Melons are large juicy round fruits, various members of the Cucurbitaceae family. They refer to either the plants or the fruits. They grow as vines. And though melons are fruits, some varieties are considered culinary vegetables.
Melons can be easily improved and cross-cultivated, resulting in many different new tasty varieties. When they ripen (normally marked by their strong, good smell), keep them in the refrigerator as they are best served cold.
Melons are great by themselves, though some people love perking up their flavor by splashing lemon juice, salt or liqueur.
Things to consider when you select melons:
- Was they picked too soon? Each variety has a certain color at maturity. If your melons aren’t at the right color, don’t buy them.
- Are they damaged? If they have soft spots, cracks or molds, choose the other ones.
- Are they ripe? Even mature melons may need a few more days to ripen fully. If melons you purchase are not ripe yet, leave them on your kitchen counter for a few days until they reach full flavor.
Ambrosia Melon
It looks and tastes like a cantaloupe melon. The flesh is slightly brighter orange though.
Cantaloupe Melon, Nutmeg Melon, Muskmelon, Netted Melon or Rock Melon
The most popular variety as it is very sweet and easy to select. A ripe cantaloupe has dull yellow background with raised netting. The blossom end should be fragrant and yield a bit when pressed.
Casaba Melon
It is not flavorful as other varieties, but it has fairly long shelf life. Its thick rinds make it is useless to smell them for ripeness test. Look at its color instead, it should be bright yellow. And then check the blossom end to see if it yields to gentle pressure.
Galia Melon
Sweet and juice, it is a cross between the honeydew and cantaloupe melons. It is quite expensive though, unfortunately.
Honeydew Melon
It has either green or orange flesh. As it ripens, it turns from green to creamy white to yellow. Avoid the greens, but a creamy white one will ripen on your kitchen counter in a few days.
Watermelon
There are about 50 varieties of watermelon you can find in the market. They all taste similar to each other, but vary in size, flesh color and whether they are seeded or seedless. Picnic melons are the largest, while icebox melons are round and compact.
Its rind should be heavy for the size, and it should also be free of bruises, soft spots or cuts. Look at the pale side of the melon; it should be yellow when it ripens. Seeded watermelon should have dark brown or black seeds.
Agricultural Biodiversity 
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