A pproximately 3,000 acres of small melons are grown in Alabama and currently there are more than 150 varieties of small melons available for commercial or home garden production. Picking the best melon for commercial production from all these choices can be a challenge for growers, but a recent AAES consumer preference study may help narrow the choices by identifying the most popular varieties among melon lovers. Small melon is a generic term that refers to the fruits of Cucumis melo L .
Small melons display a wide range of sizes, shapes, and flesh characteristics.
Honey dew melons have green flesh, whereas, cantaloupes have orange flesh. Cantaloupes are divided into eastern and western types. The rind of honey dew is smooth, suturless, without netting, green at the immature stage, and creamy-white at the mature stage. Honey dew melons, such as Earli-Dew, also have a good horticultural potential, but their acreage is presently limited. Because small melons are usually consumed as fresh fruits, their main quality attributes are sweetness, crunchiness, and flavor.