MELON
ORIGINS
Native to central and western Asia, the melon (Cucumis melo) initially spread through India and China, then into the Mediterranean basin.
As evidenced by a few paintings discovered at Herculaneum, this crop was introduced to Italy during the Christian Age. The first author to mention the fruit was Pliny the Elder, who recounted that "the Emperor Tiberius greatly enjoyed melon". Cantaloupe melons, considered the most flavorful and fragrant, earned their name because they were brought in the 15^th century by missionaries from distant Asian lands to Cantalupo, a papal castle located near Rome.

MELON CULTIVATION
At the worldwide level, watermelon cultivation covers approximately 300,000 hectares. The number-one producer of melons is Asia, with almost 60% of the world's production, more than 12 million tons. Europe is in second place with 20%, with the world's highest yields.
The major European producers are Spain, Romania, France and Italy. Here melon crops cover approximately 19,500 hectares (11% in protected crops and the rest in fields), providing a production of approximately 415,000 tons. The most important regions for this production are Sicily, Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and Latium.
The melons grown in Italy may be essentially divided into three groups:
1) Cantaloupensis: the so-called Cantaloupe, including fruits of average size with a smooth surface, which may be stored only briefly and include varieties such as Charentais. 2) Inodorus: which may be stored longer, at times beyond winter, hence the nickname of "winter melons". 3) Reticulatus: this group includes varieties such as Topmark, Stratos and Chando. The fruit is medium-sized and has a surface covered with a clear grid, thus their denomination as "netted" melons. Since many of these crops come from the United States, they are also known as American melons.

THE MELON CALENDAR

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

Harvest period

Market presence

CONSUMPTION AND STORAGE
Melon is a thirst quencher, diuretic, refresher and laxative. To avoid the laxative effects, popular tradition recommends flavoring with salt and pepper. Herbal teas made from infusions of the seeds are emollient and sooth coughs.
In cosmetics, its pulp is used to prepare tonic masks that give the skin a velvety texture. Melon may be eaten fresh, alone or with ham, and is also used to prepare appetizers, fruit salads, desserts, ice cream and shakes. During storage, the temperature should never fall below 5 °C: this could lead to reddish spots, which become mushy when the melon returns to room temperature.


COMPOSITION AND NUTRITION INFORMATION
SUMMER MELON
(100grams of product)

Edible part 47% Water 90.1g Proteins 0.8g Lipids 0.2g Glucides 7.4g Fiber 0.9g Energy 33kcal

Sodium 8mg Potassium 333mg Iron 0.3mg Calcium 0mg Phosphorus 13mg Niacin 0.6mg Vitamin C 32mg

COMPOSITION AND NUTRITION INFORMATION
WINTER MELON
(100grams of product)

Edible part 51% Water 94.1g Proteins 0.5g Lipids 0.2g Glucides 4.9g Fiber 0.7g Energy 22kcal

Sodium 0mg Potassium 0mg Iron 0.3mg Calcium 0mg Phosphorus 16mg Niacin 0.5mg Vitamin C 12mg

RECIPE

Melon in Vinegar Syrup

Ingredients: one melon, fragrant and not overripe, 300 grams sugar, 600 grams white wine vinegar.
Heat the wine vinegar and dissolve the sugar in it, to create a vinegar syrup. Remove the rind, seeds and filaments from the melon and cut the pulp into cubes. Immerse them in a pot of boiling water and turn off the burner immediately. Let the cubes soak for 3 minutes, then drain and place them on a cloth to dry. Arrange the melon cubes in a glass jar and add the vinegar syrup, making sure to cover the fruit completely. Wait around two months before using.

VARIETIES OF MELON
A typical summer fruit, melon is available on the market from May through September.
In addition to its high water content, which makes it an excellent thirst quencher, melon also contains a high percentage of mineral salts and vitamins A and C.
The different varieties are divided into netted, smooth and yellowish melons based on the shape and color of the rind.
The "Long Life" variety has recently become popular.
The most commonly cultivated varieties in Italy are:

Traditional netted melon: Supermarket, Creso, Proteo and Elton

Long Life netted melon: Mundial, Geanun and Dalton

Smooth round melon: Tamaris and Charentais

Yellowish melon: Amarillo

THE MELON CALENDAR

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

Harvest period

Market presence

MINIMUM QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS
Appearance
Clean, healthy fruit with no residue.

Colour
Pulp: bright orange or salmon orange

Shape
Oval or round, with clearly pronounced grooves and netting. Some varieties have no grooves or netting

Flavor and texture
Firm pulp consistency, fragrant and with a good sugar content.

Refraction index
Start of campaign: >=10
Middle of campaign: >=12

Sale period
5^th March through 20^th September

Storage
The product may be stored for no more than two days after arriving at the warehouse, at a temperature of 8-10 °C.

Handling
Melon is fairly resistant to handling and can be sold in stacked layers.

Things to avoid
Brisk temperature changes should be avoided.
Melon is especially sensitive to low temperatures, between 0 and 3 °C.

MELON: Index
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