Summer means nostalgic backyard get-togethers—the warm temps, the breeze, and the sweetness of a thick watermelon slice dripping juice that makes your hands sticky. In anticipation of the next watermelon-forward event, you might wander chilly grocery aisles, looking for the plumpest, ripest, most perfect watermelon. We’re here to suggest that you think again. There’s a whole other world out there.
Heirloom fruits are older varieties of produce that often aren’t available in grocery stores. They’re more likely to be sold in farmers’ markets and roadside stands. Heirlooms are fruits and vegetables that have been passed down through generations, typically for 50 years or more. These varieties are often open-pollinated, meaning they rely on natural pollinators like wind, insects, or birds. They are often known for their unique textures and colors, and are not typically bred for shelf life or uniformity. And their flavor? More than likely indescribably delicious.
Josh “Fitz” Fitzwater, publisher of the Hampton Roads food magazine Southern Grit, became enthralled with heirloom watermelons after visiting farmers’ markets and roadside stands in the Richmond area. “I discovered that watermelons were not just red,” Fitz recalls. “They were orange, yellow, white …”
The fascination was set in motion. In summer 2019, Fitz and his partner, award-winning food writer Deb Freeman, hit the road, traveling along the East Coast in pursuit of each state’s signature heirloom watermelon. From southern Georgia to Pennsylvania, they searched. “We were finding these growers with rare watermelons and trying all these different breeds, and sometime along that, I said, ‘Well, we gotta start growing these.’”…