JARDINS DE L'ECOUMENE

Organic Watermelons - King and queen winter | 1 un.

This very rare watermelon is distinguished by an exceptionally hard, light green, almost white rind and red, crisp, juicy flesh. More resistant to autumn cold than other varieties of watermelon, the harvest can be later. Moreover, the solidity and the thickness of the bark of its fruits makes it possible to preserve them until December. To preserve them well, wash the fruits at harvest and dry the bark in the sun, then store them in a dry, ventilated place. Always handle fruit with care and do not store fruit with wounds. It is therefore particularly interesting to grow in the cold climate of Quebec. Perfectly round melons measure up to 25 cm in diameter and often weigh more than 5 kg. In her book Melons for the Passionate Growers published in 2002, Amy Goldman praises this melon which, according to her, was offered by seed companies Aggeler and Musser Seed Company as early as 1923. The description offered in their catalog spoke of a very unique luxury product that they warmly recommended. Very similar to the type of melon that early Midwestern immigrants grew, the 'King and Queen Winter' was adopted by Mennonite communities in the American Midwest, who process it into watermelon pickles. These pickles appear on the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity's list of foods to preserve, hence the heirloom variety 'Winter King & Queen' is mentioned as the most prized. This melon would have gone by the names 'Winter Melon', 'Chritsmas Melon' and 'King and Queen of Winter' over the years.