Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners

Reviewed on 01/11/2007 by California Olive - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	California, United States Frost Free Season: More than 203 days Soil Texture: Clay Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40') Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
The Central Valley of California is said to be a good place to grow the original open-pollinated Crenshaw melon. I grew it alongside Early Sugarshaw Hybrid and Burpee Early Hybrid Crenshaw. My favorite was the Early Sugarshaw Hybrid, with the open-pollinated Crenshaw coming in second for rich flavor. The flesh was not as thick as the flesh of either of the two early hybrids. The texture was finer and firmer than the hybrids and the flesh was very sweet. All three melons had the distinctive Crenshaw flavor. The dark-colored standard Crenshaw melons needed the most protection from sunburn in our climate while growing. A rag or paper plate works, or you can make sure leaves cover the fruit. All of the Crenshaws are soft-skinned and need to be kept off wet soil. I also grew the Crane Melon, Eel River, Freckles and Crenshaw Blanco. These all seem to get put in the Crenshaw category although their parentage is probably very different. Crane, Eel River and Freckles melons had some similarities: flecked, lightly netted rinds and fine, delicate textures, sort of light and crispy in the case of Freckles and Crane. The flavor of these melons is less pronounced, sweet and luxurious than the standard Crenshaws. Refreshing is a word I would use, especially for Freckles and Crane. Sort of in the same way watermelon is refreshing. Eel River seemed a little more like a cantaloupe or Crenshaw than the other two. Freckles, the smallest of the three, is cute as anything, and the vines produced a lot of melons. Crane and Eel River are also very attractive. They didn't need sunburn protection like the standard Crenshaws. I did not have the best luck with yield of Crenshaw Blanco, and I don't really remember much about how it tasted. I also did not have full control over watering, and sometimes melons received too much water near harvest. This may have affected the flavor of Crenshaw Blanco more than some of the other Crenshaw types.