It is round, but flattened at the top and bottom, with a button or knob (aka “turban”) on the end opposite the stem end.
The skin has slight ribs, and a small amount of netting.
Inside, the flesh is green, turning orange toward the seed cavity in the centre.
The melons average about 1 ½ pounds (700g), though they can be smaller.
The vines grow 4 to 5 feet (1 ⅕ to 1 ½ metres.) The melons will slip from the vine when ripe (which growers hate.)
Some praise the taste. They may genuinely find it pleasing, or their appreciation of an heirloom melon named after a famous singer may be part of the enjoyment for them. Others say it is sweet and juicy, but only moderately so by today’s standards.
70 to 85 days from seed.
History Notes
Jenny Lind Melons were derived from a muskmelon of Armenian origin called “the centre” (sic) being sold in Philadelphia.
It’s not actually certain what this “Centre” melon was. Some speculate that it could be a Citron melon, and that “Centre” was just a corruption of the word “Citron”. Or it could indeed have been a different melon variety altogether.
Jenny Lind Melons were probably available from 1850 on, if not a few years earlier (some give the exact date of 1846.) They were popular in America in the last half of the 1800s.
They were very popular for home gardens and local markets. The melon itself doesn’t ship well.
But, it has become itself the ancestor of many other melons.
The melon was named after the Swedish singer, Jenny Lind. It was probably actually being sold before it was given the “Jenny Lind” name.