Ankara begins harvest of ancestral seed Mühürlü İpsala melons

The harvest season has begun for the Mühürlü İpsala melon in Ankara, a variety grown using ancestral seeds and dry farming methods. Produced on 80 decares of land, the harvest is expected to yield approximately 50 tons this year.

Producer Ömer Kılıç noted that the melon has been grown on their land for 80 years and is characterized by its unique aroma, flavor, and round, black-sealed appearance. Because it is grown without irrigation (dry farming), the taste is distinct from other varieties.

Unlike many other melons, this variety is highly resistant to diseases due to its ancestral seeds. While the market was once a major hub for exporting melons to cities like Kayseri and Erzurum, the product is now primarily consumed within Ankara's local markets and grocery stores.