NW Melon Season is Off to a Tasty Start

Melons have been on since May from Mexico and California and as the Northwest season kicks off, OGC’s melon buyer Rachel Pienovi is sourcing delicious melon from growers in Hermiston, Oregon and Eltopia, Washington. East of the Cascade Mountains, melons are ripening, and the sweet, juicy fruits that eaters anticipate all year are ready to make their way to produce departments and plates.   

The recent waves of warm temperatures mean melons are arriving at OGC’s warehouse a little ahead of schedule. “The hot weather this July has meant that more Cantaloupe has ripened sooner than usual,” says Rachel. Lots of fruit is already available from famed Hermiston, Oregon and excellent growers in Eastern Washington, and these rich and sweet melons are eating great.

Charentais, and Piel de Sapo  are starting to arrive too, and volume should ramp up within a few weeks. Honeydew is winding down in California, and Northwest fruit will be available this weekend with both green and orange flesh trickling in next week. Galia continues to be steady. Northwest Hami, Canary and Tuscan melons are harvesting this weekend. Crisp and sweet Snow Leopard have been coming from the Northwest for a couple weeks, and volume is steady.  

On the watermelon front, OGC should be shipping tasty mini and seeded melons from the Northwest by the end of next week. The harvest of classic green striped and black seedless watermelons will be ongoing in the Northwest, so the transition from California should be seamless. Black seedless watermelons will be packed in beautiful new Ladybug Brand bins, ready to be displayed front and center.  

If eaters in your area are hungry for yellow and orange watermelons, be sure to get them while you can! There will be a limited supply of yellow melons from the Northwest, but they won’t be ready until August. The last of the California supply will be out by the end of the weekend, so expect to see a gap.   

Dry farmed melons are starting to arrive too. A sustainable technique that requires very little irrigation to grow crops, dry farming relies on efficiently storing moisture from rainfall in the soil to grow juicy melons with concentrated flavors. This ancient and innovative growing method helps to save precious water and makes for fruit that’s extra sweet and rich.   

The dry farmed season is just getting started, and Charentais and Piel de Sapo are arriving in a trickle. Personal-sized Sugar Cube, which should be available for sale in the next few days, is a variety that Rachel looks forward to every summer. “I love eating half of a Sugar Cube melon filled with yogurt and sprinkled with granola,” she says. “You don’t even need any honey! It’s my ideal summer breakfast.” Sugar Cube is only available dry farmed from Northwest farms, so it’s a particularly special addition to your department’s summer set. 

Be sure to check out OGC’s Melon Toolkit for loads of information on all the great varieties coming from the Northwest this year, as well as handy signage for your displays.