With melons, there’s a restricted window for capturing the sweetest harvest. After an extended improvement interval, they ripen shortly of their remaining days to maturity. They do all of their sweetening on the vine and don’t proceed to ripen after selecting. So, to realize the very best taste and texture, understanding when melons are prepared to reap provides the juiciest reward.
Watermelons, muskmelons, cantaloupes, and “winter melons” like honeydew are lengthy maturing. It takes time to develop the hefty fruits with thick rinds and tender, juice-filled flesh. Melons mature in about 80 to 100 days (dwarf varieties typically earlier) and provide their refreshing enjoyment of mid to late summer season.
To rejoice among the finest harvests of the season, we’ve received recommendations on the best way to inform when your melons are prepared to reap.
Melon Fundamentals
Melons relish the nice and cozy season. Their optimum rising temperatures are between 70 and 85°F (21-29°C), and so they wither as temperatures drop within the fall. With delicate roots, they do greatest with direct sowing after spring’s remaining frost and when air and soil temperatures heat to the 60s (~16°C).
To get a head begin in climates with brief rising seasons or for an earlier yield, begin seeds indoors in biodegradable pots or soil blocks.
As melons belong to the Cucurbitaceae household with cucumbers and squash, they’re prone to the identical pests and ailments. It’s greatest to separate the group when sensible and to follow crop rotation. Companion vegetation and people with nectar and pollen-rich blooms promote pollination and entice predatory bugs.
Whether or not full-size or dwarf picks, melons are versatile throughout backyard scales. Relying on the variability, they take to vertical rising on a assist construction, which saves area and helps vine well being. Optimum rising situations for the cucurbits embrace:
Melon Harvest Timing
The primary strategy to gauge when a melon is able to harvest is to know the times to maturity on your selection. The seed packet signifies the variety of days it takes from sowing to harvesting a mature melon. Relying on the variability, they sometimes mature in 65 to 100 days. After flowering, it takes about 35 to 45 extra days for the fruits to develop.
The times to maturity are an estimate primarily based on optimum rising situations. Most of us can think about a number of additional days as a buffer for seasonal situations and climate fluctuations. At sowing, make an observation of your sowing date and depend out the times to maturity (or ask Google for “X days from at the moment” and add it to the calendar).
Since melons acquire all their sugars and juiciness on the vine, utilizing the times to maturity is a powerful indicator to make use of together with visible cues.
A Notice About Watering
Melons do greatest with constant moisture all through the rising season, however when peak ripeness nears, it helps to withhold irrigation a bit. As melons attain maturity, the fruits cease rising in measurement however proceed to soak up water. An extra of moisture uptake surpasses most capability, and the rinds break up open as they burst on the seams.
To keep away from a cracked melon after ready all season, scale back irrigation when the fruits are almost ripe. An excessive amount of water close to peak readiness additionally reduces sweetness. Because the melons attain their prime sugar content material, additional water dilutes the focus. Lowering irrigation simply earlier than harvesting helps stop splitting and maintains that optimum sweetness.
Indicators of Readiness by Melon
Not every type are alike in terms of bodily indicators that melons are prepared to reap. An underripe melon might be pithy, much less color-rich, and never as candy and juicy. An overripe one could also be mushy and off in taste.
Whereas it takes slightly experimentation, following a number of indicators for the kind of melon you’re rising is vital.
Watermelon
Watermelons provide a number of tell-tale traits once they’re prepared to reap. The primary qualities relate to paint, stem traits, and a sound or “thump” issue.
Colour
Colour is the very best indicator that your melon is able to harvest. Examine the “floor spot,” which is the stomach or underside the place the melon touches the bottom. When prepared to reap, the patch transitions from greenish-white to yellow or creamy white.
On darkish inexperienced and striped melons, the bottom spot might be deep to buttery yellow. On gentle inexperienced varieties, the spot might be lighter yellow.
Use the colour take a look at together with different ripening traits, particularly if working with a light-weight choice the place patch readiness isn’t as obvious.
Additionally, take a look at the general luster of the watermelon. Their shiny pores and skin turns into duller and tough when ripe.
Stem
Prepared-to-pick watermelons have a brown, withered tendril or “pigtail” tendril close to the principle vine. This browning curlique signifies a mature fruit that’s not twining and clinging because it grows.
This will get slightly difficult for some varieties, which can present brown tendrils earlier than fruits absolutely develop. The stems might brown as a lot as seven to 10 days earlier than maturity. Varieties like ‘Crimson Candy,’ ‘Sugar Child’, ‘Starlight,’ and ‘Yellow Doll,’ amongst others, exhibit dry pigtails earlier than peak ripeness.
Attempt to catch the melons because the stems flip and use the indicator together with different cues (an overripe melon additionally has brown tendrils).
Thump
The final indicators that melons are prepared to reap relate to really feel and sound. A totally mature melon ought to really feel weighty. It might plump on the blossom finish. The thick pores and skin might be agency and resist a fingernail poke. Fruits that “give” when pressed are overly delicate and could also be overripe.
When tapped, the fruit ought to have a strong “thump” noise. This takes follow and isn’t all the time correct, however a ripe watermelon ought to sound hole and uninteresting with the faucet of a finger. Unripe melons sound extra metallic and have a lighter tone.
Muskmelon and Cantaloupe
The melons we name “cantaloupes” are sometimes muskmelons. True cantaloupes are easy, inexperienced fruits of European origin. Each have a candy-sweet taste. Muskmelons are simply recognizable with their netted skins, perfumed aroma, and salmon-pink flesh.
Cantaloupe and muskmelon provide fewer exterior cues than watermelons in terms of maturity. One of the best measures are shade, scent, and “slip.” Really feel, too, is a useful information. The blossom finish ought to have a slight give beneath mild strain.
Colour
The melons are ripe when their authentic inexperienced pores and skin turns beige and creamy yellow. They’ll additionally present full netting (the textural webbing on the outside).
Scent
A frequent scent take a look at is useful when cantaloupes and muskmelons attain near-ripeness. They’ll have a recent fruit fragrance, particularly on the blossom finish (backside). The aroma adjustments shortly because the melon ripens, and when it shifts to acrid, the fruit is overripe.
Slip
If a cantaloupe or muskmelon is a “full slip” selection, it separates simply from the stem when ripe. The slip is the place the stem meets the fruit. If the slip is inexperienced and sealed, the melon isn’t prepared. If the slip is brown and separating from the fruit, the melon is ripe.
Give the spherical a take a look at pull. If prepared, it should pop off the stem simply.
With a non-slip selection, the gauge received’t be the identical. Non-slip sorts should be reduce from the stem. Colour and scent assessments are the very best indicators to test for optimum sweetness in non-slip picks.
Honeydew
Honeydews are a kind of “winter melon,” or these prepared late within the season. They’ve an extended shelf life for storing and having fun with within the fall and winter. They normally attain optimum measurement and taste in late summer season and early fall.
In contrast to muskmelons, honeydews have easy, inexperienced skins with out netting. They’re additionally much less fragrant on the vine and don’t separate from the stem when ripe. Minute cracks seem on the blossom finish when absolutely mature.
Colour
Honeydew and different winter melons (Juan Canary, casaba, crenshaw) transition from lighter to darker rinds, with inexperienced skins turning into extra yellow. Colour varies by sort from gentle gold to darkish yellow. You’ll additionally see a waxy, matte end at maturity.
Really feel
With the waxy end comes a slight stickiness when winter melons are prepared to reap. Like others within the group, they’ll additionally really feel weighty. With a delicate press of the blossom finish, you’ll really feel a slight yield. Pores and skin might be agency.
How To Choose Melons
Reduce the rounds from the principle vine with pruners or a pointy blade. Until they’re a “full slip” sort, they could lack the tendency to separate simply from the vine with a pull. Clipping helps scale back harm to the first stem. When reducing, go away two inches of the stem connected to the melon. This helps protect the fruit and shield it towards harm and illness.
Scout for delicate spots, rot, bruising, or pest injury, and toss any fruits that aren’t viable. Then, convey the juicy melons indoors to slice or retailer.
Storing
There are a number of storage choices on your completely ripe globes. Most complete melons final at room temperature for about one week and within the fridge for 2 to a few weeks. Honeydew and winter melons boast an extended storage interval, lasting three to 6 weeks at 45 to 50°F (7-10°C).
To increase their shelf life, hold melons away from different fruits that emit ethylene fuel as they ripen. This contains tomatoes, bananas, and apples. Cantaloupes, too, produce the fuel, so separate them from different melons.
Freezing
Flash freezing is a straightforward strategy to retailer all the surplus out of your productive harvest. When there’s simply an excessive amount of to eat recent, reduce away the rinds and take away the seeds. Reduce the flesh into items and prepare them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze them for a number of hours earlier than transferring to an hermetic container or freezer bag. Freeze the lot, utilizing it in desired parts.
As soon as thawed, the feel might be softer (mushier) and fewer candy however nonetheless refreshing. Use frozen melon in smoothies, gazpacho, or as a puree. Mix the fruit and pour it into ice dice trays to freeze as a puree. Then, place the tray in a freezer bag to protect.
Melon rinds are edible, too, and attractive when pickled. Homegrown varieties normally have thinner pores and skin than industrial varieties, making them well-suited to the pickling jar.