Winter Melons 'Kirkman'

Behold: the Kirkman Melon from Southern Kyrgyzstan. Joe Simcox discovered this beautiful local variety on one of his travels. These splendid winter melons can be stored for a very long time and become sweeter as time passes. You can read Joe's wonderful story below.

Botanical explorer Joe Simcox recounts how he found this amazing melon:
"Not far from the famous Southern Kyrgyz city of Osh, I discovered this magnificent variety. As I drove along a narrow road lined with giant plane trees, I caught a glimpse of an enclosed veranda full of melons. I asked my driver to turn back so we could inquire.
When I knocked on the gate, a small boy answered. My translator-driver asked for his parents. The little boy ran off, and his mother appeared. Somewhat suspiciously, she peered through the crack in the door. My driver explained that I wanted to know more about the melons on the veranda. "Oh, those melons, we grow them every year and sell them later when the price is higher." I had broken the ice. The lady called her husband. A minute or two passed, and a group of four came around the corner. This time, the man was accompanied by the small boy and two twin sisters. When he heard my story, the man was enthusiastic: an American was interested in his melon variety; that fascinated him.
Immediately, he cut open a melon. "Take this," he said, sliding the freshly cut slice off the knife. It was a spectacularly crisp, juicy, sweet melon. "You can store these for months," he told my driver: "they get sweeter and sweeter."
I told him I would buy several, but first, I needed some photos. The twins were happy to pose, and I quickly photographed them, each holding a melon. Against the backdrop of the plane trees, my image of the "Kirkman" melon could not have been more authentic. When I asked about seeds, I was told he had a few kilograms he would sell.
Further conversation revealed that he truly believed the seed would only grow best and produce the sweetest melons after "ripening" for three years. We never asked him if four years would be even better...! Incidentally, fresh melon seeds can easily be stored for ten years."

Winter melon (Inodorus group) A post-harvest ripening melon that can be stored for a long time. The shape is round to (long) oval, the skin is quite smooth, sometimes slightly pleated and/or ribbed. The skin color varies by variety from white, yellow to black-yellow striped. The flesh is firm and sweet in colors white, yellow, or orange.

Names:
Latin: Cucumis melo
Dutch: Wintermeloen
Also: Honingmeloen
English: Melon