Camping by Little Grizzly Creek is a happy memory from my early childhood. We would load two pickups, my parents in one and my grandparents in the other, and head to the mountains just as soon as the peach harvest ended.
September was time for fun, and it was also time for melons! The first stop on the long drive was a fruit stand where my grandfather stocked up on his favorite, Persian Melons—giant cantaloupes the size of soccer balls. Next a stop at Belden for popsicles, dirt roads through the woods, a drive across Humbug Valley, a stop to drink at the soda spring, and on until we found the spot where the road fords the creek, always our place to camp. On our way home we had to get more melons of course, so we could enjoy them for a bit longer as summer gave way to fall.
Imagine my excitement last spring when I found seeds for my grandfather’s beloved Persian Melons in a seed catalog! They called them “Small Persian”. I remembered them being large, but the picture looked the same, so I ordered some seeds.
The Persians have been growing. All summer I’ve watched them and they are getting huge! Eat them ripe from the vine, or let them sit at room temperature a day or two to soften. So good!
OTHER MELONS, TOO!
We have other melons also growing beautifully in this end of summer weather. The Ambrosia Melon looks like a cantaloupe but is really quite different. A hybrid of cantaloupe and several other melons, its tender pale orange flesh is very sweet and flavorful, like a combination of all melons plus flowers.
A Galia Melon is a cross between an Israeli perfume melon (Ha-Ogen) and a Krimka melon. Similar in texture to an Ambrosia, they have luscious green and very sweet flesh. You’ll love them!
Primo is our go-to melon for traditional cantaloupe flavor. With its firm flesh and high sugar content, it is perfect for fruit salads or wrapping with prosciutto.
The Crenshaw Melon is elongated and smooth. Its dense but tender peach colored flesh is very sweet and slightly spicy.
Other melons to look for in September from our own Twin Brooks Farm include Casaba, Orange Flesh Honeydew, and watermelons. September should be delicious!