Cantaloupe

Muskmelon fruit The vast majority of what are commonly called cantaloupes are muskmelons. These are orange- or green-fleshed melons that have netted skin. They also “slip” from the vine when ripe, as discussed below under harvesting. True cantaloupes do not have netting on the rinds and are not very common in the United States.

Cantaloupes are a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, which includes summer and winter squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, watermelons, and gourds. Individual plants most commonly produce either separate male and female flowers or male and perfect (having female and male organs) flowers, and fruit size varies from 3 to 7 pounds. Fruit shape and appearance are quite varied, ranging from smooth or partially netted to sutured and heavily netted.

Cantaloupes were first cultivated in the Near East and were found growing in areas from Turkey to China, including north-west India, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan. Several cantaloupe varieties were reportedly grown in the West Indies as early as 1494. Cantaloupes were also cultivated by American Indians near the present city of Montreal in 1535 and the vicinity of Philadelphia before 1748. Commercial cantaloupe production did not begin in the United States until the 1870s and was initially centered in Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. Para información en español, visite este sitio web.