Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Classic or Seedless?

While heirloom tomatoes, peas, and apples appear regularly in the gardens and kitchens of serious eaters, the designer engineered Pureheart watermelon, prized for its lack of seeds and small dimensions (3-6 lbs), overshadows old-fashioned varieties, such as the moon and stars watermelon, as well as classic melons with black seeds.

[caption id="attachment_2740" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Watermelon courtesty of flikr user S n o r K e l."]Watermelon courtesty of flikr user S n o r K e l.[/caption]

As illustrated by Amy Goldman in Melons for the Passionate Grower (2002), heirloom watermelons and other melons are more fragrant and aesthetically pleasing than the standard specimens piled at the grocers.  Goldman’s melons have intriguing names, such as snake melon, serpent melon, and Prescott Fond Blanc, and the palatable varieties have generated a passionate following among those  in the know.

Yet engineered seedless watermelons persevere.

Is it the pure joy of halving a miniature watermelon to create a single personalized serving?  Is seedless too irresistibly convenient?

What do you think?
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2 comments:

  1. josieJuly 1, 2009 at 3:01 PM

    Did anyone see the photo of the watermelon at the "fancy food expo" this weekend? It's the size of a table grape!!

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  2. Verge LimboJuly 3, 2009 at 9:00 AM

    Our mutual friend Joanne has recently got me hooked on watermelon. She believes it is 'the perfect food" In order to ensure a steady supply, I am growing several heirloom varieties in my Urban Garden Project. Check out the pictures...I'm growing Moon and Stars, Charleston Grays, Sugar Babies, and Scarlet Jubilee.


    I really like you blog...it makes me hungry.

    Phil

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