Lemondrop melon?

[tracydr]

Has anyone heard of these? Is it a hybrid? I got some from the produce market. A very interesting and intense flavor. I was thinking of planting some of the seeds but won't bother if it's a hybrid.
Also, are most grocery store honeydew melons hybrids? Had one recently that was way above average and saved seeds from it, but again, won't plant it if it's likely to be a hybrid.
Thanks!

[Okie drifter]

I dont know...but would be interested in the honeydew seeds myself

[Denninmi]

I strongly suspect that most melons you'd buy in the grocery store are from hybrids, since seed companies spend $$$ breeding hybrids and their sales reps really push them on the growers. Much more profitable to sell your own proprietary hybrid than to sell the same open pollinated variety that every other seed company also sells.

[slovenemum]

never heard

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by tracydr

Has anyone heard of these? Is it a hybrid? I got some from the produce market. A very interesting and intense flavor. I was thinking of planting some of the seeds but won't bother if it's a hybrid.
Also, are most grocery store honeydew melons hybrids? Had one recently that was way above average and saved seeds from it, but again, won't plant it if it's likely to be a hybrid.
Thanks!

I first saw it advertised in the weekly flyer of one of our larger grocery chains here, maybe a bit over two weeks ago. So when Martha got my groceries for me I asked her to get one of those in addition to a standard cantaloupe.

I could NOT stand the taste of that Lemondrop one and threw half of it out, cut up the rest and put some in a container for further sampling and ended up asking Freda to throw it over the deck, but she put the cut pices on a table out there, the raccoons like some of my throwaways and the pile is the same size it was, so apparently my raccoons don't like it either.

I have no idea if it's a hybrid, I didn't Google it, but I don't think it'sa honeydew. Just look at the exterior and also the interior flesh and seeds which were hard as rocks, yes, it was ripe based on the exterior color, and dry flesh, nothing like a honeydew.

And yes, almost melons sold in the largr chain stores are hybrids; they ship better. That wasn't true when I was in Colorado andthose great melons from the Western Slope were trucked over with the peaches also/

I can't wait for the local farms here to have ripe melons. One of them is quite famous, called the Hand Melon Farm, who were requested to send some to the White House quite a few years ago, and still do.

OK, so I didn't like it all but others might.

Carolyn

[springfever]

Carolyn, I remember the huge melons that Sakata farms had there!

[tracydr]

We've been eating melons everyday here. One thing AZ does really well is melons, although mine didnt produce this year. I think my favorites so far have been Jaun Canary and Cassaba. Both are yellow skinned with white/ clear, sweet flesh. Have had some great, large seeded watermelons from the Mexican store, as well.
One thing for sure, the chickens are eating well, with all the melon rinds to pick clean. That and all the mangoe and pineapple scraps, plus tomato scraps. What I do miss from CO and OK is the great peaches. And the wonderful cherries from when I lived in WA.

[Hairy Moose Knuckles]

Something to think about....my Mom bought some kind of melon from the store last year, without telling me, she saved the seeds and planted them. When I asked her last month what type of cantaloupe was she growing, she smiled and told me. We've gotten 5 wonderful sweet melons off that vine. I have no Idea what it is, but the skin is smooth and the flesh is sort of creamy color. I've been hoarding all those seeds Sometimes, surprises are wonderful! The point I'm making, is don't be a seed snob

[GennyL]

hubby bought a Lemon Drop....ewww I couldn't get past the smell. It was like way over ripe muskmelon. My son ate a few pieces but it wasn't good. I did put those seeds near the compost so it may come up yet.
Personally I think it was a BIG accidental pollination crop that was given a name and sent to Market.

[tracydr]

See, the lemon drop I had was slightly tart and slightly sweet. Not anything like what any of you are describing. What are they selling out there? This was like a small cantaloupe with a slightly tart, lemony flavor.
It was not hard, it was soft on the end, about the same texture as any other canteloupe.