Look at the size and shape of this fruit to see what kind of cucurbita it is. Cucumbers will usually form long thin fruits, a watermelon or cantaloupe will be round, and some winter squash have a characteristic bulge at one end of the fruit.
How do I identify a cucumber?
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)
The cucumber plant is vining with large, lobed, triangular, green, bristly leaves and long petioles. Fruits are elongated, cylindrical, yellow-green to dark green and either spiny or smooth. Cucumbers are eaten raw or pickled. Size is variable, depending on variety.
Is a watermelon the same as a cucumber?
Cucumbers are actually a fruit — and they belong to the same family as watermelon. Aside from their size and the thickness of their outer rind, one of the main differences between the two is the level of sweetness. Cucumbers are mild and refreshing, watermelons are much sweeter.
Why does my watermelon look like a cucumber?
There would be a problem only if you were planning to save seeds from your watermelon to plant next year. The effects of the pollen are expressed in the next generation, so if you saved seed and planted them next year, then the melon would have characteristics of the cucumber.
How do you tell if it’s a watermelon?
A ripe watermelon should have a deep hollow sound when you thump the rind with your hand, similar to a knock on the door. An unripe melon will have a more high-pitched resonance, whereas an overripe melon will sound more like a thud. 2. Check the field spot.
What looks like a tiny watermelon?
Cucamelons are grape-sized fruits that look like Lilliputian watermelons but taste like cucumbers. They are native to Mexico and Central America, where they go by nicknames such as sandita (“little watermelon”) or sandía ratón (“mouse melon”).
What are the long skinny cucumbers called?
Persian cucumbers are thin-skinned and only grow to be about five to six inches long and remain quite narrow. These baby cukes are nearly seedless and extra crisp rather than watery, and have a mild, sweet flavor that’s easy to fall for. You’ll often find them in packages of a half-dozen or so.
What plant looks like cucumber?
Echinocystis lobata
Look closely and you’ll notice the leaves and individual flowers look just like that of cucumber – this is wild cucumber or balsam-apple, Echinocystis lobata. The name Echinocystis comes from the Greek echinos for “hedgehog” and cystis for “bladder”, appropriately describing the spiny fruit.
What are tiny cucumbers called?
Gherkins. Gherkins are very small—sometimes not even two inches long. If you’re looking for a cucumber to pickle, this is a great choice because they’ll easily fit in a jar.
Does a cucumber with sugar taste like watermelon?
OVERALL: It looks like this myth has been busted and unless you use a massive amount of sugar, cucumbers don’t taste like watermelon.
Is watermelon a big cucumber?
Although still considered a type of melon, watermelons are not part of the melon genus Cucumis. They’re categorized as a separate species of melon.
Is the green part of a watermelon cucumber?
The most popular part of the watermelon is the pink flesh, but like its cousin, the cucumber, the whole thing is edible. This includes the green scraps that usually end up in the compost bin. The rind, which is the green skin that keeps all that water-logged delicious fruit safe, is completely edible.
What do watermelon cucumbers taste like?
Sometimes referred to as Mexican sour cucumbers, Mexican miniature watermelon, Mexican sour gherkin, and sandía ratón or “mouse melons”, these baby melons are said to taste exactly like cucumbers with just a tang of lime.
How can you tell the difference between a cucumber and a cantaloupe?
Cantaloupe leaves are rough and lobed, similar to cucumber, but not as angular. Cucumber leaves are lobed, triangular, with bristly leaves. If you do an internet search for cantaloupe seedlings and cucumber seedlings images you will definitely see the differences.
What do you call a little watermelon?
Mini watermelons are about the size of a cantaloupe or smaller. They’re sweet, crisp and very juicy. Their flesh varies from deep pink to deep red.
What does unripe watermelon look like?
Look at the Belly
Watermelons have an underside, or belly—which is in contact with the ground throughout its growth—called a “field spot.” This spot on a ripe watermelon will be yellowish (sometimes referred to as “buttery”) and not white, which indicates an unripe melon.
How can you tell if a watermelon is ready to eat?
Tricks to Tell if a Watermelon is Ripe
- The green color becomes dull.
- On a striped melons, the color between the stripes gets darker.
- The rind will get hard.
- The blossom end will soften.
- They will stop getting larger.
- The ground spot will turn from white to yellow.
Do all watermelons have stripes?
A watermelon’s stripes are indicators of variety, but with over 1,200 varieties grown in 96 countries worldwide, there are many, many variations. In fact, some watermelons don’t even have stripes. Stripes do not indicate ripeness.
What did watermelon look like originally?
Early watermelons likely didn’t have the popular red flesh we know today. They were paler with less flesh and more seeds.
What vegetable looks like watermelon?
Also known as a mouse melon, the Mexican sour gherkin, or by its Spanish name, sandiita (little watermelon), a cucamelon is the fruit of the Melothria scabra vine and is about the size of a grape. But despite the name, they’re not actually a hybrid of watermelons and cucumbers.
What looks like half a watermelon?
Enter the cucamelon: an adorable fruit that looks like a mini watermelon. About the size of a grape, a cucamelon is a mix between a cucumber and a watermelon that tastes citrusy, and is native to Mexico and Central America.