subject: Melon Seeds And Self-sufficient Living [print this page] Cantaloupe, watermelon, musk melon, cassavas nothing says summertime quite like dining on the sweet flesh of a succulent, vine-ripened melon. Any plan for food self-sufficiency should include a wide variety of melon seeds, preferably of non-hybrid, non-GMO type.
Melons are related to squash, and cross-pollinates very well with most kinds of squash and corn. Native Americans referred to maize, beans, and squash as the three sisters vegetables that could be grown together and form a nearly complete nutritional package. Corn and beans are also easy to store and retain their nutritional benefits for a long time. Melons are more perishable, but they make a very good compliment nutritionally to beans and corn. This is one reason why melon seeds particularly heirlooms should be part of any survival or self-sufficiency garden.
As with other garden seeds, non-GMO heirloom melon seeds are the best choice for a small garden. They are pedigreed seed lines that go back to a time before widespread use of pesticides and herbicides.
Melon seeds are relatively easy to cultivate. Theyre well-suited to the needs of the small gardener someone building an urban homestead, or a survival/self-sufficiency garden. The ability to store and re-use seed is one of many reasons why cantaloupe and other melon seeds are a good choice for a small garden. Heres how to save and store a large supply of melon seeds from cantaloupe.
Pick the fruit at the peak of ripeness. The cantaloupe seeds will be fully mature, and can be extracted even as you and your family dine on the succulent outer fruit.
Segment the melon with a sharp knife, carefully scooping out the inner seed lining. Place the seed-bearing pulp into a bowl, extracting by hand as much pulp as possible. After disposing of the pulp, add warm water to the bowl containing the cantaloupe seeds. Skim away seeds that float on top, since they wont be of any use. Rinse the rest of the cantaloupe seeds once more to remove any remaining sugar and pulp and then place on a screen to dry. This process should take about three days.
Once the cantaloupe seeds are dried, place them in a bag identifying them and noting when they were harvested. They can then be placed into a freezer until the next planting season.
The same procedure can be employed to preserve other melon seeds watermelon, honeydew, cassava, musk melon, you name it. All of these fruits are delicious and extremely healthy. Plant many varieties and if you find one that is particularly delicious, make a special effort to save as much of its seed as possible for the next year. Its important to understand, however, that if youre dealing with hybrids, such as the common F1 hybrid cantaloupe seeds, your second and third generation crops might not be quite as tasty as the first.
