General Information
The Orange-Fleshed honeydew is oval to round in shape. When ripe its skin is white to pale yellow-green in color, similar to common honeydews. Its salmon-hued flesh, however, is more like that of a cantaloupe and is firm yet juicy offering a honey sweet melon flavor. When ripe the Orange-Fleshed honeydew will have a slightly sweet aroma and its blossom end will have a slight give when pressed. Unlike many other melons, the Orange-Fleshed honeydew will continue to ripen after being picked from the vine.
History
One of the earliest documentations of the Orange-Fleshed honeydew melon appears in the Aggeler and Musser Seed Company catalog in 1929. Aggeler and Musser declared the melon to be superior in terms of color and flavor and tie its parenthood to the cross of a common honeydew with a popular muskmelon at the time, the Tip Top melon. As a result of continuous hybridization throughout dozens of countries for centuries, there are countless varieties of melons. Due to cross-pollination and in order to grow true cultivars, melons must be planted far away from other varieties to avoid accidental new melon crossbreeds. The Orange-Fleshed honeydew’s cross-pollination was purposely and purposefully intended to improve upon the honeydew and cantaloupe; their best attributes developed and highlighted within a singular variety. For instance, the lack of a netted skin is preferable in this variety as it eliminates the risk of salmonella and other human pathogens that can be harbored in netted type melon’s skin.
