Consumers spending more time at home enjoying meals with family combined with warmer days ahead makes the perfect match for fresh and revitalizing food, and nothing satisfies quite like a ripe, sweet melon. This year, think beyond the go-to watermelons and cantaloupes and try the vast lineup of unique and limited melon varieties at Sprouts. Shoppers enjoy our vast selection of fresh produce so much that it represents nearly a quarter of our business, and our strong, longstanding relationships with growers allow us to offer the freshest and widest variety of melons each season displayed prominently in the produce department at the heart of our stores.
One of those great growers is Five Crowns, run by a fourth-generation farming family that has been in agriculture since the 19th century. Five Crowns starts in the field when they plant melon seeds in winter so they can make the first harvest in early May. After the melons are picked, they are cooled to the optimal shipping temperature before they travel to Sprouts’ fresh produce distribution centers where they are tested for taste, firmness, size and weight to ensure the best quality product for shoppers to enjoy at home.
Ever heard of a Dewlicious or Lemon Drop? How about a Casaba or Crenshaw? Here’s a rundown of what customers can now enjoy from our stores this:
- Canary: Similar to a cantaloupe, but with a distinct sweetness
- Galia: The look of a cantaloupe with the taste of a honeydew
- Hami: Sweet, floral aroma with a firm and crunchy texture
- Lemon Drop: Tart and sweet in flavor with a hint of juciness
- Orange Honeydew: A sweet combo of honeydew and cantaloupe taste
Quantities of these melons are limited, so if you see them in store, try them while they last!
- Asaki: Bright yellow outside, crisp, sweet, and petite
- Casaba: Sweet taste and fragrance with a creamy green flesh
- Crewnshaw: Waxy skin with a sweet and tender taste
- Dewlicious: Yellow-gold skin and bright, almost white, interior with a sweet and refreshing honey richness
- Gaya: White flesh with sweet honey and pear flavors
- Korean: Delicate aroma with a flavor similar to a pear or honeydew and a thin, edible skin
- Santa Claus: Mellow and mildly sweet flavor with a succulent texture
Pick a Perfect Melon
When it comes to choosing the perfect melon, use your senses. A ripe melon will give off a pleasant, fresh aroma, and if it feels heavy for its size, that means it will likely be sweet and perfect for eating right away.