I've grown cucamleons this year for the first time. In fact I'd go so far as to say that I'd never heard of them before I read James Wongs Home-grown Revolution back in the spring.
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| Cucamelons! |
They've received a bit of bad press from some people, but all I can say is my wife and kids love them!
The spindly vine grows like crazy and each plant has loads of these little melons on at any one time. They seem pretty trouble free, I've been treating them the same as my cucumbers, they live in the greenhouse, get watered every night and fed with home-made tomato food every third night. Lots of tasty little veg for the girls to snack on when they're "helping" daddy in the garden!
Anyone else tried them yet?
I grew them last summer but my seed catalogue called them Mexican Sour Gherkins. I think cucamelons sounds much cuter and would probably help seed sales too. They were certainly great producers.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right. although we shouldn't judge a book by it's cover we often do. If a rose was called a stink flower I doubt we'd be buying them at valentines!
DeleteI have some on the go, late start so picking them this week end, thought I would add them to a salsa
ReplyDeleteI was late putting mine in but they seem to be doing well now. I just pick mine each day and the girls have them as a snack or with lunch.
DeleteThey look amazing - I'll have to try some next year!
ReplyDeleteGive them a try. so many things out there we've never tried I think it's good to grow something different.
DeleteI like James Wong books as well. No greenhouse at the moment but will try them one day. How would you describe the flavour?
ReplyDeletelike a sweet slightly sour cucumber. I do't like cucumber much bu these are okay for me and like I said the girls love 'em!
DeleteI'm glad somebody likes them, i'll send you my packet of seed if you let me know your address!
ReplyDeleteI was worried when I read your post about them but they seem a hit in the Alviti household! I've still got plenty of seeds, maybe we should do a blog seed swap later in the year?
DeleteI have never seen them here, it would be nice if chickens liked them?
ReplyDeleteI bet they would as mine love cucumbers so I should imagine they'd like these, although it would be a pain to pick enough for the chickens!
DeleteSomething I have never tried. Sue at sss put me off them slightly with her review, I think I'll withhold judgement until I've tasted one for myself. I just need to find them somewhere to have a taste of .... do they post well ;-)
ReplyDeleteEmail me your address and I'll put some in the post for you!
DeleteHahaha.... they would get squashed !!
DeleteThanks for the thought though :-)
Never heard of them, looks like a tiny variegated cucumber. What do they taste like?
ReplyDeletelike a slightly sweet and crispy cucumber. a little bit sour but not bitter.
DeleteI'll have to see about finding some seeds. Might be fun to try something different next year. A few years ago I bought a "curry" plant seedling at the nursery. A herb that smelled just like curry. Still have the dried up plant hanging in the mud room and it still smells like curry. But I have yet to find it again in the nursery.
DeleteNot heard of them..what do they taste like?
ReplyDeleteJane x
I'd imagine you'd like them, a nice fresh snack sized veg.
DeleteMust give these a go next year. thanks for showing.
ReplyDeleteBriony
x
Let me know how you get on!
DeleteDid you photoshop that, amigo? You're not yanking our chains with a trick picture are you? I never heard of such a thing as those!
ReplyDeleteYes, I was thinking they came from the same place that begot the Jackalope
Deletehttp://cryptomundo.com/wp-content/uploads/jackalope1.jpg
He's "having us on" as the British say.
DeleteA little more convincing than your "Jackalope" maybe. A Mexican sour gerkin by another name. A great little plant for something a little different. There are well over 2500 edible plants in the world and for some reason we stick to the same 20 or so, it's good to try something different!
DeleteI, too, tried them for the first time this year. Mine wasn't a great producer but we are enjoying the occasional one here and there. I like the crisp taste - definitely will do it again if I can find seeds.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to save the seeds of mine I think. They seem to love a bit of comfrey tea and grow really well with it.
DeleteWe got one plant from the four sown, thank goodness. We have also enjoyed them, they are so prolific! Hoping to put the final lots in piccalilli.
ReplyDeleteSorry, forgot to say ours are outside against a south facing wall. As to their taste, they have a thick skin, taste of cucumber with a big hit of lime/lemon. Sour but not bitter.
DeleteMine germinated really well and I ended up with more plants than I really wanted but luckily they grow well close together. I must make some piccalili this year, every year I say I will and then forget!
DeleteI got some seeds for them recently on one of my recent seed orders. Will try them this next spring!
ReplyDeleteI have two plants, one in greenhouse and one outside, both have done the same, so I will grow outside again next year. I have read the plants will come back next year. I love them, we have far too many and are passing them on to neighbours.
ReplyDelete