The Crane Melon is an
heirloom
In popular usage, an heirloom is something that has been passed down for generations through family members. Examples are a Family Bible, antiques, weapons or jewellery.
The term originated with the historical principle of an heirloom in ...
melon
A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit. Botanically, a melon is a kind of berry, specifically a "pepo". The ...
developed by Oliver Crane in the early 20th century.
The melon is an edible gourd with sweet and fruity flesh.
Characteristics
The Crane Melon is a variety that was developed in the early 1900s in
Penngrove, near
Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa (Spanish language, Spanish for "Rose of Lima, Saint Rose") is a city and the county seat of Sonoma County, California, Sonoma County, in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area ...
. It is grown and sold at specialty grocery stores and markets, it was first available from the Crane Melon Barn located between
Rohnert Park, California
Rohnert Park is a city in Sonoma County, California, United States, located approximately north of San Francisco. The population at the 2020 United States Census was 44,390. It is an early planned city and is the sister city of Hashimoto in ...
and Santa Rosa. A ripe melon can range from four to seven pounds and has orange flesh.
Recognition
The Crane Melon has appeared in magazines, newspapers and TV shows. It is on the Ark of Taste: Slow Food USA. It was recognized as a heirloom by a ''Los Angeles Times'' article, since "the original heirloom concept applies most readily to vegetables and the few fruits, chiefly melons, that are propagated by seed." To be considered an heirloom, the history of a fruit or vegetable cultivar should also be between 50 and 75 years long.
History
Crane Family
Richard Hope Crane moved from
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
to California during the gold rush in 1849. In 1852 he settled down in the Santa Rosa region of
Sonoma County
Sonoma County () is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa, California, Santa Rosa. It is to the n ...
. The Crane Melon Barn was built in 1868 at 4935 Petaluma Hill Road.
Crane Melon
In 1920 Oliver Crane, Richard Crane's son, developed the heirloom Crane Melon. He crossed several varieties of melons including a
Japanese melon
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspo ...
, a
Persian melon
Persian melons (Persian: خربزه) are cultivars of ''Cucumis melo'', a type of melon
A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or spec ...
, an
ambrosia melon
In the ancient Greek myths, ''ambrosia'' (, grc, ἀμβροσία 'immortality'), the food or drink of the Greek gods, is often depicted as conferring longevity or immortality upon whoever consumed it. It was brought to the gods in Olympus ...
, and a
white melon. The Crane Melon cannot be found in grocery stores. It is farmed at the Crane Melon Barn where it is vine-ripened and therefore does not have the shelf life required to be suitable for shipping.
“The Crane melon’s flavor is due to its
terroir
(, ; from ''terre'', "land") is a French term used to describe the environmental factors that affect a crop's phenotype, including unique environment contexts, farming practices and a crop's specific growth habitat. Collectively, these conte ...
. The melon was developed to be grown in a particular soil, within a specific
climate zone
Climate classifications are systems that categorize the world's climates. A climate classification may correlate closely with a biome classification, as climate is a major influence on life in a region. One of the most used is the Köppen climate ...
, farmed in a certain style.”
References
{{Melons
Melons