Mysterious Melon Profile: Canary Melons

The canary melon's given name refers to the melon's color. It is also known as Spanish melon, Juan Canary, Jaune des Canaries and Amarillo. It is a member of the Cucumis melo var inodoras family, referred to as winter melons, knonw as those that mature in late summer. The single greatest advantage canary melons and the rest of the winter melon family have over summer melon varieties, is that they have a long post-vine shelf-life, allowing them to be stored longer.

Canary melon pairs well with citrus, ginger, and other more flavorful melons. Use canary melon in fresh preparations such as cold soups and salads. To store, keep uncut melons at room temperature until fully ripe then refrigerate up to five days. Refrigerate cut melon in a covered container for up to three days.

Source: specialtyproduce.com

Recipe: Canary Melon Granita

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons lime juice (juice of 1 lime)

4 Tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)

8 cups canary melon, cut into cubes (approximately 1 melon, de-seeded and rind removed)

Preparation:

Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth (about a minute). Strain the puree through a sieve set over a bowl. Be sure not to push the pulp through the sieve – let gravity do the work and gently move the pulp around to let the liquid find its way though. Pour the liquid (about 4 cups) into a baking dish and place in the freezer. After an hour, start scraping the ice with a fork. Repeat every 20 minutes until all of the ice is scraped. Serves 8-12. 

Variation:

Make an “adult” version by drizzling liqueur of your choice over the granita – but don’t add it to the liquid prior to freezing, or it won’t “ice” properly.) 

 Recipe courtesy of userealbutter.com