Cucamelons Are The Cutest Fruit Around

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Mouse melon, Sandiita, Mexican miniature watermelon, and Mexican sour gherkin — these are all common names for the tangy, crunchy, and grape-sized fruit, the cucamelon. This fruit is around the size of a green grape, tastes like a cucumber, and has a hint of sourness. 

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The cucamelon, native to Mexico and Central America, has a citrusy flavor. If you’re lucky enough you might find them at farmer’s markets, but you should consider growing them on your own. This is one of the easiest plants to cultivate and you don’t need any kind of green thumb to do it.

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You should plant the seeds indoors during April or May. They can be slow starters, it might take around 3 to 4 weeks before the small green shoots appear, but they can reach up to ten feet tall once the roots are firmly planted. If possible, provide your cucamelons with a trellis or some kind of wire for the vines to grow. Once it starts to sprout, your mind can stay at ease since these perfect fruits are drought resistant, cold tolerant, ignored by pests, and are resistant to most diseases. Still, it doesn’t hurt to water the plant often. Pick the cucamelons when they’re ripe, firm, around the size of a grape. You should have a generous yield from July to mid-November. 

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Cucamelons are perfect in salads and salsas, you can pickle them, mix them with a little tomato, goat cheese, and onion for some bruschetta, and the citrusy flavor of the Mexican sour gherkin goes great with different kinds of fish. If you can track down some of these seeds, you’re in for an adventure.