Canary Melon FAQs

If you love cantaloupe and honeydew melon, just wait until you get your hands on a canary melon. Also known as Juan Canary melons and Cucumis melo, These show-stopping melons offer a truly special fruit experience! Their pale, peachy white flesh has texture similar to a cross between a cantaloupe and an Asian pear, with similar hints of flavor. Canary melon tastes faintly musky and sweet like its cantaloupe cousin, with the tangy essence of pineapple.

Native to regions around the Mediterranean and Middle East, canary melon is believed to have originated in Iran. Today, canary melons grow throughout Asia in Japan and South Korea, North Africa in Algeria and Morocco, Mexico and the United States. Canary melons grow low to the ground on thick, trailing vines.

Canary melon’s name is an homage to the bright yellow bird, rather than the group of Islands. On the outside, canary melons are a striking bright yellow color. Inside, the flesh is the whitish color of an asian pear, with a similar texture. At the very center, the flesh around the seed cavity is peachy pink around its hard, brown seeds.

Canary melons, like many melons, are harvested when ripe. However, they keep maturing a bit after harvesting, at which time they become softer and sweeter. Ripe canary melons will have bright yellow, taught, waxy rinds that are free of blemishes. For a week or two after harvesting, the skin will take on a slightly wrinkled texture (often referred to as corrugation), which is a sign that they’re ripe and juicy!

Canary melons can be prepared in many different ways for countless foods and drinks. Enjoy raw chunks of tangy canary melon, either plain or zhuzhed up with honey, cheese, charcuterie or seasonings. They can be frozen into sorbets, granitas or fruit pops. Grill them to bring out natural sugars for your next warm fruit salad, cook canary melon into sweet confections or use their juice in flavorful beverages.

Canary melons contain a seed cavity in the center filled with hard, brown, inedible seeds.

Native to regions around the Mediterranean and Middle East, canary melon is believed to have originated in Iran. Today, canary melons grow throughout Asia in Japan and South Korea, North Africa in Algeria and Morocco, Mexico and the United States. Canary melons grow low to the ground on thick, trailing vines.

High in deliciousness and nutrition, canary melons might be your newest go-to melon. Read on for nutrition information about canary melon.

Canary Melon Nutrition (1 cup, or 165g)

• Calories: 53
• Sodium: 25mg
• Carbohydrates: 13g
• Protien: 1g
• Calcium: 14mg
• Potassium: 417mg
• Vitamin C: 57mg
• Phosphorus: 23mg
• Magnesium: 19mg

Even though they’re known as a “winter melon”, canary melons are in season from the spring through the fall.

Canary melon’s intoxicating aroma and musky sweet fruit is a welcome addition to foods and beverages alike. Fresh, succulent canary melon is used both raw and cooked, and balances dishes with its refreshing and juicy sweetness. Use them raw in creative cheese boards, salads, granola bowls or simply drizzled with honey. High heat cooking methods like grilling and searing will caramelize the canary melons for an extra special fruit experience!

Canary melon is a truly special fruit experience. Their pale, peachy white flesh has texture similar to a cross between a cantaloupe and an Asian pear, with similar hints of flavor. Canary melon tastes faintly musky and sweet like its cantaloupe cousin, with the tangy essence of pineapple.

Canary melons bring delicate, tangy, melon sweetness to tons of recipes. Kids love the soft, cantaloupe-meets-pear flesh, and adults love slices topped with pungent cheeses. Whether snacking on raw chunks of canary melon with a drizzle of honey, chopping them into gazpacho or wrapping them in thin strips of salty prosciutto, canary melons are a welcome ingredient in just about any meal.

There are countless ways to add sweet, tangy canary melon to your drinks. Canary melon is delicious in fresh juices, enhanced waters, cocktails, batch drinks, smoothies and liqueurs. Turn them into syrup or toss frozen chunks into your blender to sip on something a little more slushy.

Canary melons have a generous shelf life and can be stored whole on the countertop for about a week once they’re ripe. Those who live in warmer, humid climates may find better melon storage success by keeping them in the fridge. Canary melons can last up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Once sliced, canary melon fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.

To freeze canary melons, wait until they are fully ripened. Slice the melon to remove the inedible seeds and rind. Freeze sliced melon on a cookie sheet with space between each piece. Once frozen, store the fruit in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.

Yes! Dogs love melon, and canary melon is no exception. Offer this sweet fruit as a treat in moderation. Be sure to remove the inedible seeds and rind before offering them to your dog. Puppy pro tip: freeze chunks of canary melon as a soothing treat to teething puppies.

Over at FruitStand, we love sharing fruit with our wet-nosed friends, so we encourage you to clear the safety of any new fruits or veggies with your veterinarian before offering them your pooch. Every four legged friend has their own nutritional needs, and some fruits may not be appropriate for your dog.

Even though the canary melon fruit has a pale white color, it can leave a juicy mark on certain fabrics. Fruit Geek 101: Keep a portable stain stick on hand for impromptu fruit feasts. Quickly treating a fruit juice spot greatly increases your chances of avoiding a stain.

In life, a little fruit must fall. If you drop a bit of canary melon on your clothing, table cloth or napkins, first treat the spot with a stain remover that’s safe for that particular fabric. Follow the directions on the product to prevent the spot from setting, and pop the item into the washer as soon as you can.

Canary melons and cantaloupe are two kinds of muskmelons that have lots in common. In fact, they’re often used in the same kinds of dishes and eaten in similar ways. Both fruits have hard rinds protecting soft flesh inside, with a generous collection of seeds in the center. 

One bite and the difference between canary melon and cantaloupe becomes clear. If you’re familiar with the taste of cantaloupe, canary melon is more delicate with a pineapple like zing to it. Canary melon flesh is softer, too, resembling that of a pear (and just as sweet).

Side by side it’s easy to tell these two botanical berries apart, too. The canary melon is named because the bright yellow rind is reminiscent of its namesake bird. The bright rind is much smoother, more similar in texture to a honeydew than cantaloupe. As the fruit ripens, the rind takes on a slightly wrinkled texture that’s often referred to as corrugation.

Has your once sweet-smelling canary melon gone from pleasant to pungent? It’s easy to get bad smells from canary melon out of your house with a few simple steps.

First, discard any spoiled canary melon and get it outside! Then, clean the area where canary melon was stored with hot, soapy water or home cleaning spray. Let it dry thoroughly.

To prevent bad smells from fruit in your kitchen and home, keep an old-fashioned box of baking soda in your fridge and anywhere you store food every two to three months to prevent unpleasant aromas before they start. Immediately refrigerate cut canary melon in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

When not refrigerated, store whole, fresh fruit in a cool, clean and well ventilated area. See our section on how to store canary melon for help on keeping them fresher for longer!

Can’t wait to sink your teeth into this soft, sweet melon? We’ve got great news for you! FruitStand is proud to partner with small, specialty farmers to bring you exceptional quality canary melon direct to your doorstep. To be the first to know when FruitStand is shipping fresh canary melon harvests, join our email newsletter!