How to judge when melons are ripe?

LoreD · Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:40 pm

This is the first year that I did a lot of melons. I have Sucre de tour ( I think that's right), Canary, Tip Top, Angel, Amy, Honeydew, and Charantais. I'm getting a lot of melons and know how to judge when muskmelons are ripe but I don't know about the cantaloupes, rock melons, etc.

Do all melons slip on the vine when ripe?

LoreD

opabinia51 · Wed Aug 02, 2006 7:04 pm

I just give them a little squeeze and if there is any give, pick them off the vine.

Franco · Wed Aug 02, 2006 8:06 pm

By the way botanically speaking melons are fruits.

LoreD · Wed Aug 02, 2006 11:48 pm

Thank you, Franco. I did know that, just like botanically speaking tomatoes are fruits. I posted it here because I felt it was more likely to get a response rather than in the area with the apple and cherry trees.

LoreD

LoreD · Wed Aug 02, 2006 11:51 pm

Thank you, Opabinia. That was very helpful. Sometimes the simplest method is the best.

LoreD

opabinia51 · Fri Aug 04, 2006 2:26 pm

Give them a good smell as well, If they are sort of sweet. They are ripe..

Also, try the Casaba. It's a great melon.

Amigatec · Sat Aug 19, 2006 1:41 pm

LoreD wrote:Thank you, Franco. I did know that, just like botanically speaking tomatoes are fruits. I posted it here because I felt it was more likely to get a response rather than in the area with the apple and cherry trees.

LoreD

This was determined by the courts rather than the botanists.

Their was a tax on fruits and vegatables at the time. The tax was different on fruits than it was on vegatables. The courts deterimined that tomatoes are vegatables so that the higher tax rate could be used.

Amigatec · Sat Aug 19, 2006 1:45 pm

LoreD wrote:This is the first year that I did a lot of melons. I have Sucre de tour ( I think that's right), Canary, Tip Top, Angel, Amy, Honeydew, and Charantais. I'm getting a lot of melons and know how to judge when muskmelons are ripe but I don't know about the cantaloupes, rock melons, etc.

Do all melons slip on the vine when ripe?

LoreD

About 4 inches from the melon will be a small curly vine, when that vine dries up and turns brown the melon should be ripe. I am not sure if all melons have this but I know watermelons do.