Adventures in Produce: Pepino Melon

 

   I chose to try pepino melon, and picked one up from my local grocery store during a routine shopping trip. The fruit is round and cream colored with purple stripes from the stem point and a smooth skin. It reminds me of an apple or a pear in its external size and texture. I chose it because it seemed like a safe option as I already enjoy melons. Because I got it from a grocery store and not a farmer’s market or other independent seller, I was unable to ask questions about it. However the label on the basket did have some information, including when the fruit was ripe and what flavors and color to expect. 

  The preparation process was easy and straightforward, as the fruit is small enough to be held with one hand and not overly juicy. As such it was easy to slice into eight smaller slices for consumption. The inside was unremarkable and to be expected of a melon and easy to pit with a spoon, however with the marked absence of seeds. The inside is approximately the same color as the cream color of the rind, with none of the distinct purple color to be found. 

  The fruit can be eaten raw and unseasoned after washing and cutting, but I also tested it with chile powder and liked the flavor with it more than I had with other melons like honeydew. It can essentially be prepared like any other melon, washed, pitted and cut. However, unlike a cantaloupe, honeydew, or watermelon, the rind of a pepino is thin like an apple, waxy, and can be eaten easily if one wishes. I tested a bite with the rind and found I preferred it without. 

  There were no problems in eating it outside of finding the best way to peel the rind from the slices, in order to not waste as much of the fruit as possible. 

  The taste was extremely mild, and the texture I found was closer to that of a pear than a melon despite its shape and name. It was also less juicy and subsequently messy than other melons, as well as being less sticky and sweet and more mealy and mild flavor. It was better complimented by the chile powder than other melons because of this factor, and I think it would also be better served alongside fruits with stronger flavors like pineapple or cherries. I also think it would be right at home in a fruit salad with whipped cream for a dessert.