Nothing announces summer like the arrival of sweet, juicy melon. While there’s no substitute for farmers’ market produce any time of the year, melons in particular shine when sun-kissed, vine-ripened and freshly harvested. In season from summer’s peak into the fall, melons range wildly in flavor, color and texture. Feel free to substitute sweet and apricot-like Charentais; crisp, citrusy Canary; earthy, full-bodied muskmelon; or delicate, honeyed Sharlyn for the cantaloupe called for in the recipes that follow. Sharlyn, with its delicate, melon-cucumber flavor, or juicy, tropical Galia can take the place of honeydew. The key to maximum enjoyment? Seek out super ripe, super juicy specimens. Generally, the heavier a melon is for its size, the juicier—and more delicious—it will be. In all cases, look for gourds with no bruising or punctures, and ripen all varieties at room temperature.
Ripe CANTALOUPES have a sweet, musky, tropical aroma, yield to gentle pressure, and are yellow-orange in color, not green. When shopping for cantaloupe, look at the stem end first: You don’t want to see the stem itself, as that will indicate the fruit was picked before it ripened fully. Rather, you want to see a slight indent, indicating the fruit came away from the vine easily when picked. A cantaloupe should feel heavy for its size. To check for ripeness, gently press the blossom end of the fruit (opposite the stem). It should give slightly, then bounce back. An unripe melon won’t have any give, and an overripe melon will stay indented. With HONEYDEW, seek out a melon that’s firm but not hard.
It should have a fruity, floral scent, and the rind should be creamy, yellowish-white in color, not pure green or white. Slight brown freckling on the melon is an indication of its sugar content, so the more freckling it has, the sweeter it will be. The texture of a ripe honeydew rind is often slightly waxy, although occasionally you’ll find a fruit with a netted texture, called “sugar netting,” and this generally indicates a high sugar content and great flavor.
Another indication of ripeness with cantaloupe or honeydew is through sound: Gently thump on the melon with the palm of your hand and listen for a hollow sound. If you shake the fruit and hear a rattling sound, it’s likely the seeds have come loose and the fruit is overripe.
To pick the ripest WATERMELON, look for a slightly dull rind, not a bright and shiny shell. Then check the ground spot (the flat spot where the watermelon rested on the ground while growing), which should be cream or yellow and not white. A ripe watermelon will also be heavy for its size, as weight indicates high water concentration. When you thump on it with the palm of your hand, it should give off a heavy, dull sound. Seedless, Yellow, Sugar Baby and Moon and Stars watermelons can all be used interchangeably in the recipes that follow.
FLAVOR PROFILES
Honeydew – lush, nectarous, subtly floral, dewy, silky, honeyed
Cantaloupe – musky, sun-kissed, tropical, deeply sweet, velvety, floral
Charentais – perfumed, ambrosial, intensely sweet, succulent, apricot-like, rich
Canary – crisp, tangysweet, citrusy, bright, refreshing, pear-like
Muskmelon – heady, full-bodied, spiced-sweet, caramel-like, fragrant, earthy
Sharlyn – delicate, honeyed, lightly spiced, melon-cucumber, airy, citrus-kissed
Galia – juicy, piquant, citrusy-sweet, tropical, effervescent, honey-laced
WHERE TO FIND THE BEST SUMMER MELONS
For the best quality and varieties, shop at markets like Good Earth Natural Foods, Nugget and Palace Market in Point Reyes that feature the produce of local purveyors.
Or shop direct from the source by visiting the growers (below) at our many local farmers markets.
Barbagelata Farms
San Joaquin County
Marin Farmers’ Market, Thursday and Sunday
Coyote Family Farm Penngrove
Santa Rosa Farmers’ Market, Saturday
Feather River Farms
Yuba City
Marin Farmers’ Market, Sunday
Full Belly Farm
Capay Valley
Marin Farmers’ Market, Thursday
Krout’s Sunset Ranch Sebastopol
Santa Rosa Farmers’ Market, Saturday
Long Meadow Ranch
St. Helena
St. Helena Farmers’ Market, Friday
Napa Farmers’ Market, Saturday
Longer Table Farm
Santa Rosa
Marin Farmers’ Market, Thursday and Sunday
Healdsburg Farmers’ Market, Saturday
Neufeld Farms
Kingsburg
St. Helena Farmers’ Market, Friday
Star Route Farms
Bolinas
Marin Farmers’ Market, Thursday and Sunday
Ortiz Family Farm
Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa Farmers Lane Farmers’ Market, Saturday and Wednesday
Petaluma Farmers’ Market, Tuesday and Saturday
Novato Community Farmers’ Market, Tuesday
Tookey Farm
Alexander Valley
Healdsburg Farmers’ Market, Saturday
Triple T Ranch
Santa Rosa
St. Helena Farmers’ Market, Friday
Marin Farmers’ Market, Thursday
Santa Rosa Farmers’ Market, Saturday
