The Cutest Cuke You’ve Ever Seen

August 25th, 2015

I thought I was familiar with most every vegetable worth growing around here, but York County Master Gardener and edible-grower extraordinaire Dennis Mawhinney stumped me a few weeks ago with the cucamelon.

Cucamelons look like miniature watermelons, but they taste more like mild cucumbers.

Dennis got ahold of some seed and tried this vining crop, which produces gobs of grape-sized fruits that look exactly like miniature watermelons.

That’s why cucamelons are also called “mouse melons,” or in their central-American homeland, “Mexican sour gherkins.”

Although the fruits look like cute little watermelons, they taste a whole lot more like mild cucumbers flavored with a dash of lemon.

You can eat them right off the vine, slice them in salads, chop them into salsa, or do what Dennis did, pickle them whole in jars like any other miniature gherkin.

Me? I thought they were cute looking but less flavorful than a good ol’ cucumber. They were extremely crunchy, though, which I think adds to their snacking allure.

Dennis was particularly impressed with their prolific production.

Once the weather heats up, the skinny vines shoot up as much as 10 feet (with support) and produce a continuous supply of hanging cucamelons from July into fall.

You can start them from seed planted directly in the garden in early to mid-May, or start them inside in pots under lights in early April to set out after all danger of frost.

They thrive in heat, so it’s normal for them to lag a bit until they really get going when daytime temperatures hit the 80s and 90s.

Cucamelons grow much like cucumbers – albeit skinnier and with smaller more watermelon-like leaves – but they’re notably more bug- and disease-resistant than cukes and other squash-family garden plants.

They’re also shaping up as one of those trendy “designer vegetables” – the ones that create buzz at farmer’s markets and on social media.

Lately, the designer crowd has been hot on kale, edamame, ramps and that new combo of kale and Brussels sprouts, Kalettes. Cucamelons could be the Kalette of 2016.

Although they might sound cutting edge, cucamelons are actually a very old and open-pollinated heirloom species that dates back at least to Aztec times.

If you want to give them a try, seed is available from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (they’re called Mexican sour gherkins in that catalog) and Botanical Interests.

They’re also available from Seedaholic, which has some good cucamelon growing information.