The Mexican Sour Gherkin Cucumber (a.k.a. cucamelon) from Burpee is the latest new-to-me edible for my garden. More on that in a second. First, I want to tell you a little story. When I was a kid, one of the treats my mom would give us was a canned fruit cocktail. I loved its sweet syrupy goodness, it’s perfectly cut segments of fruit and—most exotic of all—those super-tiny mini watermelons. Well, I thought they were watermelons. They had the shape of a watermelon, after all. Turns out they were just green grapes. I had (and still have) an active imagination. (Similarly, I thought Butterfingers were chocolate-covered pieces of bark.)

Attributes of the Mexican Sour Gherkin

Back to the topic at hand, which is the Mexican Sour Gherkin. The reason I mention my fruit cocktail story is because these tiny, sweet-tasting cucumbers actually do look like miniature watermelons—and definitely more so than my fruit cocktail “watermelon.” It’s the mottled and swirled dark and light green appearance that is most watermelon-like. The taste, although sweetish in a tangy-sour sort of way, is definitely more cuke than watermelon.

All this is to be proven, of course. Like I mentioned, this type of cucumber is new to me so I am yet to taste the tangy sourness. This item seems best if eaten fresh—salads, snacking on their own, etc.—or pickled and used maybe as a sandwich topping or in a cocktail

How to Grow

This is a vining plant although a thinner-stalked one compared to bigger more traditional cucumbers. It grows to about 4-7 ft. tall and wide. If in-ground garden space isn’t available, try it in a hanging basket or put it in a patio container and have it climb up a trellis. The description says a “plethora” of 1-in. long fruits 70 days after transplanting, although I’ve read reviews that put the harvest at less than a plethora.

Other good information to know about the Mexican Sour Gherkin includes:

• It needs full sun.
• Space the plants 12-16 inches apart.
• Keep it well-watered and mulched for best results.
• It attracts hummingbirds! That’s special!

I’m excited to give the Mexican Sour Gherkin a try as I typically have pretty good luck with cucumbers. And I would love to have a hummingbird or two come by for a visit.