Cucumber Melotria

Melotria rough is now gaining popularity among exotic lovers. The relative unpretentiousness and very original appearance of the fruit encourages gardeners to grow this plant in their area. Melotria rough – “cucumber” with a secret. And you can get from the plant not only “mouse watermelons”.

What is melotria plant

The fame of the Mexican creeper cannot be compared with its “countrymen”: potatoes, corn and tomatoes. This vine is native to Central America, where it has received many other local names:

• mouse melon;
• Mexican sour gherkin;
• cookamelon (compilation of English cucumber and melon);
• Mexican miniature watermelon;
• Mexican sour cucumber;
• pepkin.

The origin of these names becomes absolutely clear if you look at the photo of rough melotria and taste it once. They look like very small watermelons, but they smell like cucumbers. The taste is also cucumber, but with a slight sourness.

In the -speaking space, the liana received 2 more names: mouse watermelon and African cucumber. The second name, however, has no basis. Melotria is not an African cucumber and has nothing to do with Africa at all. Even to the Equatorial.

With a high degree of probability, confusion occurred due to the appearance of the fruit. Someone heard that a real watermelon comes from South Africa and decided that melotria is rough and there is such a wild African watermelon. False information is spreading fast these days.

In fact, rough melotria was domesticated in Central America. Researchers believe that this happened even before the European colonization of the continents.

Description

Melotria rough is a perennial vine from the gourd family. Belongs to the genus Melotria, numbering about 166 species. Most representatives of this genus can only be used as ornamental plants. The fruits of melotria rough are also eaten.

The leaves of the vine are three-segmented, triangular in shape. pubescent. All 3 segments have sharp ends. The plant is monoecious. Both male and female flowers grow on the same vine. Men’s are collected in knots of several pieces, women’s grow one at a time. Flowers yellow, funnel-shaped. The scourge grows up to 3 m during the summer.

In the homeland of creepers, mouse watermelons or melotria are considered a weed. Well deserved. This is an unpretentious weed. Like any self-respecting weed, rough melotria does not put all its eggs in one basket, propagating only by seeds. On the roots of melotria rough, by the end of the vegetative period, tubers are formed, which allow the plant not to spend 3 weeks next year on seed germination.

In a hot climate, tubers on the roots will not allow you to completely destroy the rough melotria once planted. Although sometimes such a need arises. Mexican liana is an aggressive plant. If it grows on the ground, then it suppresses any other shoots. But in Mexico and tropical America there are no sub-zero temperatures, while in Our Country, even in the south, the thermometer drops below zero in winter. Therefore, in Our Country, the liana passes into the category of annual plants and can only be propagated by seeds.

Varieties of melotria rough

Given the theoretical length of the domestication period for melothria, hundreds of varieties would exist today, differing in color, taste and size. In reality, there are only plants with berries about 3 centimeters long and color variations within the normal range.

Among the European colonialists, neither in America nor in Europe is there any talk of any varieties of this plant. On Western sites, they actively sell seeds and give instructions for growing rough melotria, but they don’t mention varieties in a word. All references to any variety refer to firms trading in seed material. Therefore, it is necessary to treat the issue of varietal reproduction of rough melotria with caution. That does not negate the high qualities of this plant. But “mouse watermelons” are still “unplowed fields” for breeding firms. Yes, and when selling, it is often indicated that the variety is new.

Melotria Hummingbird

There are no data regarding the distinctive qualities of the Hummingbird variety from the usual Melothria scabra. Therefore, it is not known whether the Gavrish company is really the originator of the variety, or whether they simply named the seeds of an ordinary wild vine that way. The description of the variety is reduced to Melothria scabra, and the method of growing melotria varieties “Hummingbird” is no different from “cucumber”.

This is correct, since the main terms of sowing and further care for mouse watermelon really almost completely coincide with cucumber liana. Even in abundant watering, they need the same.

Melotria Mini Cucumber

Strictly speaking, even the name indicates that this is not a variety, but simply someone did not have enough imagination to describe the berry, or tracing paper was used from the English “gerkin” – gherkin. This is not a cucumber, as there are certain differences. At least a different type of plant. Outwardly, the berries are also unlike gherkins.

But the principles of growing and harvesting are the same as for cucumber crops. Only there is no need to pinch.

Melotria Shapito

But here, on the contrary, someone has a rich imagination. Manipulations with the “varieties” of a wild plant can only be called a circus. You can safely buy, focusing on the botanical description of rough melotry. Liana is really well suited for decorative landscaping of balconies, arbors and fences. The main thing is not to buy an inedible species of this kind of plant.

Melotria Baby

Also a fair name. Berries up to 3 cm in size can not be called otherwise than babies. But this word is not suitable as a name for a variety. The berries are so small. How can they be made even smaller?

Melotria rougha mouse melon

The variety “Mouse Melon” does not exist. This is a “common” common name for rough melotria. Along with “mouse watermelon”. In fact, the “mouse melon” is the wild ancestor of the cultivated rough melotry. But on sale there are packages with seeds called “mouse melon”. You just need to remember that this is not a specially bred variety.

The benefits and harms of rough melotria

Even in the Western market, these fruits have appeared and become fashionable quite recently. In America, they are called “forgotten heritage”. Due to the lack of data on the beneficial properties of melotria and contraindications to its use, no one can reliably tell yet, therefore, they are guided by the cucumber and obvious properties.

Fiber is abundant in any fruit or vegetable with a tough skin. Therefore, there is a lot of fiber in the berries, which contributes to the normalization of the intestines. Melothria also contains micro and macro elements:

• calcium;
• sodium;
• magnesium;
• phosphorus;
• potassium;
• iron.

They are found in any plant, since without them the development of flora is impossible. Vitamins C and B₉ are present in fruits. Mouse melon also contains some kind of acid. Most likely, it is oxalic or lemon. But there may be other types of acids, due to which the melotria berry has a sour taste.

Melotria is useful in diets. In the same way as the cucumber. It is just as watery and low-calorie.

Contraindications so far also indicate the same as for cucumber:

• increased acidity in the stomach;
• gastritis;
• a stomach ulcer.

Melotria is somewhat more dangerous than cucumber due to its high acid content.

Pickled fruits are not recommended for people with certain diseases of the internal organs:

• gastrointestinal tract;
• of cardio-vascular system;
• liver;
• the kidneys.

Do not abuse salted or pickled melotria for people with hypertension and atherosclerosis.

Growing melothria from seeds

Growing melotria rough from seeds methodologically again coincides with cucumbers. Breeding Melothria is a little easier, as it doesn’t even require the care that cucumber bushes need.

Mouse melon seeds for seedlings are planted at the same time as cucumber ones: in February-March. The liana is not demanding on the soil and grows well in loamy soil. But for seedlings it is better to choose nutritious soil. The one that goes for cucumbers will do.

The seed is simply pressed into the ground with a sharp end and thoroughly watered with warm water. For the germination of rough melotria, an air temperature of + 24 ° C is needed. On -language sites, by analogy with other pumpkin plants, there is information about the germination of melothria seeds within 3-5 days.

Foreign sites “unanimously” claim that the main difference between rough melotria and its “relatives” is a very long germination time. Creeper sprouts take 3-4 weeks to emerge from the ground. And the higher the air temperature, the faster the seeds will germinate. Therefore, if the purchased “varietal” seeds did not germinate after a week, you need to wait another 3 weeks before being disappointed and throwing out melotria. Germination is best done on a sunny windowsill. The earth must also warm up. After the first 2-3 true leaves develop, the air temperature can be reduced to + 18-21°C.

Seedlings are planted in a heated greenhouse in March, in an unheated greenhouse in May or even later in open ground. The planting scheme is the same as that of a cucumber. At first, the vine grows very slowly, but then development accelerates. Melotria should not be left to curl on the ground, it begins to rot. For this, plants put retaining walls or trellises. You can make a hedge out of vines.

The landing site is chosen protected from the wind and well warmed by the sun. You can not plant a mouse melon where other representatives of the pumpkin grew last year. Being a “relative”, she is subject to the same diseases and pests. Melotria is hygrophilous. The soil under the vine should always be wet.

Harvesting

Fruits begin to be collected from July. The main harvest ends in September, but in a warm climate, the vine can bear fruit until December. Still unripe fruits are harvested for food. Edible berries reach a length of 2,5 cm, but still remain firm and strong. In this form, they are used for salads, preservation and cooking other dishes. Rough melotria overripes in the same way as other pumpkins: the fruits acquire a very tough skin.

After the crop is harvested, and the vine has dried up, you need to dig up the edible tubers formed on the roots. To taste, these formations resemble sweet sweet potatoes.

How to collect melothria seeds

Overripe fruits are used to collect seeds. It is best to pick up the berries that have fallen to the ground and leave them on a tray indoors for another 1-2 weeks. After that, the fruits are cut and seeds are taken out of them. The resulting mass is placed in a jar of water and left for 5 days.

During this time, pathogens have time to die, and the seeds are sorted by quality. The best seeds sink to the bottom of the jar. After 5 days of infusion, the contents of the jar are poured into a strainer and washed well. The seeds remaining in the sieve are laid out on a clean surface in a cool, well-ventilated room and dried for 2 weeks.

After drying, the seeds are transferred to an airtight jar and placed in a dry, cool place. With proper storage, the germination of melothria seeds lasts up to 10 years.

Reproduction by tubers

If there is no desire to wait 3 weeks before the first seed germinates, and there are conditions for storage, melotria can also be propagated by tubers. In late autumn, they must be dug up and placed in the basement. Store tubers in slightly damp peat. They are planted in a permanent place after the earth has warmed up.

Melothria recipes

The berries of this creeper almost completely replace cucumbers in taste and smell, so there are no special recipes for rough melotria. It is used in the same place where cucumbers are used. Rough melotria blanks for the winter are also made according to the “cucumber” recipe. The same goes for salads, pickles or jams.

The advantage of this berry is that children really like small “watermelons”. Babies should not be forced to eat these fruits. Children often eat them right on the spot, tearing them off the liana.

Recipe for Pickling Melotria

Marinade recipes for any product are in every family. You can try different ingredients and proportions. In the case of rough melotria, it is enough to choose one of those marinades that are suitable for cucumbers:

• 1 kg of fruit;
• 2 laurel leaves;
• 2 dill umbrellas with seeds;
• 5 cloves of garlic;
• ½ hot pepper;
• a teaspoon of vinegar essence;
• 70 g salt;
• 100 d Sahara.

Rinse the fruits, garlic, laurel and dill thoroughly and pour over with boiling water. Put in sterilized jars, add salt and sugar. Pour in boiling water and wait until the salt and sugar dissolve. Drain the brine and boil again. Fill jars again and add vinegar. Close lids tightly.

Melotria salting

Salting in an open way is again borrowed from cucumbers. The fruits are poured with brine, in which salt, vinegar and sugar are added to taste. Garlic, black pepper, dill root, and other spices are added for flavor. Such a product is intended for quick consumption, as there is no sterility.

Melotria jam

The recipe for making jam is again borrowed from the cucumber culture, and the technique from the gooseberry. For jam take young fruits. Melotria rough does not need to be peeled, there is too little pulp and a lot of water under it. The jam is made from whole fruits. You can prick them with a needle, like a gooseberry.

Ingredients:

• mouse watermelons 500 g;
• 1 lemon;
• 1 orange;
• cinnamon stick;
• star anise;
• 2 boxes of cardamom;
• 300 grams of sugar;
• vanilla to taste.

The orange is cut into cubes and the pits are removed. Juice is squeezed out of a lemon. Put all the ingredients in a saucepan, add a little water and put on fire. After the liquid boils, the flame is reduced and boiled until thickened for 40-50 minutes.

Reviews on growing Melothria Hummingbird

Conclusion

Rough melotria is a completely new plant for Our Country. It turned out not quite old for “native” America either. Due to its unpretentiousness, it can replace cucumbers, since these plants are the same in terms of thermophilicity, and there is much less trouble with mouse watermelon.