This pretty vine grows in my backyard, up the fence. A few times a year I pull up as much as I can and give it to the goats. They love the vine and the little one-inch-long fruits.
Its fruit are known as creeping cucumber, cucamelon, and mouse cucumber. They look similar to tiny watermelons. They are supposed to be extremely easy to grow and quite prolific.
The fruits are edible by humans when they are green, but not when they are black/ripe. Some say they taste just like or even better than a cucumber, others say it's like a cross between a melon and a cucumber, still more say it's the taste of a cucumber with a hint of lime.
If you aren't as lucky as I am to having them growing wild in the yard, you can purchase the seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, where they are called Mexican sour gherkin cucumbers. The listing at Baker Creek gives planting and growing information; they are supposed to be as easy to grow as cucumbers. Be sure to give your plants a trellis of some sort to climb on, and enjoy your cucamelons in salads, pickled, or right off the vine.
Mine are just beginning to ripen and I'm anxious to try one. I think the goats won't get their treat this year.
Disclaimer: Any information about edible wild plants is for educational purposes only. Sample such things at your own risk.
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How wonderful! They do look like baby melons. You have so many wonderful things growing on your property! Thanks for joining us on The Maple Hill Hop this week!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Daisy. We're truly blessed to have so much growing wild here.
ReplyDeleteAwww they do look like tiny baby watermelons! I've never heard of them before, I'll have to give them a try :-)
ReplyDeleteLara, they're cute, aren't they? Not that that is a reason to grow something (or maybe it is), but something edible that grows like crazy and tastes good, well, that's a good thing to grow. Mine are just about ready to taste and I'm planning a tomato and cucamelon salad.
ReplyDeleteI never heard of those before. Now I'm anxious to get outside and see if we have any of these growing wild (because I know we have a variety of vines all over the property!).
ReplyDeleteI hope you find some, Jamie.
ReplyDeleteWe love cucumbers at our house, and I would like to try these. I have never seen this plant in the wild or a garden. Hope you like them!
ReplyDeleteI didn't grow up in the South; living here has been an eye-opener, there are so many "different" things!
ReplyDeleteCucamelon are new to me and I was really interested to learn about them! They really are cute little things. Thank you for sharing this post with us at Hearth and Soul, Kathi!
ReplyDeleteNever even heard of cucsmelons! Off to do more research. Thanks for shariing.
ReplyDeleteThey were news to me a year or two ago too, Beth. I just found another wild vine this morning.
DeleteI'm trying these for the first time this summer and they are also called Mexican Mini Watermelon. They're so cute! Thanks for sharing at the Weekend Blog Hop at My Flagstaff Home!
ReplyDeleteJennifer
That's exactly what they look like, Jennifer, a mini watermelon. Until you cut them open though, then they resemble mini cucumbers.
ReplyDeleteI HAVE NEVER SEEN THOSE AND THEY LOOK INTERESTING. i WONDER HOW THEY WOULD DO IN ZONE 7.
ReplyDeleteThese are really cute, I would love to get the seeds. thanks for sharing very useful post for hearth and soul blog hop,tweeting.
ReplyDeleteThis is so interesting!! I've never heard of them. I'd love to start some in my yard. Eat when green, sounds good.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing on the Homestead Blog Hop. I hope we see you again today. Pinned!
These are absolutely adorable! Almost too cute to eat!
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up with Green Thumb Thursday. I hope to see you back this week!
Lisa
They're like doll-house sized watermelons, Lisa, very cute.
ReplyDelete