Tasty and Tantalizing Melons From Northwest Growers
Mid-summer has arrived, and with it, the luscious colors, flavors and intoxicating aromas we wait in anticipation for all year! Hefty organic Heirloom tomatoes, dramatically-hued eggplant, supple stone fruit and a favorite amongst OGC coworkers...Northwest-grown melons!
From netted to smooth, colossal to petite, and in alluring shades of pink, orange, red, green and yellow, there’s a sweetly flavored melon to meet every shoppers’ needs.
Familiar varieties like cantaloupe, green and orange honeydew, and seedless and mini seedless watermelon are joined by multiple unique, specialty varieties making for a line-up that’s visually appealing and deliriously delicious!
Learn more about these specialty varieties and the Northwest growers that coax these beauties from the earth of Eastern Oregon and Washington.
Charentais
Incredibly aromatic and richly flavored, organic Charentais is a French heirloom variety that’s found a legion of fans in the U.S. Featuring ridged skin with a familiar netting characteristic, and generally somewhat petite in size, this melon’s deep orange flesh is dense with a luxuriously creamy texture. Deliciously flavored, Charentais’ heady aroma is its true calling card, so give this melon a good inhale and enjoy its floral scent that’s pleasantly musky and reminiscent of tropical fruit!
Piel de Sapo
Originating in Spain, Piel do Sapo means “toad skin,” a reference to its mottled green and yellow rind. This variety boasts a long shelf-life and has thus also earned the name Christmas Melon for its ability to hold in storage well past summer! This honey-sweet variety isn’t likely to stick around kitchens for long, though! Its scrumptious pale-green flesh tastes like a combination of melon and succulent pear. The nose does not know best when it comes to Piel de Sapo, as this melon’s rind gives off almost no scent - even when fully ripe. Educate shoppers to look for a melon that feels heavy for its size with more prominent yellowing to its skin to determine ripeness.
Galia
A hybrid variety of muskmelon, organic Galia is known for its signature flavor. Its pale green flesh is described as tasting sweetly aromatic with notes of tropical fruit. Determine ripeness by checking the color of Galia’s rind. This variety’s netted skin turns from green to a warm yellow, indicating the melon’s sugar content is high. Give Galia a good sniff - this melon’s sweet scent is a great indicator it’s ripe and ready!
Canary
Sunny and bright, the yellow skin of an organic Canary helps this melon stand out in a crowd! Commonly found in Northeast Asia and some parts of North Africa, Canary is popular amongst North American eaters that crave it's succulent texture and sweet flavor. As it ripens, Canary’s skin begins to take on a waxy quality, and its aroma is punctuated with hints of pineapple and banana. A truly delicious and eye-catching muskmelon variety that shoppers will be thrilled to include in their grocery haul!
Snow Leopard
Its variegated alabaster and jade exterior distinguishes organic Snow Leopard melons from the rest of the pack! Not only is this melon flashy, but it is also simply delicious. Sweet and juicy with firm white flesh, Snow Leopard leaps effortlessly from the grill into a fruit salad or sliced up for snacking. Snow Leopard shares a similar flavor profile with honeydew, but with crunchier flesh that makes this melon satisfying to munch. Snow Leopard’s seeds loosen as it ripens, so give it a shake -- if you can hear loose seeds, it’s ready to eat!
Tuscan
Considered by many a gourmet cantaloupe variety, organic Tuscan melon shares similar but elevated traits with its common cousin. More elongated in shape than a standard cantaloupe, roughly netted and with green ridges, this orange-fleshed variety has a special way of telling you it’s ripe. The deep external ridges lighten from deep green towards yellow as the sugar develops, making a great indicator of whether the flesh inside is sweet and firm or softer and with a richer flavor. Delicious at each stage of ripeness, the heady aroma and luxurious flavor make Tuscan a favorite amongst melon connoisseurs!
