'Sensation' melons When flipping through seed catalogs every winter, I feel like a kid in a candy store. It's easy to get taken in by glossy pictures and raving descriptions of new and exotic-sounding produce. I like to try a few new varieties of one thing or another every season, and it takes a fair amount of restraint to keep that to just a few, a very few. We never know if a new variety will grow well, how it will produce, if it will sell, or if it even tastes good. We get about an equal share of winners and losers every time, , so we aim to keep the trial areas of the farm to a minimal amount of space.
I got suckered in by a new variety of melon this year called a 'Sensation' melon. It's an undefinable sort of melon, neither a cantaloupe, a honeydew, nor a watermelon. About the size of a large cantaloupe, the fruits have a bright yellow rind and soft, white flesh. We found a ripe one late last week in the field, and dug into it on the spot with a pocket knife...it tastes for all the world like the best soft perfectly ripe pear you ever ate with just a hint of spice, maybe cinnamon. And I immediately wished I'd planted more than one short row. This new variety's definitely a keeper! Quantities are limited now, but we'll be planting many more of them in future summers for sure. And please do let us know how you like them!
There are still plenty of regular red watermelons available, but this week we also have one of my favorites of the melon season - 'Orangeglo' watermelons. These are huge 20 to 30 pound melons, with a fabulous texture and flavor. I think I might have a slight addiction to summer's orange-y bounty. Whether it's orange Sungold cherry tomatoes, orange Kellogg's Breakfast heirloom tomatoes (lots of them this week, too), or Orangeglo watermelons, everything orange seems to be my favorite. Orange you glad summer fruits come in so many flavors and colors?
'Kellogg's Breakfast' tomatoes
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