A guide to melons

Growers from Acadia Farms near Kununurra to Loveapple in Carnarvon ensure a plentiful supply in Western Australia but how much do you know about the melon family? Here are a few bites worth sharing about these beauties.

The name melon comes from the Latin melopepo.

• The ‘pepo’ refers to a type of berry. That’s right, melons – along with related fruit such as pumpkin and squash – are a specific type of berry that comes with a tough outer shell, or rind, flat seeds and pulpy flesh.

• They come in various shapes, sizes and colours, with different texture exteriors, too.

• The most common melons in Australia are honeydew, watermelon and rockmelon. The latter is known as cantaloupe in many parts of the world, after Cantalupo in Italy where early melons brought over from Asia were grown.

Melons belong to the cucurbitacae family, known as curcubits.

• This rather large family also includes cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini and squash.

• Most melons belong to the cucumis genus, which is broadly the fruity or culinary category that includes rockmelon and honeydew.

• Rockmelons have a sweet orange flesh and bumpier exterior, while honeydew are smoother skinned and have a firmer yellow-green flesh.

• Watermelons, part of the citrullus genus, are known for their vibrant pink-red flesh and are more than 90 percent water, which makes them a popular summer snack and fruit drink.

•  The winter melon, also known as ash or white gourd, is often used as a vegetable in cooking in Asia, as is the bitter melon, which is shaped like a cucumber and has a gnarly exterior.

They are trailing vine-like plants with large leaves and clinging tendrils.

• Melons love warmth, so if you’re planning to try growing them at home choose a well-drained garden bed with at least six hours of direct sunshine. They can also be grown in a greenhouse.

• Heavier fruit such as watermelon are best grown along the ground, but smaller varieties can be trained on trellises with the right supports.

• They take about 12 to 20 weeks to be ready for harvesting, depending on the variety. Ask your friendly garden centre for advice about the best time to plant and how to nurture them.

Melons have been around for thousands of years, though their origins are debated.

• They are thought to have come from Africa, where they were domesticated before making their way to Egypt 4000 years ago.

• There is evidence that melons were first brought to Europe during the Bronze Age by the Nuragic people of Sardinia.

• Studies have also shown melons could have originated in parts of Southwest Asia, including Iran and India.

• Wild watermelon seeds dating back to 3500BC were unearthed in Libya, but the Romans are credited with spreading the sweeter version of watermelons we know and love across the Mediterranean.

That they are delicious will not be news to you. Whether turned into a juice or added to a cocktail, shaped into little balls for a green fruit salad or mixed with tomatoes and goat’s cheese for a super salad, there are so many ways to enjoy our marvellous melons. Make the most of them this summer.