Kansas Declared the Clear Winner

[Cheef]

We are now in the middle heading towards the end of watermelon/cantaloupe season here in the State of Kansas.
At the risk of controversy I have come to an absolute, indisputable observation/conclusion that might leave some with hard feelings, and bursted pride.
After many many many years of pursuing the ultimate watermelon/ cantaloupe I Hereby declare my own home state of KANSAS as the absolute, definite, indisputable CHAMPION of watermelon and cantaloupe.
The Mecca of watermelon/cantaloupe lies in a 50 mile by 75 mile patch of South Central Kansas known locally as The Sand Hills. Aptly named as the soil is SAND. The climate is PERFECT. The melons are beyond compare.
I have eaten both fruits in
Texas———-blah!
Oklahoma—-blah!
Gawgia——-blah!
Messico (both old and new)—-BLAH!
Mississippi—-blah!
Misseri———blah!
I’ve eaten variations of both fruits in Kazakhstan, Russia, all over Africa, all over the Middle East, and even a good part of Europe—Europe does make an attempt at growing melons BUT.......

KANSAS takes home the bragging rights without question.

[Spinaker]

Hahaha, you can have it. I do love a good watermelon though. I thought all you guys had was tornados, Jayhawks and wheat fields.

[Cheef]

All that and the meanest little rattlesnakes in the United States. They guard the Sand Hills melon fields. What they lack in size they make up for in attitude! Picking those melons is an adventure early in the season when those little turds have a real attitude!

[Spinaker]

Make sure you wear them boots! Cheef

[gcdmd]

and gloves

[Dan Deter]

You should probably check out the atlantic coast...South central NC is also the Sandhills...

[Cheef]

But? Can they grow decent melons?

[Dan Deter]

Oh yeah...and the Raleigh Farmers Market has tons of them.

[Donw]

I grew up in those Sandhills of NC. Our family use to send truckloads and truckloads of watermelons to supply the East coast. One of my earliest memories is being the talley man on one of field trucks keeping track of how many watermelons each hand picked. I couldn’t have been more than 8 years old. Those are great 🍉

[smokin fool]

Try melons from Ontario's fruit basket, Haldiman and Norfolk counties, always a winner around here.
No rattlers to mention up here, smaller Massassauga rattlers can be found in the Muskoka's but they've been darn near wiped out.

[Jerod Broussard]

South Louisiana has water moccasins around each watermelon. They eat rattlesnakes for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and supper....throw in a midnight snack while you at it.

I know some watermelon farmers here in Texas. Wigginsfarms.com

Just make sure I have some salt for mine!

[HouseHomey]

Well obviously you’ve never had SoCal melons but I have had plenty. Ok, you win.

We have to do some fancy stuff to them for service.

Otherwise salt, chili and lime works for me.

[RonB]

Funny thing - the tv show Sunday Morning just did a story on the melons grown in that area of Kansas. Supposedly, ('cause I don't know), that area has the perfect climate for growing melons with it's hot days and cool nights.

I used to grow them and always found it funny that the instructions said to withhold water for the last two weeks before picking 'cause I grew them outside and could not control the rain nor could I predict when they would be ready to pick...

[Cheef]

Wish I would have seen that. The cantalope right now are unbelievably good. We only eat cantalope in season around my house because none others compare.

[Clark]

Last week I bought one from a roadside stand and it came from a small town in Missouri. It was the best I've had in years! Sweet, juicy, seedless...what more could you ask for?

[Cheef]

A Kansas melon! Comparing Mizzeri .el9ns to Kansa melons is kind of like trying to compare Mizzery bbq to Kansas bbq. No contest!

[BFlynn]

Nope. Gonna have to disagree there. The best watermelon I've ever had are from Southern Mississippi.

Everytime we drive through, we pick up as many as fit in the car.

Inlaws didn't believe me when I told them that. They're converts now.