Cantaloupe History in Texas

[karstopography]

My BIL called me from his home in Southlake, TX a couple of days ago to talk about tomatoes. I asked him about his cantaloupes because I knew he grew some amazing cantaloupes last year. He told me that the town next to him, Grapevine, was once famous for cantaloupes that’s why he decided to grow them for himself. He’s got the same exact soil as the area of Grapevine famous for the muskmelon.

Grapevine once had 25,000 acres planted in Cantaloupe and produced more than 200,000 bushels.

https://communityimpact.com/news/2013/0 ... e-capital/

Dixondale farms, the very same one famous for onion sets, also grows cantaloupe with brix readings at 14.
https://texasfarmbureau.org/texas-canta ... ly-legacy/

Finally, the true king of Texas cantaloupes, the Pecos cantaloupe. https://authentictexas.com/melon-king/

[PlainJane]

Now that I’ve started I can’t imagine not growing cantaloupe. In fact I gave up eggplant space to squeeze more plants in.

[claire838]

Once you get a taste of a homegrown cantaloupe, it’s hard to go back. I mean the flavor is on a whole different level compared to store-bough

[worth1]

If you can't smell them they aren't worth buying.

[Danny]

The cantalopes from Pecos area and Midland are so good. I watch for them to be in season eagerly and yes, a bit greedily, Ha!

[PlainJane]

Once you get a taste of a homegrown cantaloupe, it’s hard to go back. I mean the flavor is on a whole different level compared to store-bough

That’s why I didn’t start eggplant this season.

[Shule]

It would be nice if instead of harvesting grocery store cantaloupe unripe to extend the shelf life, they would just breed some commercial winter cantaloupes. Same for watermelons, but it's really a lot more needed for cantaloupes.

I don't know that the industry is even aware that these things exist, however, but it could improve things a lot.

For watermelons, you can tell a winter type by eating the rind. The skin above the rind is considerably harder, but the rest of the rind, and the fruit otherwise seem the same. I'm not sure if C. melo winter types are like that.