Melon - Sakata's Sweet

This was Sakata's Sweet a couple of weeks ago.    They stay small - just larger than a softball.

The one in the photo below is sitting in a regular sized cereal bowl. 

When ripe, they turn yellow-ish and the stem end of the melon starts to crack.

Unlike muskmelons, the stem does not detach when ripe - you have to cut it.    Three of these spoiled before I figured out that I was waiting too long to pick them.

The inside is green - like a honeydew.  The texture of the flesh is rather grainy but it is very sweet.

Delicious, if you like honeydew melons.

Cantaloupe Lime Mint Jam

I mentioned a few days ago that we had a nice crop of Sweet Passion melons and on the off chance that we couldn't eat through them fast enough I thought they'd make a nice jam. 

I was so right!

I made a jam that I tried last year - a recipe that I heard about from my lovely friend, Janiel. I researched it online and then came up with my own version.   It might sound a bit weird, but it's really good!   Even my melon haters liked it - K1 said it tasted a lot like apricot.    It looks like apricot, too.   Sunshine in a jar. 

I started making it and forgot that it was a pectin recipe, so I added the sugar to the melon puree right away.   You can't do that when you make jam with pectin.   You have to add the pectin to the juice and boil it, and then add the sugar. 

OOPS!   Not to panic!    If you ever add the sugar too soon, just get out a little saucepan and put a cup of cool water in it.   Put the pectin in the water and stir the clumps out [with a whisk, if you like.]   Then boil the pectin and water at a hard boil for 1 minute.   Pour the pectin into the first pot - with the juice/fruit and sugar mix.   Boil it all again, hard for 1 minute.    Continue as usual with your jam.   Easy fix.

These directions are for making it the right way.

Cantaloupe Lime Mint Jam

• 2 medium cantaloupe [5-6 cups, pureed]
• 3 T Ball pectin [1 pkg]
• 4 cups sugar
• juice from 1 key lime
• 3 sprigs of mint - about 3 inches long

Take the seeds out of the melon and scoop out the flesh into a blender.    Puree the melon.    Put the melon in a pot and sprinkle the pectin.   Turn on the heat and stir until you get a hard boil.  Boil 1 minute.   Add sugar, stir until dissolved, then add the lime juice and mint sprigs.    Return to hard boil.   Boil 1 minute.   Remove the mint sprigs.   Pour jam into jars.   Process 10 minutes for pints and jelly jars.    Makes 3.5 pints.

Melons

I grew a bunch of new kinds of melons this year.    Here is how they are progressing...

These are Sweet Passion.   So far they look like smaller versions of the typical American muskmelon, round and netted.   They'll be ripe in week or so.

These are Sakata's Sweet.   They're not getting very big - just a bit bigger than a softball and they're smooth instead of netted.

And these are Prescott Fond Blanc.    Baker Creek loves them, and as I am highly suggestible, I tried them.   They were the first to set fruit.    These are about 10" in diameter, sectioned and a bit warty.    I can't wait to try them.

I also planted Edisto, which is one of the best muskmelon varieties around, but it's taking its time and the fruit is still the size of a golf ball and hairy. 

Once these are all ripe, I"ll post more photos.