Carolina, sprite melons are now extensively cultivated. They are native to Japan. The Sprite melon is one of the sweeter melons available, in comparison to other varieties. Since the ivory-colored flesh contains 18% sugar, it is nearly one-quarter higher than other melons. With an average size of a grapefruit, it is one of the smallest melons you can purchase.
The yellowish skin has a delicate flavor that is similar to honeydews, as well as a netted-appearance. Cantaloupes and honeydews, on the other hand, can match this tiny compact melon when it comes to sweetness, as previously stated. A 1 to 1.5 lb. (0.5 to 0.7 kg) small type of melon is available.
Jade Dew Melon
Jade Dew is a sweet crunchy melon with pale-yellowish flesh. The delightfully delicious flesh of this medium-sized oval-shaped melon is covered by a pale semi-webbed rind. The Jade Dew melon has a firm crunch when you bite into it, unlike other cantaloupes varieties. A fully developed Jade Dew melon should weigh around 4.4 pounds (2 kg).
Crenshaw Melon
The hard rind of a Crenshaw melon is light yellow and green in color. The Crenshaw melon has an unusual shape when compared to other regular melons. At the blossom end, it is somewhat spherical, with a flattened bottom and a tapered pointed stem. The flesh of this light peach-colored melon is creamy, and it can be sliced. Crenshaw melons have a sweet flavor with underlying spicy notes. The average weight of a Crenshaw melon is 8 to 10 pounds (3.6 to 4.5 kilograms).
Sharlyn Melon
Sharlyn melons have the unusual webbing of many cantaloupes on their light-orange skin, and are a kind of oval muskmelon. Sharlyn melons and cantaloupes have different sweetness levels, which is one of the differences. The creamy, fruity, but not overly sweet pale orange flesh is a hit.
According to some, Sharlyn melons have a pineapple-like flavor. The skin tone of a Sharlyn melon when mature is one of the indicators. The skin should be thin and the meat should be firm when you press it. Sharlyn melons are one of the most popular melon varieties, with an average weight of 6 to 9 pounds (2.7 to 4 kilograms).
Snow Leopard Melon
The Snow Leopard melon has white skin with green patterns on it and is an unusual kind of melon. This type of small oblong melon has creamy white flesh that is very soft and extremely juicy. It is sometimes known as the Ivory Gaya. Snow Leopard melons are often described as having a honey and pear overtone, according to some.
A ripe Snow Leopard Melon should give off a strong melon scent and exhibit a little bounce when squeezed. When ripe and ready to eat, this little melon variety weighs around 2 pounds (0.9 kg).
Horned Melon
The Horned Melon (Cucumis metuliferus) has a strange form that is one of the most distinctive melons you’ll find. It has a vivid orange skin and delicate spikes. This kind of spiky melon comes from South Africa and is now grown in a number of nations. Kiwano, the African Horned Cucumber, jelly melon, and spiked melon are all terms used to describe it. The gelatinous lime-green flesh of a horned melon is packed with edible seeds when it is cut open. Horned melons have a fruity flavor that is surprisingly refreshing.
When it comes to texture, the Horned melon is unlike any other variety of melon. It has a passion fruit or pomegranate-like consistency, rather than firm tender flesh like cantaloupes or honeydews. It is one of the tiniest melons you can find, in addition to being one of the most unusual. The length of an average Horned melon is just under 3.5 inches (9 cm), with a weight of roughly 7 ounces (0.2 kg).
Bitter melon
Bitter melon (Momordica Charantia) is a kind of fruit with a bitter flavor, an extended shape, and a dark-green skin that originated in South India. This kind of melon comes in a variety of forms and sizes, and is cultivated in a number of ways. The long shape of the bitter melon cultivar in China is typical, but the ends are narrowed. This is a 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in) long bitter melon with light green skin that has somewhat rough skin.
The surface of the bitter melon cultivar is more rough than that of the Chinese variety, which has deeper ridges. It is narrower with pointed ends and grows in India. It’s a darker green color most of the time. Bitter melon cultivars with a small size of 6–10 cm (2.4–3.9 in) are commonly utilized as filled vegetables. In Asian cooking, bitter melon is a frequent ingredient.
bailan melon
casaba melon
Armenian Cucumber
Israel melon
Snap melons
Caravelle melons
How to Choose the Perfect Melon
When it comes to determining when a melon is mature and ready to eat, it isn’t always simple. Some melon varieties only ripen on the vine and get sweeter and juicier after being picked, while others stay sweet. Here are a few tips for selecting the finest melon every time:
- Inspect the skin To make sure there aren’t any bruises or soft patches,
- Checking the skin color It’s also essential. Honeydews should have a pale-yellow color, while yellow melons, such as canary melons, should be bright. Avoid green patches in the midst of the choices. Muskmelons and cantaloupes should have a light green, golden, or orange rind color beneath the beige-colored netting, depending on the variety.
- Check the weight Heavyer melons are more succulent and juicy as a result.
- Do the smell test Honeydews and cantaloupes, for example, are popular melon varieties that should have a fragrant, fresh aroma.
- Gently tap To ensure that the watermelons have a hollow sound,