If you’ve ever ordered a fruit salad, or partaken in one of those chopped fruit bins at a buffet, they almost always have large chunks of cantalope, and equally sized chunks of a delicious green melon type fruit. But what is that green stuff? I want to get some.
In my research I have learned that in Europe there are both orange and green cantalopes. But here cantalopes are always orange. So the green chunks must be something else!
Help this horticulturally challenged city slicker, please.
Most likely honeydew or casaba melons.
I think Casabas have pinkish flesh. Honeydew has green flesh.
“What is that green melon that comes in chunks?”
First off, as a city dweller, you might not understand that it isn’t actually grown in chunks 
OK, that’s the silly bit over; here is what appears to be a very informative site about melons, including some things that aren’t actually melons, but may be called melons - except that all the links appear to point at a page generically describing melons. Melons melons melons melons. The word means nothing to me now.
If you want a good melon, look for Orange-Flesh Honeydew melons. It looks like a honeydew on the outside, but has orange flesh like a cantaloupe. It has a cantaloupe flavor, but is much sweeter. Hands down the best melon I have ever tasted. They are usually only available in june and early July, but I bought one last week, so they may still be around.
Nice Melons!!
Interesting side note: What Americans commonly call Cantelope is almost always Musk Melon. It’s nigh impossible to get real Cantelope here. At least ,according to Alton Brown.
The produce stand near where I grew up sell these under the name “marigold melon”. They are delightful!
“But you don’t understand, Chunks is my dog!”
DAMMIT! I was going to post that! :mad:
The green melons on salad bars are definitely honeydew. According to this, honeydew and canteloupe are both muskmelons, as are casabas.
“I have a nose like a casaba melon.”
Just curious, have you ever had a Hand Melon? I think we have the only Hand Melon farm nearby. I could be wrong though.
I am not familiar with a Hand melon. I googled it, and all I saw was the Hand Melon Farm in upstate New York, but it appears that refers to the owner of the farm, John Hand, rather than his melons of all types.
Yes, Hand melons are from John Hand’s farm. They are an extra, extra especially delicious type of cantalope.
I’ve actually had people tell me that they’ve planned their Summer vacation road trips so that they could stop by here in August for the Hand melons.
I think the melons have been shipped to a couple of US Presidents as well.
Perhaps they’re “Ambrosia” Melons?
Hijack, I grew up within 5 miles of what I thought was the only Hand melon farm in Middle Falls, NY, just between Greenwich and Schuylerville. I worked several summers as a teen picking melons. There’s nothing like stoop labor in the hot sun to make you hate melons.
That’s the one. I live in Glens Falls. Small world huh?
More importantly, what’s gray and comes in quarts?