One Unique Watermelon Variety Mimics A Sky Full Of Stars

A lot of foods are Instagrammable and aesthetically-pleasing, but few compare to one watermelon variety: the Moon and Stars watermelon. Moon and Stars watermelons are appropriately named after their galactic appearance – they have dark green skin with numerous yellow spots. While one will not encounter this variety in the wild, the commercially- or home-grown watermelon has become one of the United States' favorite heirloom varieties – perhaps due in part to its history.

A Colorado gardener sold the rights to the speckled watermelon to Peter Henderson & Co., a New York City-based seed and plant company, in the 1920s. By the 1970s, despite the fruit's popularity, it vanished from commercial availability. Kent Whealy, a member of Seed Savers Exchange, tirelessly searched for Moon and Stars seeds and went as far as to appear for an interview on a Missouri television show to find them. It wasn't until gardener Merle Van Doren reached out to Whealy post-TV appearance to exclaim he had been growing the fruit for years and would give Whealy seeds. As many feared the fruit would be lost forever, after its resurrection, it became an instant hit.

Moon and Stars watermelons reach maturity between 95 to 100 days. Once mature, the watermelon typically ranges between 10 to 15 pounds. The flesh of this cosmic fruit can vary, appearing either red, dark pink, or sometimes yellow. The fruit has high levels of sugar, making its luscious flesh exceptionally sweet. Its sweet flavor allows for versatility in cooking styles and makes it an ideal complement to several ingredients.

The nutrient profile of Moon and Stars watermelons specifically is unclear, yet all watermelon varieties have commonalities in nutrition like their naturally-high sugar content. Watermelons are famed vitamins A and C carriers, which benefit vision, immunity, skin health, and cells. Watermelons are also good sources of fiber and prebiotics, which aid overall gut health. While these qualities are universal in all watermelon varieties, the Moon and Stars variety's intense sweetness sets it apart from the rest.

Moon and Stars watermelons can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw applications of the fruit include cutting the watermelon or scooping it into melon balls. They can then be used to elevate summer fruit salads, add sweetness to salsas, be blended into smoothies, or frozen into sorbets and popsicles, among many other utilizations. Cooking Moon and Stars watermelon is also permissible. Grilling watermelon makes for an impressive cookout side, yet watermelons can also be cooked and prepared in pizzas, sandwiches, pastas, and more. Even the rind can be prepared in diverse ways. Pickling the rind is popular, yet it can also be roasted, dried, or stewed. Because of their sweetness, Moon and Stars watermelons complement many ingredients. Cheeses such as feta, goat, and Parmesan; herbs such as mint, basil, and cilantro; greens such as arugula and spinach; and other fruits such as lemons, limes, and tomatoes are common to pair with the variety.