Produce Briefs...
Mangosteen
The Purple mangosteen, botanical name Garcinia magostana, simply referred to as mangosteen, is an ultra-tropical slow growing evergreen tree that is cultivated for its edible fruit.
Spring Onions
Spring onions are most often utilized raw. The whole onion can be flash blanched and grilled, which brings out more the robust and sweet elements of the onions, and makes them a bolder pair for fish and meats
Seasons/Availability
Available during the summer months.
Current Facts
The Lemon Drop melon, Cucumis melo, is a member of the plant family Cucurbitaceae, along with all other melons, squashes and pumpkins. Melons are classified based on fruit character: surface and flesh. As melon varieties have been hybridized for centuries, though, it is often hard to distinguish between groups; however classification is based on several distinctions. The most common is Winter, Netted, Cantaloupe, Watermelon and Gourd. The Lemon Drop is classified as a netted melon variety.
Description/Taste
The Lemon Drop melon has the superfical appearance of a classic Galia type melon: a netted rough cornflower gold peel with pale lime longitudinal grooves, a heavy weight for its size and when opened its thick, dense and succulent pale glacial green flesh bears a central cluster of seeds easily removed. Unlike any other melon though, the Lemon Drop (true to its name) has no floral aromatics and not a trace of sub-acid sweetness, rather its flavors are filled with the overt signature sweet tartness of lemon, subtle hints of honeydew and watermelon and due to its low sugar content, it displays no candied syrup qualities within its juices.
Applications
The Lemon Drop melon is best suited for fresh eating or pureed into a chilled summer soup, sorbet or cocktail beverage. Its sweet tart nature lends itself to pairing with sweeter melons, dried fruit, mild and spicy salad greens, ginger, chiles, seafood, proscuitto, tomatoes, feta, herbs such as basil and cilantro and nuts such as hazelnuts, pistachios and pepitas.
Geography/History
The Lemon Drop melon is the hybrid result of successive breeding efforts of marrying wild melon varieties with high citric acid content and sweet Galia melons. It was developed in the Mediterranean region in the late 20th Century. Martori Farms of Arizona, United States, grows and distributes the Lemon Drop melon under the brand "Kandy".
