Like with most vegetables, taste is most dependent upon cultivar. Age and rapidity of growth does have some effect. The store bought "baby " carrots are Imperator types carved down. These are the long blunt carrots, but they don't do well in clay soils. As long as the carrots get adequate growth before freezes, they will hold through the winter. They will try to seed in spring however, so unless you are saving seed, use them in the winter.

The "banana melon" I grew last year had orange flesh and looked like a melon not a cuke inside. It was an heirloom variety melon. Was this the type your friend grew as well? I wouldn't expect the fruit picture to be an offspring of that if so. It does look rather squash or cucumber like in the fruit. Does your friend compost? FataMorgana

John, HAH! It is truly terrifying the amount of worthless information I know! My husband continually bugs me to try out for Jeopardy, lol (which really is code for discovering just how truly stupid you are)! I only know this little fact because I happen to love, love, love the Cocktail pummelo hybrid. I like my citrus on the sweet side, but with perfect acid to sugar ratio. Cocktail does that. It never made it to the commercial marketplace due to it's high seed content, and also that it is a little more tender-skinned that other citrus. Plus, it's just not really "anything" - it's not a grapefruit, it's not an orange. Sort of all the same reasons (except the seediness) that Meyer lemons face, in fact. What has happened for both varieties is a fascinating grassroots campaign that has caused both of this very wonderful varieties to develop a bit of a cult-following amoungst citrus lovers. You would love them, John. If you can find a marketplace for all your lovely Meyer's, I'm betting those same clients would scramble for the Cocktail. It is most definitely worthy of a place in everyone's collection, imho. Try squeezing the juice and combining it with some Moro orange juice. To die for. And tantanman, I wonder if your "Golden" GF is another name for the Cocktail? Sounds exactly the same. I've not heard of that particular variety, but by description, is sounds identical to our Cocktail. Patty S.

Do you know what variety of orange tre this is ? If it's a Valencia , the fruit does not ripen until May so it may taste sour because it's way to early . Lots of orange varieties ripen much later than early December . On the other hand , if a tree is sour naturally there's nothing you can do to change genetics . Just plant a new variety !