New Cantaloupes, Same Great Flavor!
New Cantaloupe Varieties Mean New Rules When it Comes to Selecting the Perfect Melon
A lot has changed in the cantaloupe world! Plant breeders are constantly working to improve cantaloupe varieties to give you the best eating experience possible. For the past few years the cantaloupe industry has been working to develop new varieties that have longer shelf life, which helps reduce food waste, while also preserving that same great cantaloupe flavor we all know and love!
The main type of cantaloupes once grown in California were known by cantaloupe farmers as ‘Western Shippers.’ Western Shipper cantaloupes have a very sweet fragrant smell and they produce ethylene. Ethylene is a gas some fruits release that causes them to ripen faster, and therefore spoil faster. In an effort to reduce food waste, fewer Western Shippers are being planted every year. For the 2022 season, only a very limited quantity of these Western Shipper cantaloupes will be available for sale and only in the earliest part of the California cantaloupe season which begins in May.
For most of the California cantaloupe season, consumers can expect to see ‘newer’ cantaloupe varieties. These newer varieties don’t ripen much differently from the older varieties, other than the fact that they don’t emit ethylene, which gives them a longer shelf life. This also means that they don’t give off the same traditional, sweet melon smell, even though they typically have higher sugar content than the old varieties.
You won’t see them labeled as such in stores, but cantaloupe farmers refer to these new varieties as LSL (Long Shelf Life) and ESL (Extended Shelf Life). While ESL and LSL cantaloupes have really great flavor, you may notice their flesh is firm and their exterior shell is harder. But don’t worry, this is exactly how these cantaloupes are bred (using cross pollination, NOT GMO). Firm flesh and hard shells are part of the reason these new varieties last so much longer!
With old cantaloupe varieties consumers were told to always look for a slipped stem (we’ll explain this later), cream color and a fragrant sweet smell. And while a slipped stem and cream color is still sometimes true for new varieties there are also additional ripeness indicators you can look for when picking out new cantaloupe varieties available in stores today.
How to Pick a New Variety Cantaloupe:
Color
While a cream color is always a good indicator of a mature melon, new varieties may often have a somewhat green hue. Don’t be deterred by a slightly green cast on new variety cantaloupes
Cracking
Normally something you might consider a defect is actually a sign of ripeness when it comes to today’s cantaloupe varieties. If the ‘blossom end’ (the end opposite the stem) is beginning to show a bit of cracking, this is a very good indicator of ripeness. Another sign of ripeness, this blossom end will be somewhat soft to the touch, meaning it gives slightly when pressed gently with the fingers.
Stem
When the older “Western Shipper”cantaloupe varieties reached peak maturity in the field, the stem naturally slipped away from the cantaloupe. Back then, we were told to look for a smooth end with no remnant of a stem as the best indicator of cantaloupe ripeness. Newer cantaloupe varieties may slip away from the stem, but they are also just as likely to have a bit of stem left on the melon. A mature melon that does still have a stem attached will have some netting growing up the stem. Netting is the raised net-like texture on the shell of the cantaloupe.
Confidence in Quality
While new and old cantaloupes may have some different qualities, one thing consumers can count on is that same wonderful, sweet cantaloupe flavor. The California Cantaloupe Advisory Board has ensured this by setting a minimum sugar requirement for cantaloupes to give consumers a good eating experience.
What this means is that California cantaloupe farmers are required to test their melons for sugar content before they harvest. They do this by measuring brix, which is a measurement of sugar content.
California cantaloupes must have at least 12 brix when they are harvested. However, many new cantaloupes are actually harvested at close to 14 or 15 brix! Meaning you can expect a very sweet eating experience! The sugar requirement is enforced by the California Department of food and Agriculture for all cantaloupes produced in California.
Thanks to this quality testing you can have confidence when it comes to picking out the perfect cantaloupe in stores.
New Cantaloupe Highlights and Benefits
Reduce Food Waste
As the name indicates, new Long Shelf Life and Extended Shelf Life cantaloupes help reduce the amount of food that gets thrown away in grocery stores because of their extended shelf life. These varieties last longer because they have harder exteriors and firmer flesh than old varieties.
Constant Improvement
The cantaloupe world is in transition. Plant breeders are constantly working to not only breed new varieties that last longer, but that also taste better. That means that consumers can expect cantaloupes to get even better with time! Please note that today’s new cantaloupe varieties are NOT produced using genetically modified breeding techniques, but are done using traditional cross pollination methods for varietal development.
Last longer
Thanks to the extended shelf life of new varieties, you can expect them to last up to three weeks in the refrigerator or up to one week on the counter! Just remember to always refrigerate cantaloupe after cutting it.