Vokar
Blooming
Posts: 183
|
Post by Vokar on Jul 18, 2019 23:54:59 GMT -5
desertwoman , I like that mission. We don't have a food processor, though. Would a blender on puree setting work, or be overkill?
|
|
|
|
Post by desertwoman on Jul 19, 2019 0:14:19 GMT -5
Yes- a blender on puree is perfect! Vokar, |
|
|
|
Post by gardendmpls on Jul 19, 2019 6:56:10 GMT -5
Watermelon is one of the few fruits allowed on my diet. High in sugar, but a lot of water, so only a problem if you eat too much. I cut it in very small pieces, add it to a pitcher with some garden raspberries, water and ice, and keep it refrigerated for a refreshing drink. By adding more water, I can have it last for days before eating the melon that is left in the pitcher, which still has flavor (the melon, not the pitcher).
|
|
Vokar
Blooming
Posts: 183
|
Post by Vokar on Jul 20, 2019 0:02:51 GMT -5
For large watermelons, I usually like to remove the rind, cut it into pieces, and put it in gallon zipper bags in the refrigerator. A lot of juice collects at the bottom of the bag, but the pieces are still fine to eat for a long time (and the juice is good). Other people in the house seem to like eating off the rind fairly often, though.
If you mince the rind, it makes a refreshing condiment (but I prefer it fresh). We used to have one of these that I would use to mince the rinds (using a carrot peeler to take the skin off the rind makes it a lot easier).
For just plain eating the rind (not minced), Ancient's rind is really good. It tastes kind of like pears.
|
|
Vokar
Blooming
Posts: 183
|
Post by Vokar on Jul 20, 2019 0:13:38 GMT -5
desertwoman , gardendmpls , binnylou , SpringRain Say, since you all sound like you might like having watermelon when it's not in season, have you ever considered growing winter watermelons? They keep for about three or four months, usually. I like Santo Domingo Winter a lot, but others you might enjoy may include Navajo Winter, Black-seeded Icecream, Winter Queen, King Winter, King and Queen Winter, Navajo Red, Santo Domingo Brown-seeded, Santo Domingo Dark Green, and Wintermelon (the watermelon—not the Asian vegetable).
Then there's Red-seeded Citron (which though isn't sweet or red, it can potentially keep for about a year; at least, mine seemed to be able to do that when I gave them lots of basalt rockdust and potassium sulfate at transplant time; I wouldn't recommend that for other watermelons than RSC—at least not for Fairfax, Ledmon, Mississippi Cobb Gem, Jubilee, and Congo; I got about 15 fruits, but I didn't know what to do with them, until I figured out that they were a good replacement for water chestnuts, although there's only so much stir fry a person can eat; might make good lacto-fermented pickles, since it's firm, and not sweet, though, but that was before I knew how to do that). If potassium sulfate sounds like it's not organic, there are both naturally occurring and synthetic forms of it. Mine was said to be OMRI approved, but I'm not sure if it was.
I've been growing winter watermelons for a few years, now. They're pretty nice. I've grown all those I've listed except for Black-seeded Icecream and King and Queen Winter, although some I'm trying for the first time, this year.
Santo Domingo Winter is my favorite so far, although others may be more prolific. It's early and has great taste/texture, IMO.
Many winter watermelons have small black seeds that are easy to eat (if you eat the seeds raw like I do).
Shipping watermelons are also supposed to keep for a long time, but I'm not sure how they compare with winter watermelons.
I've got a cross between Tom Watson and a winter watermelon (King Winter, I think). It tasted pretty great and was bigger than other winter watermelons I had. I didn't keep it around long enough to see if it classified as a winter watermelon, though. I'm growing the F2, this year, and it's got fruit forming.
|
|
|
|
Post by SpringRain on Jul 20, 2019 14:40:49 GMT -5
Vokar , Okay, you've done it now. The "black-seeded ice cream" whetted my appetite for ice cream, and fortunately I got some yesterday in anticipation of today's heat.
Seriously, I will check these out; I like the idea of winter watermelon. I never would have considered them until the Summer began to extend into Fall, as in Michigan I've had trouble just getting cantaloupe to ripen adequately before the frost. But that was when frost occurred regularly between Oct. 15 and Oct. 17. Now it's closer to late Oct. or early November.
Are you in S or N Idaho? I would think it make a difference how much late planted melons could mature before the cold weather moves in.
|
|
Vokar
Blooming
Posts: 183
|
Post by Vokar on Jul 20, 2019 16:46:33 GMT -5
SpringRain ,  I'm in southwestern Idaho (but the northwestern corner of southwestern Idaho). Our frost-free growing season perhaps averages about five months (from about May tenth to October 10th). We tend to have pretty hot summers, but we can have pretty cold winters, too. The cooler nights can be a problem for watermelon until late May or early June. So, that's why I wait until then. They actually mature faster when transplanted late than those that survive being transplanted early (since those are easily stunted). Seriously. It is hard to believe, though (I know I had heard others say similar stuff about watermelon, and had a hard time believing it for a few years). I do recommend black plastic, though, if your area is cool. It can warm the soil up a lot more. Warm watermelon plants can mature pretty fast. I'd make sure they have a good supply of phosphorus, too, if you have an organic source (it helps plants tolerate cold better, and helps them mature). Winter watermelons don't necessarily take longer than other watermelons to ripen (with the exception of Red-seeded Citron, but it can ripen in storage). You can eat them right away. Santo Domingo Winter is actually early, too (probably not the best one if you want watermelon in winter, though). Navajo Winter is kind of late, too, actually, but productive, and it has ripened in time for me.
|
|
Vokar
Blooming
Posts: 183
|
Post by Vokar on Jul 20, 2019 16:52:19 GMT -5
I've got a hypothesis that if you store your seeds in the freezer they may mature faster, too. It seemed to work for peppers, and it may explain why volunteers are so vigorous (since they get frozen in the winter). I haven't tried it with watermelon, yet, but I plan to try it next year!
I did use some previously frozen Jubilee seeds one year (but I hadn't tried non-frozen ones of that variety for comparison).
Another tip is starting them in containers (such as foam cups, with drainage holes) in a greenhouse or cloche (so they get more light). Strong plants are more vigorous and tend to transplant without as many issues. I use an unheated 6'x5'x3' strong camel greenhouse. I can seed them anywhere from the middle of March to early May, although the middle of March is more of a challenge, due to the cold. It's probably better for me to wait until at least late March. Some varieties sprout more easily earlier than others.
I give my pre-transplant watermelons wood ash, which makes them stronger. However, for some odd reason, it does make them grow foliage more slowly in the greenhouse (but once they're transplanted, with or without wood ash in the soil, they do quite well). Too much foliage pre-transplant can be a disadvantage. So, it works out.
|
|
|
|
Post by desertwoman on Aug 28, 2019 23:03:32 GMT -5
Like my tomatoes, my cantaloupe are still ripening on the vine. They are way behind. I'm sure it was the unusually cooler June nights we had. But at least they formed fruit. It will be September before we are eating them. Vokar- did you try pureeing and freezing cantaloupe? |
|
|
|
Post by binnylou on Aug 28, 2019 23:20:55 GMT -5
Honeydew are going to be late at our house. That lazy gardener...she shoulda planted them sooner.
|
|
Vokar
Blooming
Posts: 183
|
Post by Vokar on Aug 28, 2019 23:39:25 GMT -5
desertwoman , Not yet. We've had ripe melons, but we just ate them all. There's a Honeycomb F2 on the table I could try it on. The F1 last year was an early, tasty, sweet, productive honeydew type, with light green flesh and a white rind (fruits were maybe 5lbs each and very round; this F2 is nearly the same color and size, and more uneven; the other F2s crossed with Torpeda were more uniform, but oval-shaped, netted, and striped).  sant tukaram biography in marathi
|
|
Vokar
Blooming
Posts: 183
|
Post by Vokar on Aug 28, 2019 23:43:05 GMT -5
I cut it open:  |
|
Vokar
Blooming
Posts: 183
|
Post by Vokar on Aug 28, 2019 23:55:54 GMT -5
Here's the fruit that I scooped out. I tasted it (it was really sweet, except the greener part near the rind, and good):  |
|
Vokar
Blooming
Posts: 183
|
Post by Vokar on Aug 29, 2019 0:02:30 GMT -5
Here's it in the blender:  |
|
Vokar
Blooming
Posts: 183
|
Post by Vokar on Aug 29, 2019 0:05:22 GMT -5
Here's the puree (it smells, and tastes, really good, and reminds me some of bananas):  |
|
