All About Casaba Melon

A winter muskmelon, the sunny casaba melon is botanically known as Cucumis melo var inodorus. If you’ve never had casaba melon before, you’re in for a real treat!

Fresh casaba melon has a refreshing flavor that’s as subtle as it is complex. The texture is as soft as cantaloupe when ripe, and tastes like a slightly sweet cucumber and the faintest hint of peppery warmth, with a touch of the musk that these types of melons are known for. The outer rind and raw casaba melon seeds are inedible until cooked.

Casaba melons have a buttery yellow. textured rind that’s inedible. Inside, the flesh has a texture similar to a cross between honeydew and asian pear, with a pearly white color. At the center, elongated teardrop shaped seeds are small and offwhite.

Casaba melons have a flavor that blurs the line between botanical fruit and culinary vegetable. Their sweetness is so faint that this fruit can be used in a wide range of sweet and recipes, and in drinks for every age. From fruit salads to ceviche, salsas to granitas, casaba melons are a delicious fruit experience. Whether donning raw chunks of casaba with lime and salt, chopping them into gazpacho or grilling thick casaba slices alongside fish steaks, casaba melons elevate every recipe they touch!

Casaba melons may need extra time to ripen once they’re harvested. You’ll know the casaba is ripe when it’s hard, ridged rind is a cheery yellow. The whole fruit will feel heavy for its size in your hands, and should be free of blemishes. Tap firmly on the fruit with one of your fingers, and listen for a hollow sound. If it sounds muted or flat, it may still need to ripen.

Casaba melons are believed to have originated in Turkey. Today, casaba melons are also cultivated in the United States, Central and South America.

On the outside, casaba melons are a buttery yellow color with a thick, textured rind. Inside, the flesh is similar to a cross between a honeydew melon and an asian pear, with a similar color. The watery flesh is pearly white, and at the center, elongated teardrop shaped seeds are small and offwhite.

Casaba melons are believed to have originated in Turkey. Today, casaba melons are also cultivated in the United States, Central and South America.

The casaba melon season in the United States lasts from around August through December, peaking in the fall.

Whether a casaba melon is certified organic or not will depend on the farm where it was grown. At FruitStand, we only partner with the best specialty farms for exceptional quality of produce. When each harvest is available, we'll tell you whether the fruit is considered organic or conventional.

If you’ve ever wondered where to buy casaba melon, we’ve got great news for you! FruitStand is proud to partner with small, specialty farmers to bring you exceptional quality casaba melon. To be the first to know when FruitStand is shipping casaba melon harvests, join our email newsletter!

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