Muskmelon is the fruit of a type of plant that belongs to the gourd family. Muskmelons include cantaloupes, honeydew melons, and casabas. The melons vary in the color and texture of the rind and the color of the flesh. The flesh is eaten as a dessert or as a breakfast fruit.
The variety of muskmelon commonly referred to as cantaloupe in the United States has yellow-orange flesh and a yellow-brown rind covered with a tangle of ridges or netting. The flesh of a ripe cantaloupe is sweet and has a musky odor. It is a good source of vitamins A and C. However, scientists do not consider this melon to be a true cantaloupe. True cantaloupes grow in Europe. Their flesh is similar to that of cantaloupes grown in the United States, but the rind is harder and warty and lacks the netting.
Honeydew melons have a smooth, green rind and green or white flesh. Casabas have a wrinkled rind. Like honeydew melons, casabas have green or white flesh. These melons do not have the musky odor of cantaloupe. All muskmelons have seeds that are attached to a netlike fiber in the center of the melon.
Muskmelons require a long growing season. They have the best flavor and sweetness when grown in a hot, dry climate. In the United States, high-quality melons can be grown in almost every state. In cool areas, growers plant seeds in greenhouses and later transplant them to the field after the last frost. Seeds are planted in warm soil in rows about 6 feet (180 centimeters) apart. The plants are later thinned to one plant about every 2 feet (60 centimeters).
Most muskmelons grow on vines that creep along the ground. The leaves have three to seven lobes. Blossoms open for only one day, and the flowers must be pollinated that day for the plant to bear fruit. Honey bees, which are attracted to the yellow blossoms, pollinate the plants. As a cantaloupe begins to ripen, the rind lightens in color and the fruit begins to slip (separate) from the stem. However, most honeydew and casaba melons do not slip from the stem. Fruit growers cut these melons from the vine and then store them until fully ripe.
Scientists do not know for sure where muskmelons originally grew. However, many closely related plants originated in Africa and Asia, and many experts believe that muskmelons also originated there thousands of years ago. Muskmelons were introduced into Central America as early as 1516 and into the American Colonies by the early 1600’s.
