Our First Melon!

We harvested our first melon yesterday! As we were picking for market, Shawn decided to check on the Amish melons and watermelons to see how they are coming along. There have been a few large Amish melons we have been keeping an eye on (ok, we check them daily) and one of them had been turning from gray to yellow.
Amish melons are a lot like cantaloupes, they are a yellowish color with a dry netting that develops all over as they ripen. Our melons looked a little different though. In general, they should have a round shape with large ribs, but ours have a strange knob on the bottom - sort of like a buttercup squash. Linda had saved the seeds from years past, and although she hadn't grown anything that would cross with the Amish melon, we were afraid they somehow crossed with another (less tasty) plant.
But it sure did smell like a delicious, ripe melon. It was still warm from the sun when we cut into it...I can't describe the excitement with which we sliced our first piece of fruit.

A hint of orange....so far so good....

Yes!!!!!

The flesh was soft and juicy and it smelled amazing. We cut slices for everyone: Linda, Dave, Pawpaw and the two of us.

It was incredible!! Sooo sweet and so juicy, we were covered in sticky-sweet juice as we threw the rinds to the very grateful chickens. :) We were sure to save ALL the seeds from this melon...this will be a Truffula Seed staple! We may have to re-name it though...with it's knobby shape we may have a new variety on our hands...