how to eat cucamelon

How to Eat Cucamelons

Eat them fresh from the garden. No need to remove the peel. ...
Pickle them. Eat on their own or add to sandwiches and wraps.
Use a whole one as an unexpected garnish in your favorite cocktail or lemonade.
Chop them up and add to salsas and salads for a bright flavor.
Cook them in a stir-fry.

What does a Cucamelon taste like?

It's a grape-sized fruit that grows on vines, also known as the Mexican sour gherkin or melothria scabra. It looks like a baby watermelon outside -- but more like a cucumber inside, as you can see in the picture above. It tastes like a cucumber, but a bit sweeter, maybe with a hint of lime -- nothing like a watermelon.

How do you know when a Cucamelon is ripe?

Cucamelon picking should be done when the fruits are not much more than an inch (2.5 cm.) in length and still firm to the touch. If you pick them later, they will be very seedy. Cucamelons develop and ripen pretty quickly after the flowers appear, so keep watching your vines daily.

Are Cucamelons good for you?

Cucamelons are small but pack a healthful punch. They are full of vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and fiber, and are also low in calories. The nutrients they provide can help lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

What do you do with Cucamelons?

Below are some our selected recipes from around the internet to get your creative cucamelon juices flowing:

Refrigerator pickles. ...
Cucuamelon salsa. ...
Pickled cucamelons with dill and mint. ...
Cucamelon bruschetta. ...
Marinated mouse melon. ...
Cucamelon radish salad.

Is Cucamelon a fruit or vegetable?

According to the Huffington Post, the cucamelon is a fruit that looks like a tiny watermelon but tastes more like a lime-dipped cucumber. It's also known as Mexican sour gherkin, Mexican miniature watermelon, Mexican sour cucumber and mouse melon, BuzzFeed reports.

Are Cucamelons invasive?

The vines are invasive, though, so if you do decide to try your hand at growing them yourself, you'll want to use a trellis and monitor the growth. What would you do with a cute cucamelon?

How long do Cucamelons last?

The cucamelons will be pickled and ready to eat. Once opened, store in the refrigerator. They will keep up to 3 months, but most likely won't last nearly that long!

How fast do Cucamelons grow?

Cucamelons are usually direct-sown into the garden after all danger of frost has passed. The seeds germinate and sprout in 7 to 14 days, and reach maturity in 60 to 70 days.

Is Cucamelon perennial?

Cucamelons can act as a perennial if you are lucky enough to live in a climate where they can produce tubers, or radish-like roots. ... If you live in an area that doesn't get much frost, then you can overwinter the roots in place by insulating with 6 – 8 inches of straw mulch and lightly moistening it.

How many Cucamelons does a plant produce?

Carefully dig up the cucamelon tubers, taking care not to bruise or damage them. Each plant should have produced several 4 to 6 inch warty tubers. Don't dust the dirt off because the tubers need to be stored in soil during the winter months anyway.

When should I eat Cucamelons?

Cucamelons are ready to harvest and eat when they are about the size of a grape and feel firm to the touch.

Are Cucamelons self pollinating?

Self-pollinating – Cucamelons are monoecious, meaning they have male and female flowers on one plant and are capable of self-pollination. Similar to cucumbers, fruits develop at the base of female flowers.

Can you freeze Cucamelons?

They will keep in a fridge for a week or you can freeze them by cutting them in half and placing into an airtight plastic bag or container. Alternatively they can be pickled. Cucamelon are not usually affected by pests and diseases, which makes them a very easy plant to grow.

Are Cucamelon leaves edible?

M. Charantia is edible when green and cooked but quite toxic and not edible when ripe. ... pendula but with no reports of laxative issues when ripe is Melothria scabra, or the Mexican Gherkin or Mexican Sour Gherkin.

What does a mouse melon taste like?

Each is the size of a grape, speckled white with green striations. Raw, the mouse melons have the taste and crunch of a fresh cucumber but with a burst of bright sour lemon from the skin. They are conversation pieces when used in salads, stir-fries, desserts or martinis.

How much do Cucamelons cost?

Very rarely, you might find cucamelons at the farmers' market, but they can fetch up to $20 a pound! The price alone makes it worth growing cucamelons for yourself. They're an easy crop; the vines are very productive, and they're rarely troubled by the many insects and diseases that plague cucumbers.

How tall do Cucamelons grow?

Once the main shoot has reached a height of 2.5m (8ft), pinch out the growing tip. Pinch out the growing tip of the side shoots when they are 40cm (16″) in length. The plants will start to fruit in July through to late September.

Are Cucamelons genetically modified?

Even more mind-blowing, the cucamelon doesn't taste what you would expect and actually has the flavors of a cucumber and a lime. The bizarre fruit is native to Mexico and Central America and not a genetically-modified hybrid that is grown in a cucamelon laboratory.

Do Cucamelons turn red?

Despite the name, they don't turn red on the inside, they're more like little cucumbers. The ourside also stays white-green all the way until they drop on the ground, at which point they're over-ripe and not very good.

Is wild cucumber poisonous?

Marah macrocarpus, also known as wild cucumber, is a climbing vine with long, green tendrils. Its fruit is an ovalish shape, with spikes, but when the fruit is green, the spikes are soft. ... Almost the entire plant is toxic, so don't eat the fruit.

What are tiny watermelons called?

Enter the cucamelon: an adorable fruit that looks like a mini watermelon. About the size of a grape, a cucamelon is a mix between a cucumber and a watermelon that tastes citrusy, and is native to Mexico and Central America.