The Santa Claus melon, sometimes known as Christmas melon or Piel de Sapo (Toad Skin), is a variety of melon (family

Cucurbitaceae The Cucurbitaceae, also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family consisting of about 965 species in around 95 genera, of which the most important to humans are: *''Cucurbita'' – squash, pumpkin, zucchini, some gourds *''Lagena ...

, ''

Cucumis melo ''Cucumis melo'', also known as melon, is a species of ''Cucumis'' that has been developed into many cultivated varieties. The fruit is a pepo. The flesh is either sweet or bland, with or without a musky aroma, and the rind can be smooth (such as ...

'', Inodorus group) originating in Spain that grows to about a foot in length and is

ovoid An oval () is a closed curve in a plane which resembles the outline of an egg. The term is not very specific, but in some areas (projective geometry, technical drawing, etc.) it is given a more precise definition, which may include either one or ...

in shape. It has a thick, green-striped outer rind and pale green to white inner flesh with a mild melon flavour and sweetness close to

honeydew melon The honeydew melon is one of the two main cultivar types in ''Cucumis melo'' Inodorus Group. It is characterized by the smooth rind and lack of musky odor. The other main type in the Inodorus Group is the wrinkle-rind casaba melon. Character ...

Description

It has a blotched green peel after which it is named in Spanish ( translates as "toad skin"). A closely related melon with the same shape, but with yellow peel is known as 'Amarillo' or

canary melon The Canary melon (''Cucumis melo'' (''Inodorus'' group)) or winter melon is a large, bright-yellow elongated melon with a pale green to white inner flesh. This melon has a distinctively sweet flavor that is slightly tangier than a honeydew melo ...

. The attractive green and gold-to-bright yellow-striped Santa Claus melon somewhat resembles a small

watermelon Watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a flowering plant species of the Cucurbitaceae family and the name of its edible fruit. A scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, it is a highly cultivated fruit worldwide, with more than 1,000 varieti ...

. Inside is a mellow and mildly flavoured, pale-greenish flesh very similar to that of a honeydew. The ripest Santa Claus melon will have soft blossom ends that yield to gentle pressure and a vibrant yellow hue. This melon was named in English as recognition of its long-keeping qualities, i.e., "until Christmas".

Cultivation

This melon is widely available in the Northern Hemisphere. Grown in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

and

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, they are harvested from June through October. During the winter, Santa Claus melons are imported from South America. They are grown in Brazil and Central America to supply Europe during autumn, winter, and spring. In Australia, they are grown all year round and sold as "Piel de Sapo" and are said to last until Easter."Rockmelon 'Piel De Sapo'
diggers.com.au Maturing about 110 days after planting, this melon can grow to in length and half that in diameter.

Spain

The Piel de Sapo originated in Spain, where it is widely grown – about are cultivated annually.

La Mancha La Mancha () is a natural and historical region located in the Spanish provinces of Albacete, Cuenca, Ciudad Real, and Toledo. La Mancha is an arid but fertile plateau (610 m or 2000 ft) that stretches from the mountains of Toledo to the ...

is the main region in Spain producing this type, with 12,000 ha. Another important growing area is

Murcia Murcia (, , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the seventh largest city in the country. It has a population of 460,349 inhabitants in 2021 (about one ...

that has specialized in growing early crops. There, they plant mainly in mid-March and harvest from mid-June to mid-July. The most popular cultivar in the last 10 years in the main producing region of Spain (La Mancha) has been 'Sancho', a hybrid bred by the seedhouse

Syngenta Syngenta AG is a provider of agricultural science and technology, in particular seeds and pesticides with its management headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. It is owned by ChemChina, a Chinese state-owned enterprise. Syngenta was founded in 2 ...

. Many

open-pollinated "Open pollination" and "open pollinated" refer to a variety of concepts in the context of the sexual reproduction of plants. Generally speaking, the term refers to plants pollinated naturally by birds, insects, wind, or human hands. True-breedi ...

cultivars were grown in Spain until recently, but hybrids have replaced them almost entirely, as they offer to the growers higher yields and better resistance to disease. Old cultivars have been preserved in germplasm collections. They are grown outdoors with plantings starting in May and running until June. Production starts in mid-July and ends in September.

Uses

The flesh of uncut melons is juicier and softer if kept at room temperature one or two days before serving. Once ripened or cut, it should be refrigerated in plastic. An excellent keeper, this hardy melon can be kept up to six weeks longer than other varieties.

References

External links

* {{Melons Melons category:Christmas food