Mango Melon History

Well maintained strain, heavy yields of 3-4” yellow skinned and white fleshed fruits. Popular in Victorian times for making sweet pickles and pies. Highly recommended for making peach-like cantaloupe preserves. Originally developed in China and first grown in America in the 1880s. Almost impossible to find, extremely rare.

Growing Mango Melon Seeds

• You can direct seed or transplant melons into the garden between mid-May in southern Minnesota and late June in northern Minnesota.
• In the northern part of the state, melons planted in late June must be ready for harvest before mid-September, when frost is likely.
• Melons perform best in hot, sunny locations with fertile, well-drained soils
• Use compost and fertilizer.
• Form six to eight inch high raised beds  to speed soil warming and have good drainage.
• Plant the seeds ½ to one inch deep.
• Sow 2 or 3 seeds in groups 18 to 24 inches apart.
• Space rows 5 to 6 feet apart.
• After the seedlings emerge, choose the strongest plant in each group and remove the others.

Preserving And Storing Melons

Once you’ve eaten dried melon, you may be inclined to agree with Marco Polo that it is “sweet as honey”. When you dry slices of watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew or other melons, the flavors intensify. White or light green melon flesh may turn slightly brown when dried, especially if sliced thin and dried until very crisp, whereas orange and red-fleshed varieties better retain their original color.

Mango Melon Recipe

A hint of cardamom provides an aromatic twist to this refreshing drink. Adjust the amount of honey depending on the sweetness of the melon

Melon Nutrition

A one-cup serving of cantaloupe has only 53 calories, but it contains 106 percent of the vitamin A daily value and 95 percent of vitamin C. It’s also a good source of potassium and folate. A cup of honeydew has 60 calories, 51 percent vitamin C daily value and 11 percent of potassium. Honeydew also contains some fiber, folate and vitamin B6. Watermelon contains the least amount of calories, coming in at 46 calories per one-cup serving. However, it’s loaded with the antioxidant lycopene, which is linked to decreased risk of cancer, heart disease and age-related eye disorders, and contains a good amount of vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium.

Other Melon Varieties Worth Checking Out

 Ancient 

 Black Diamond