My perennial summer rant: watermelons

[fatelk]

Who here likes seedless watermelons?

I remember eating watermelon growing up, big old 40lb melons full of seeds. One of the good things about summer. Nowadays I can't buy anything but these small round seedless things with no flavor. They seem to range from bland to mediocre. We still buy one once in a while because the kids like them.

We bought one a few days ago and I cut into it to find a bunch of black seeds. Then I took a bite. Wow! That's what a watermelon is supposed to taste like!

I just can't understand who even buys the flavorless seedless ones? People who've never tasted a real one, or maybe don't have tastebuds?

[DerekP Houston]

we buy them off the side of the highway when driving to the lake. Those small seedless ones is the grocery store might as well be decoration for all i care, they don't taste like anything. I prefer the seeded variety myself as well. 'hempstead watermelons' are supposedly the good ones here.

[rockrat]

At one time, lived not too far from Rush Springs, OK. Man, those Black Diamond watermelons were so good, as were the Crimson Sweet. Grandad taught me how to pick out a ripe one. He knew enough farmers that sometimes we go to go out in the "patch" and pick our own off the vine.
When the family would go back to OK to visit relatives, I would take the little ones by Rush Springs during watermelon season and get a few and put them in an ice chest to cool off. When cool, we would eat the heart out of the melon!!! Good memories there

[nannyhammer]

Took several trips to pick black diamonds and crimson sweets along the Arkansas River near Blackwell, OK. Grandpa would load up the pickup and we'd head off to our town to sell. By far the best watermelons I've ever found anywhere.

[Hogtamer]

Cordele Ga used to be called watermelon capitol of the world and my Gdaddy was manager of the farmers market there foe a number of years. It was the hub for all melons that came off the last couple of weeks of June as they had to up north by July 4th. The big round dark color melon was the Congo, yep 30-40 lbs. Deep red color meat and generally sweetest of all. The long light melons with dark stripes were Charleston Greys Not as sweet but thicker rinds for shipping and looked more what folks thought watermelons ought to look like. Both had long rows of big black seeds. All boys had watermelon seed spittin contests too. Acres and acres of trucks weighed in and lined up under sheds waiting for the northern buyers to come by. They would pick out a melon or two, cut it on the dock for inspection before buying the load. thousands of trucks, cantaloupes too that you could smell a long way off. G'daddy made me at about age 12, the "pigeon control officer." A single shot .22 with all the rat shot I could tote to keep the messy pigeons outta the rafters of the sheds. It was a job I took seriously! And the farmers and truckers never batted an eye when I'd pop off, even point one out to me! Or maybe I just spent a few years in heaven. It sure was different times then. In fact pigeons got so bad in the area they closed off some of the downtown areas one Saturday afternoon (officially) and local bird hunters were inviteded to come shoot pigeons in downtown! Daddy and I stood out on main street in front of my Gmothers little business, Ila's Tots, shooting pigeons just like a dove shoot. That may be hard for young folks to believe but in the mid 60s.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I have a close friend, who is a veggie farmer, usually has about 1 or 2 acres of watermelons.
you can't even compare a grocery store seedless watermelon, to a local grown, vine ripened watermelon.
Crimson Sweet is probably my favorite, Sangria is another variety that is even better, but for what ever reason? the Seed is difficult to get and when you find it, it's kind of expensive, so my friend doesn't grow them anymore.

[MaryB]

Just ate a slice of seedless, I yearn for the days of real watermelons...

[Oily]

I live in a small town in NW Oklahoma called Ringwood. We too used to be called watermelon capitol of the world back in the 30s or 40s. We live in the Cimarron river valley with sandy soil and rolling sand hills. Perfect for growing watermelons. In the dry years it seemed like the melons were sweeter. Black Diamonds were king and some would come in over a hundred pounds. My dad at age 13 worked in town loading boxcars with melons to ship out of state. We had a annual watermelon festival and dance where they would block off main street and have all kinds of activities for the kids and you could actually walk around at the dance with a cold one in your hand. Most of that is gone but we still have 2 or 3 roadside stands that still sell melons. Times have changed but the sweet taste of a vine ripened melon has not.

[buckwheatpaul]

Have had both types but prefer the ones my neighbor grows.... in the wonderful world of watermelons: seeds = taste! I really like the old yellow meat watermelons but my wife does not care for them so I generally wind up with the old rattlesnake watermelons and celebrate life!

[farmerjim]

I grow Starbrite melons. Avg 25 pounds. I have grown many other varieties, but starbrite is just a good yielding sweet melon. If they don't get much water the last week or 2 of growth, they are sweeter.

[OS OK]

My greatgramma, Mother Minnie (hailed out of Missouri) made jelly out of the white rind...when ready it was a pinkish color and it was a favorite of all.

Our favorite mellon was the Texas Striper, we didn't know any other name to call them by...and the best had yellowish bottoms from vine ripening.

[Side by Side]

i AGREE

[HABCAN]

Hogtamer, Post #5...............pigeon shooting downtown? Yeah, BTDT, in TORONTO, Canada in the '60's. The times they have changed!!

[jdfoxinc]

And here I thought you were going to talk about their value as target's.

[imashooter2]

Grocery store fruit in general is a pale shadow of what most of us grew up with. It is all bred and shipped for durability now. Flavor doesn't enter into the equation. Last week at the market they had "tree ripened" nectarines, at a 90 cent a pound premium over their standard nectarines. They were hard as golf balls. Garbage. Red does not equal ripe.

[farmerjim]

"Red does not equal ripe." Look at the bottom color to determine ripeness. Different varieties have different color at ripeness. I grew peaches and nectarines (250 trees) for 10 years. A tree ripened peach or nectarine is a treat to behold.

"And here I thought you were going to talk about their value as target's."

R Lee Ermey's arch nemesis.

[Ole Joe Clarke]

Back in the day, when we had a garden, I grew some Charleston Grays. Sure were good.

[Hogtamer]

To determine if the melon is ripe, look at the "curl"on the stem that attaches to the vine. It is all brown of the melon is really ripe.

[William Yanda]

On my bucket list is:

* Chill a large watermelon, split and eat the center, ignoring the seeded portion.

[KCSO]

Norfolk Nebraska watermelon capitol! There is a farmer parked here and there all through town, fresh farm grown balck diamond and Norfolk mellons. This time of year I eat melon and pee with a smile. Love them pisspunkins.

[3leggedturtle]

I had a friend that grew watermelons in southeast MN, used to eat 2-3 a week. They were big, juicy and tasty. I dread having to buy one in the store. Todd/3leg

KCSO, I used to stay at the truck stop at Norfolk quite a bit, on my way to North Platte via Broken Bow.

[Freightman]

The seedeless were $4.77 small round the regular stripped were $1.98 bought Two the regular were locally grown. Much better the other seedless are justba steap above sawdust.

[DerekP Houston]

ain't it funny how cheap you can get one in the store? I'd rather pay twice the price and get one that actually tastes like something. I like the long striped ones myself, ain't seen any others commonly available.

[Gewehr-Guy]

And I thought Forestburg, SD was the watermelon capital of the world, at least thats what the melon stand's signs all said. They catered heavily to the South Dakota state fair in Huron, everyone leaving loaded up on melons and sweet corn and headed home.
Now I remember my Grandmother would make watermelon rind sweet pickles, my favorite as a little kid. The dirty thirty's in SD taught them to waste nothing.

[Hannibal]

Watermelon and tomatoes. 2 produce section items at the grocery store that are best left at the grocery store.

[Freightman]

Tomatoes from the store taste like wood.

[DougGuy]

DANGIT now y'all got me wanting a melon! I am going to have to trek out to our local 24hr grocery and get me one. Know what is AWESOME on watermelon and canteloupe? Blue Cheese or Ranch dressing!!!!

[Thundarstick]

I walk out to the garden, pick a big Black Diamond, wash it, put on ice about 4 hours and spit seeds! O,yea!

[PaulG67]

Spitting a watermelon seed is one of the great pleasures of life, I haven't spit a seed since those damn tasteless seedless melons arrived on the scene, a seedless melon needs a ton of salt just for the tiniest bit of flavor.

[Hogtamer]

Forgot about the Jubilees! And Doug, a slice of good cantaloupe taken with a bit of shaved tasso or prosciutto is heaven on a plate.

[DougGuy]

Forgot about the Jubilees! And Doug, a slice of good cantaloupe taken with a bit of shaved tasso or prosciutto is heaven on a plate.

I have Tasso and I got some thin sliced Jamon Serrano! Haven't found the good canteloupe yet!

[fatelk]

Tomatoes, forgot about that. I've never been a big tomato eater, but a friend gave us a bag full of big, juicy, ripe tomatoes a couple years ago. They were so good I could eat one like an apple. It's just amazing how you can get used to mediocre, tasteless fruit, then get a taste of the real thing and are reminded how it's supposed to taste.

Funny thing, I rant about how we can't get good watermelons any more, and today my wife brings home a nice seeded one from Walmart that was actually pretty good.

[ARKLITE881South]

When i was a kid in Kansas, my dad would go down the ice plant, get couple of blocks of ice, bring it home, chop it up put the ice and a big old watermelon in a old double handled zinc wash tub. Let it soak for about 3 hrs, I've got a picture of me in that old zinc tub with ice and a big melon floating in there with me. :) Those WERE the good old days!!

[rockrat]

How about a watermelon picked fresh from the field and taking it to the truck and breaking it open and eating the heart out of it??? Farmer didn't mind, quite often he was the one breaking it open for us. Ahh, memories of childhood long, long ago.

[mold maker]

Breakfast this morning included home grown tomatoes and cantaloupe with eggs and sausage. Heaven on a plate.
Picking a sweet cantaloupe is an art not many understand. It has to do with color and choosing a female. The blossom end has to be a large button as opposed to a small one.

[starnbar]

We still drive to ruskin fl to get watermelons the long striped ones they still taste just like they did when my dad would drive out to get one. I usually get a few onions too they are just as sweet as the vidalias.

[DerekP Houston]

DANGIT now y'all got me wanting a melon! I am going to have to trek out to our local 24hr grocery and get me one. Know what is AWESOME on watermelon and canteloupe? Blue Cheese or Ranch dressing!!!!

we were always a salt on fruit family, quite tasty. I think I'll stop on the side of the road on my weekly commute back to ft worth this afternoon. Brought a fishing pole home last week so I'll camp out on the river and have myself a mess of a good time.

[DLCTEX]

Black Diamond, Jubilee, Rattlesnake, Moon and Stars, Charleston Grey, I can't remember the name of the yellowmeat ones, so many great ones that are never in the stores now, but are in my garden.

[HankBoman]

Ah, good tomatos. They cannot be found in any grocery store. My mom still grows the best I've ever tasted and every time I visit and she has some, I make a delicious tomato sandwich and wash it down with an ice cold Dr. Pepper.

[OS OK]

we were always a salt on fruit family, quite tasty. I think I'll stop on the side of the road on my weekly commute back to ft worth this afternoon. Brought a fishing pole home last week so I'll camp out on the river and have myself a mess of a good time.

I hope you have a good time Derek...camping by yourself, time to mull over your thoughts, listen to the night sounds..., hang a line in the river...don't get no better than that huh?
Don't worry about the 'River Bugger'...he ain't been seen in a couple of days or so... :bigsmyl2:

[mold maker]

If ya have maters and cukes, all you need for perfection is lopes and melons. I personally like Dukes on my maters but they go down alone just as well.
I think it's a Southern thing.

[KCSO]

I'ts the same with maters... store bought have no taste. Our first crop is in and we have been living off salad and BLT's. My favourite snack is a mater and a chunk of melon.

[bbs70]

Maters, cucumbers, sweet seeded melons.
God what fond memories they bring back, too bad kids these days will miss the taste of honest ones.
Todays maters from store crunches like an apple when you bite into them.
Seedless melons are completely tasteless.
Cucumbers are skinny and have very little taste, and about 1.00 each.
Sure miss the old days.

[jcwit]

Maters, cucumbers, sweet seeded melons.
God what fond memories they bring back, too bad kids these days will miss the taste of honest ones.
Todays maters from store crunches like an apple when you bite into them.
Seedless melons are completely tasteless.
Cucumbers are skinny and have very little taste, and about 1.00 each.
Sure miss the old days.

Don't know where you shop but up here in No.Indiana Ciukes run 5 for a buck!

Famers Mkt. Tomatoes cost, large size, a quart for $2.00. And boy are they good.

Farmers Mkt,yellow sweet melons????? can't be beat!

[mold maker]

The local farmer (tailgate at the market) has been my go to for years. This year he has a different name brand and their like a decorated stump. They're woodie and no flavor at all.
Went to a local produce stand and there was a whole table piled with as good a tomato as I've ever eaten. They remind me of the "Better Boy" that my Dad raised when I was a child. He also had cantaloupes as sweet as sugar and melons with taste.
Guess I found a new regular source. When I went back this morning he had a table full of fresh white cukes.
I'm ready to buy stock in his stand.