The inside of a Crane melon after the initial cut. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

It’s not unusual for certain produce to only be available in the season they are grown.

In fact, that used to be the only way to get any produce. But that’s another story.

I had the good fortune to have a Crane melon for the first time this fall from the farm where they were created. They are only available at this 150-plus-year-old Sonoma County family barn in September and October.

The Cranes came to Santa Rosa in 1852, with Oliver Crane creating his namesake melon in the 1920s. Today, 35 acres of the 142 acres are dedicated to Crane melons.

“The delectable, soccer-ball-sized Crane melon was developed when Oliver Crane crossed a Japanese melon and a California cantaloupe, creating a new melon that is more flavorful than either parent. Each year, Oliver Crane selected the biggest and best melons for next year’s seeds, genetically selecting for melons that flourished in the family’s adobe soil along Petaluma Hill and Crane Canyon roads,” is how the Cranes describe the melon on their website.

Mom, Sue and I all have great things to say about this melon. It definitely has the sweet smell of a cantaloupe, but it’s not as strong. Cutting through the rind it was clear this was not like any melon I had sliced. It was so thin and easy to slice. The flesh is a pale orange, yellow-y color.

Sue slicing a Crane melon in half. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

Most important, the flavor is outstanding. It’s sweet, but not syrupy sweet—sweet like fruit should be. And, oh, so juicy.

Crane seeds are available online through seed companies. These melons are also grown other places. The Cranes, though, are opinionated about them.

“Other growers produce Crane melons too, but the Cranes consider these melons inferior imposters. The Crane melon was developed by my great-great-grandfather Oliver Crane to be grown on his property in the adobe soil and dry farmed. This ranch has the climate and soil conditions where the Crane melon, through genetic selection, attains its ultimate flavor and texture,” said Jennifer Crane on the family’s melon website.

Melons are picked each day at the Crane ranch. The family website says, “The melons do not have the shelf life for shipping because they are vine ripened.”

Remember, these melons won’t be around for long, so if you are in the Santa Rosa area, stop by the Crane melon barn. Call 707.795.6987 to make sure they are still available.