I love watermelon, especially once summer really arrives. The problem is, I live at a latitude 43 degrees north, with a short growing season that doesn’t favor watermelon. With most other fruits and vegetables, I try to hold out for delicious, fresh local options, but I always seem to cave in to my watermelon craving at about the time summer heat settles in for real.
A couple of days ago, I had one such powerful craving. In an effort to make one stop, rather than two, I set my sights on buying an organic watermelon at the local food coop. I don’t usually worry too much about making sure my watermelon is organic, since watermelon doesn’t carry a high risk of chemical contamination; it’s on the Environmental Working Group’s “Clean 15″ list. Being in one of those “just do it” states of mind, I was prepared to ignore organic watermelon’s high price I’d noted on previous shopping trips. I planned to grab my prize, pay and run.
$32.50. Yes, it’s true. That little organic watermelon was going to cost me $32.50. I’m pretty sure it was $1.99 per pound but, honestly, I tried to avoid looking at the sign. The friendly clerk, clearly more practical a person than I was in that moment, pointed the price out to me at the register. $32.50. The basketball-sized watermelon I’d grabbed almost mindlessly, had three soft spots on it, a clue that it might have been tempting shoppers for more than a few days. I support organic, and I support the coop, but I just couldn’t bring myself to pay $32.50 for a watermelon. I couldn’t do it. The craving would have to wait.
Most summers, until local farms are harvesting watermelon, I buy mine at the grocery store. Harvested in the USA, according to the label, but it’s impossible to know the state of origin. Watermelons like it hot. We grow 200 to 300 varieties in this country, with the biggest producers being Texas, Florida, California, Georgia and Indiana. With New Hampshire’s short growing season, it’s a novelty crop, at best. You have to seize the moment to buy it, because the moment passes quickly.
The United States is not the world’s biggest watermelon producer, lagging far behind China for that honor. According to the USDA, 51 different chemicals are currently being used on watermelon crops: pesticide, herbicides and fungicides. In China, recent use of forchlorfenuron, a growth accelerator, caused a spate of exploding watermelons. Apparently, being first in world production isn’t enough. You have to be fastest too. From the little I’ve read about Chinese produce, it’s a good idea to be careful. China is also using human birth control hormones on cucumbers.
Today’s watermelon came from the farm stand down the road, which offers produce grown far from New Hampshire just to keep its shoppers happy. It’s a local farm but, sadly, people don’t get the concept of seasonal fruits and vegetables, even at a farm stand. “People want their watermelon,” the lady explained. “They don’t want to wait.” Yes, that’s me she’s talking about. She didn’t know where my $6.99 cent watermelon might have traveled from to get to her cart. The wonders of modern produce distribution.
Having just enjoyed a healthy serving of my mystery, seedless watermelon, I’ll willingly admit to rationalizing caving in to this craving. It was delicious. Perhaps in August, when local (maybe even organic) watermelons are available, I’ll do a taste comparison. Until then, I’m likely to cave a few more times. But one thing’s for sure, no matter how powerful my desire, I won’t be paying $32.50!
For a delicious, cooling watermelon drink, check out this basil watermelon cooler. You’ll love it.
What craving gets you every time?
I love the title of this post but can’t imagine a $32 watermelon. As for cravings, mine are usually cheese related.
I admit that my cravings extend well beyond watermelon. Cheese is right up there, too!
Lots of little tiny melons in my patch. If any of them grow big enough to eat, I’ll give you one. And they’re organic!
If anyone could grow a good watermelon in New Hampshire, it would certainly be you!
I have tons of little watermelons in my 1st ever garden! The biggest one is the size of a grapefruit. I feel fortunate that I’ve already eaten so many organic, grown by my own hand veggies! I’ve had peas, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, zucchini, pole beans, bush beans, sugar snap peas, snow peas, radish, pac choy & cukes (coming out of my ears already!). I’m so happy to report that for even a new gardener such as myself, I have one heck of a garden growing! Mainstream can keep their GMOs and CAFO meats because my business is staying local! I’m so lucky to have 3 J’s Farm just around the corner for their fabulous grass fed beef. Know anybody that has organic chicken?
Your garden sounds beautiful! This season has been remarkable for the absence of significant pests and diseases, at least around here. Good for beginners, for sure. Regarding chickens, there are a few people in Canterbury selling them, and also Maggie Mae Farm in Belmont. I’m sure there are plenty of others, but my infrequent meat consumption makes me a bad person to ask. Check the Canterbury Community Farmers Market website for contact info. Good luck!
Will the co-op ever sell that $32 watermelon? I doubt it. I’m guessing it will be heaved onto the compost pile. I wonder how much they actually paid for it. Money wasted. Better to be practical and only provide local, organic produce. Making their mission to raise awareness to what is actually IN SEASON in NEW ENGLAND would be a hard thing to do, but I think it would be a worthy project! Why do they try to compete with the grocery stores? It’s useless. No one I know buys all of their food from the co-op. We shop there to purchase items that can’t be bought at the grocery store.
All that being said, Eleanor….you deserve to get a nice watermelon and enjoy it without guilt! We all need our occasional treats. Get another one next week too! Truly, even though it might have been grown a long way away in the US, you cannot get them year round. Enjoy!
The clerk told me they eventually cut it up and sell the pieces at a lower per pound rate. I think they also use it up on the salad bar. I’d love to see the Coop stop stocking exotic, out of season items. The fact that they’re stocking them is an indication that somebody is buying them. Don’t worry….I’m very much enjoying my well-traveled watermelon from the farm stand!
Ah the elusive NH watermelon… there are so many varieites that I’d love to grow, moons & stars, orange glo, etc, etc, but alas, we stick with the mountain hoosiers and sugar babies rather than be continually dissapointed! I left some in the greenhouse this year, hoping to extend the season! *fingers crossed*
Mmmm. Keep us posted. I’ll move quickly if any end up for sale!
It is interesting that even those of us who are committed to paying the true cost of things have thresholds beyond which their ideals become challenged.
I’d love to know why that melon is worth that price – it it truly is, we have some accounting to consider.
It’s true. Committing to buying organic is a whole lot more palatable when the price is not obnoxiously elitist in itself! I suspect the coop either found a different source for organic watermelons or adjusted their pricing strategy; the melons in the store this week are priced at $13.50 each. I’m sorry to say, that’s still more than I’m willing to spend, even once in a while.
I caved to the organic watermelon craving. I’m in northern Virginia where we have them all over, non-organic but from farms in the Middle Atlantic including the Eastern Shores of Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. But I wanted to juice the rind so I’m thinking I gotta go organic for that. Well, that was the WORST watermelon I have ever tried to eat. I mean terrible. I didn’t take it back, I should have. But I got it from the locally owned health food store and I do my best to support them because I don’t want them to vanish on me. They carry too many things the others don’t carry in the raw food line including the WH chain. When I ask this locally owned store, Moms Organic Market, for something they order it. Then eventually they start carrying a lot of things. When I ask WH, ha ha ha ha! You understand I am sure. Anyway, I will never buy an organic watermelon from anyone again. Instead I will plant them next year myself. I have musk melons growing, surely I can do this. Because I am a watermelon obsessive.
Juicing the rind? Wow, I hadn’t considered that but, yes, that would be a good reason to go with organic watermelon. You’re lucky to have a growing season long enough to make that a realistic goal. Good luck!
Eleanor
Eleanor,
Just wanted to let you know that I did end up with about 20 watermelons this year. Some the size of grapefruit, others bigger than a basketball. They were all sweet & delicious. I kept all the seeds and am contemplating growing/selling seedlings for my organic watermelons next spring. Only time will tell if I get them planted soon enough, and if they grow. I’ll let you know in the spring. Great blog you have :)
Congratulations Darlene! I hope the seed-saving works out for you. Maybe, over the seasons, you can continually improve your variety for your particular site. Good luck! (and thanks for your kind words)
Eleanor