Melon Noir de Carmes (Cucumis melo)

Black Carmelite Melon (Cucumis melo): The Black Carmelite melon is a variety with very dark, almost black, skin, belonging to the cantaloupe family, and was cultivated in France by the Carmelites. It should be harvested when fully ripe, when the skin begins to turn orange and the melon takes on a slightly flattened shape. The fruits are quite large—up to 1.5 kg—and each plant produces 4 or 5 (it is a medium-yielding melon). The skin is smooth and deeply ribbed; the flesh is dense, orange, very sweet, and fruity. This melon should be consumed very quickly after harvest, within two days at the latest. It is an early variety (75-80 days) and is relatively easy to grow.