Description
Cucamelons are tiny, grape-sized fruits that look remarkably like miniature watermelons, but have a crisp texture and a fresh cucumber flavour with a slightly sour, lemony twist. They are also known as mouse melons or Mexican sour gherkins.
Despite their appearance, they aren’t tiny watermelons. Cucamelons, Melothria scabra, are climbing members of the cucumber family and produce small edible fruits on vigorous vines.
Eat them fresh straight from the vine, toss them into salads, add them to salsa, use them as cocktail garnishes, or pickle them like tiny gherkins.
A little tip: Pick cucamelons while they’re small, firm and bright green. Their flavour and texture are best before the fruit becomes overripe.
Pickled Cucamelons
Ingredients
1 cup fresh cucamelons
½ cup white vinegar
½ cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon peppercorns
1 small sprig rosemary or dill, optional
Method
Wash the cucamelons and place them into a clean jar.
Add the vinegar, water, sugar and salt to a small saucepan. Warm gently until the sugar and salt dissolve.
Pour the warm mixture over the cucamelons and add the peppercorns and herbs.
Allow to cool, seal and refrigerate. This is a simple refrigerator pickle, not a shelf-stable preserve.
Leave for at least 24 hours before trying them.
Tammy’s tip: Don’t cut them up. Half the fun is serving what appears to be a bowl of illegally tiny watermelons.
