Here are some pics of the Bradford melons to give a rough idea what they look like. The average weight ranges between 20 and 45 pounds with most around 32 pounds. They have some tendency to sunburn as is typical of dark green melons. Internal structure often includes white streaks which are edible and taste about the same as the rest of the melon. Flavor ranges from good to very good. I don’t have a refractometer, but would rate these to brix about 13 to 14 which is very high for a watermelon. I ate a large Bradford yesterday that was around 40 pounds and would easily rank as one of the best watermelons I’ve ever tasted. The negatives with this watermelon are the thick rind and white streaks in the flesh. I’ve been told that it makes exceptionally good watermelon rind pickles. That is on my agenda to try!
Would I grow this watermelon again? Yes, in a heartbeat! I’m always fiddling around with genetics. I would love to cross this watermelon with Wibb and combine the deep red color with the other good traits in Bradford. It would take about 10 years to stabilize, but has potential to turn out better than either parent… and both are very good watermelons.
