Faerie Watermelons
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Faerie watermelons are a hybrid variety easily recognized for their unique creamy, canary yellow outer skin. Ranging 64 to 96 ounces in weight, Faerie watermelons are about the size and weight of spaghetti squash. They have an oblong oval shape with long stripes that run from end to end and measures about 18 to 20 centimeters long. The skin, or rind, of Faerie watermelons is smooth and firm, typical of most watermelon varieties. Inside, their pink-red flesh is succulent and crisp, easily emitting juice when cut or bitten into. The flesh is the only part of the fruit that’s edible as the skin is generally too tough for consumption. Faerie watermelons have a sweet and fruity aroma. Their high sugar content gives them a distinctly sweet taste.
Seasons/Availability
Faerie watermelons are available from summer to early fall.
Current Facts
The botanical name for Faerie watermelons is Citrullus lanatus and they are a member of the Cucurbitaceae family. The name Faerie refers to its diminutive size, which is almost half that of standard watermelons. Faerie watermelons are a hybrid breed developed to be a miniature watermelon that can easily grow in smaller gardens. The vines of the Faerie watermelons grow in a trailing fashion but spread no further than 3 meters, resulting in a more compact watermelon plant. Faerie watermelons are a popular variety due to their resistance to disease, insects, and other pests. There are over 1,200 types of watermelon, including 300 common to the United States and South America. Watermelons can be categorized into seedless, seeded, picnic, heirloom, and yellow, orange, red, or black-fleshed varieties.
Nutritional Value
Faerie watermelons provides high levels of lycopene and beta-carotene, nutrients that protect cells from damage and may reduce the risk of certain cancers and heart disease. They are a good source of vitamins A, B, and C, which can support immune health, vision, collagen production, wound healing, energy metabolism, and nervous system function. Historically, watermelons were thought to have medicinal properties. The Greeks and Romans used them as a diuretic and placed the rind of cooled watermelons on children's heads to relieve heatstroke.
Applications
Faerie watermelons are often eaten fresh, though they can also be frozen, pickled, or juiced. It can be scooped with a melon baller or cut into cubes to be added to fruit bowls or green salads. Faerie watermelons can be put onto a skewer with other contrasting colored melons and fruits. They can be puréed and used to make beverages, syrups, sauces, marinades, soups, and frozen desserts. The flavor of Faerie watermelons pairs well with arugula, basil, mint, cilantro, cucumber, red onion, jalapeño, lime, lemon, pineapple, kiwi, mango, apples, grapes, coconut, feta cheese, pine nuts, prosciutto, balsamic vinegar, tajin, and brown sugar. Ripe Faerie watermelons will keep in the refrigerator uncut for up to two weeks. Once cut, they should be wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator and used within 3 days.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Though watermelon has been selectively bred for hundreds of years, it wasn’t until the USDA started funding breeding projects in the 20th century that significant progress was made. There has been a focus on breeding watermelons in smaller sizes and with different colored skins. Yellow-skinned varieties like Faerie watermelons were developed in the early 1980s when a breeder named Dick Robinson discovered a recessive gene within watermelons called “go” when examining an heirloom variety called the Royal Golden watermelon. The “go” gene determines whether a watermelon's skin starts off as yellow or matures from green to yellow. It was discovered that environmental factors like water stress can influence which skin color the watermelon will eventually develop. Faerie watermelons were selected as a 2012 All American Selections Vegetable award winner due to its unique coloring, petite size, ease of growth, and resistance to disease and pests. In 1991, a yellow-rind variety called Gold Crown watermelon from the Taiwan-based Known-You Seed Co. was awarded the All American Seeds award.
Geography/History
Watermelon is native to southern Africa where it was grown 5,000 years ago and used by the people of the Kalahari Desert inhabiting what is now Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. It was introduced to Egypt around 4,000 years ago, to India in the 7th century, to China in the 13th century, and to Europe in the 17th century. Watermelon was brought to the New World by European colonists and the African slave trade in the late 1500s and became popular with Native Americans. Today, watermelons are grown throughout the world in warm climates with full sun exposure and well-drained soils. Yellow-skinned varieties like Faerie watermelons have become more popular as demand for watermelon in unique colors, sizes, and flavors has increased. The development of varieties like Faerie watermelons resulted from increased efforts in the 20th and 21st centuries in the United States and Japan to breed new hybrids of watermelon. As a cultivated variety bred for its color, size, and sweetness, Faerie watermelons cannot be found in the wild but are grown on commercial farms and in home gardens. As a relatively niche variety, Faerie watermelons are not commonly found at grocery stores but may be available at farmers' markets and specialty stores, particularly in places with an interest in unique watermelon varieties like the United States and Japan.
