Unusual and exotic varieties of cucumbers

Cucumbers

Increasingly, unusual vegetables are appearing in Russian gardens. It's hard to believe that they all belong to the gourd family, and despite their unusual characteristics, they are often mistaken for the common cucumber. Exotic relatives of the cucumber—melothria, momordica, trichosanthes, lemon cucumber, and others—are taking pride of place in garden plots.

Armenian cucumbers

A very rare guest in our region is the Armenian cucumber. Another name for this unusual-looking vegetable is snake melon. The characteristics of the Armenian cucumber, which shares only its name with the familiar cucumber, are striking. Firstly, the aroma – not the refreshing smell of cucumber, but rather that of melon. Secondly, the shape – the narrow cylindrical fruits stretch up to 50 centimeters, with the ends slightly curved into a crescent. Thirdly, the texture – the cucumber skin is soft, heavily ribbed, light green, whitish in color. The flesh is juicy, crumbly, and sweet.

There are several varieties of Armenian cucumbers. The most popular are:

White hero.
Silver melon.
Melon Flehuosus.

Fact!

Armenian cucumbers are healthier than regular ones. They contain many vitamins and minerals. These nutrients are evenly distributed not only in the flesh but also in the peel.

This well-known vegetable variety is native to Asia. Despite its southern roots, cucumbers are well adapted to harsher climates. They thrive, and most importantly, for a long time, both in open ground and in greenhouses. These tall plants (the vines often reach four meters in length) are tolerant of low temperatures and resistant to many viral diseases.

Chinese cucumber

This unusual cucumber originates from China. Of all the unusual varieties, the Chinese cucumber most closely resembles the familiar vegetable. The fruits are dark green and glossy, narrow and long (40-50 centimeters), with a traditional cucumber flavor and a watermelon aftertaste.

Chinese cucumbers are striking in their versatility and ease of cultivation. Indeterminate plants thrive in virtually any climate, produce abundant fruit, and are almost never susceptible to fungal diseases. Yields can reach over 10 kilograms per plant.

Among the numerous varieties of Chinese vegetables, the most common ones found in gardens are:

Chinese snakes.
Chinese miracle.
Chinese white.
Chinese long-fruited.
Chinese Farmer F1.
Chinese disease resistant.

Despite their many advantages, Chinese cucumbers are not without their drawbacks. For example, gardeners note their short shelf life. Within just a day, the fruits dry out and wilt, becoming tasteless and unfit for consumption. Furthermore, growing viable seedlings can be difficult, as the seeds have a low germination rate. Caring for the vine itself, which can reach a height of four meters, is also challenging—to prevent the stems from breaking, the bushes require multiple, sturdy supports.

Italian cucumbers

Italian breeders have created a unique vegetable that resembles a cucumber only in the early stages of ripening. When ripe, the vegetable has a cucumber-like flavor. But when fully ripe, it develops a melon-like flavor and a tart, fruity aroma. Visually, Italian cucumbers resemble Armenian cucumbers. They also have a soft, delicate green, slightly wrinkled skin.

The most famous bee-pollinated varieties worldwide are "Abruzzo" and "Barrese." The fruits of the "Abruzzo" variety are enriched with numerous beneficial micronutrients, making them recommended for people with immunodeficiencies. "Barrese" is renowned for its melon-like fruits. Ripe "greens" are juicy yellow and orange. The flesh is dense, crisp, and very sweet.

The Indian cucumber is a half-brother of the zucchini.

In its native India, this vegetable is called "momordica." It belongs to the pumpkin family.

This exotic vegetable is actively cultivated by our compatriots, not only by gardeners but also by those without a garden plot. The momordica plant is very miniature, making it suitable for growing directly in a pot. In India, momordica is compared to a cucumber due to its refreshing flavor, which makes a great addition to a multi-component dish. In appearance, momordica fruits are completely unlike our cucumbers. They are large, pot-bellied vegetables with narrow edges. The surface is completely covered with sharp green tubercles, which turn bright orange as the exotic fruit ripens. Large, burgundy seeds can be seen through the peel. The cucumber's "prickly" characteristic is reflected in its name, which literally translates as "biting."

While the cucumbers are ripening, it's best not to touch them with bare hands, as the sharp glandular hairs covering them can cause skin burns. Once the cucumbers are fully ripe, the hairs die off and are no longer dangerous. The flesh is firm, fleshy, and blood-colored.

Fact!

The Indian cucumber is very popular in Asian cuisine. Not only the fruit but also the stems are used in dishes. The latter are used to make a spice that imparts a piquant, slightly bitter flavor to food. Ground black pepper is often used as a seasoning.

Indian cucumbers are characterized by long, tenacious vines that look decorative along fences and hedges. The large, light green, serrated leaves are scented with jasmine. The plants' flowers are bisexual and require pollination. However, due to the flowers' night-blooming nature, pollination is not always successful. Therefore, gardeners often resort to hand pollination.

Snake cucumber - Trichosanthes

Another foreign visitor arrived from Indonesia. There, trichosanthes is a long, narrow, strongly curved, "snake-like" vegetable (the fruit can reach one and a half meters in length) that changes from dark green to orange as it ripens, with the ripe flesh turning bright red. In India, Australia, and Africa, trichosanthes is traditionally grown as a vegetable and added to a wide variety of dishes. Its flavor is slightly sweet, similar to our cucumber. Trichosanthes is a versatile vegetable. It can be canned, baked, fried, added to soups, side dishes, and salads, and used to make lecho and caviar.

Asians consider trichosanthes a medicinal product. Firstly, the ripe fruit contains many vitamins, particularly iron. Secondly, a decoction of the cucumber acts as a pain reliever and antipyretic. An antiseptic ointment is also made from the leaves and fruits, suitable for wounds and eczema. Nursing mothers also take trichosanthes to increase milk production and enrich it with vitamins.

Fact!

Snake cucumber is consumed by people suffering from heart and joint diseases.

The plants are vine-like. Their vines, with the help of special suckers located along the entire length of the stems, cling tightly to any support. The fruits form at the ends of the stems and usually hang down, making them easy to harvest. To increase the yield, gardeners pick the fruits from the bush when they are semi-ripe. A new fruit ovary immediately begins to form in their place. Fruiting begins in late June and lasts until the first frost.

Thladiantha dubiosa – "red cucumber"

A perennial native to Central Asia, this climbing vine envelops every surface it encounters. In midsummer, its thick stems are covered with large, tulip-shaped, bright yellow female flowers. Cucumber-like fruits form where these bloom. Initially yellow, they ripen to a deep red. The skin is thick and slightly rough. The pulp is mushy and very sweet. Due to its high sugar content, thladiantha is eaten not as a vegetable, but as a dessert. The fruits are used to make jam, syrups, and sweet pastries and cakes.

Growing a full-grown thladiantha in Russia is extremely difficult, although it's well-known that in the Russian Far East, this vegetable is grown only for ornamental purposes. This is because thladiantha can be pollinated by insects, which simply don't exist in our country. Therefore, those brave enough to attempt the experiment must pollinate the flowers manually. Furthermore, female plants develop slowly and bloom late, so even if pollination occurs and fruit ovaries form, the cucumbers won't have time to ripen in the short summer.

Each shoot dies back in winter, and several inedible tubers, similar to potato tubers, form on the underground portion. Each tuber produces a new shoot in the spring, which also produces its own tubers by the end of the season. This process can take decades, allowing the vine to cover vast areas. The vine grows very quickly—8-10 centimeters per day. By the end of its tenth year in a single bed, the vine's yield sharply declines, and it is transplanted to a new location. Propagation is by seed or tubers.

Melothria scabra

This vegetable belongs to the pumpkin family and also came to our country from hot Asia. Melothria fruits are somewhat reminiscent of common cucumbers, only they are very miniature. Ripe vegetables resemble watermelon-colored eggs. However, instead of a shell, they have a soft, fuzzy skin, and the yolk is replaced by a watery, sweet consistency. Melothria fruits are suitable for any type of processing. They can also be added to soups, side dishes, and fresh salads.

Dedicated Russian gardeners successfully grow this perennial as an annual. Seedlings can be obtained from seeds. Melothria seeds are small, but they germinate quickly and evenly. The seedlings are planted in the ground at the end of May. After just two weeks, you can safely sample the first striped fruits. Mini cucumbers will continue to appear throughout the warm season. To ensure more fruit, gardeners recommend planting the vine in the sunniest spot, watering it every four days, and fertilizing the bushes weekly with organic and mineral fertilizers.

The only problem that can arise when cultivating this exotic plant is its vigorous growth. If left unpruned, it can grow up to three meters tall, enveloping fences, columns, and even house walls with its numerous, tenacious stems. However, thanks to its decorative, carved leaves and beautiful yellow flowers, Melothria is often used as a garden ornamental. This ornamental vine can maintain its appearance for three consecutive seasons, dying back only in winter.

Cucumber-lemon

This amazing vegetable is believed to have originated in a province of India. The product's dual name stems from its characteristics: the fruit resembles a lemon in appearance (color, shape, size), and its taste is exactly like its Russian counterpart—slightly sweet and refreshing. The watery interior is strewn with small white seeds—just like a regular cucumber.

This unusual-looking cucumber is famous not only in its native land but also in Europe and Russia. English breeders even experimented with it, crossing wild varieties multiple times and producing a variety called "Crystal Apple." The hybrid received this name due to its translucent flesh. This variety has taken root in European countries and is successfully cultivated.

Reference!

There are many varieties of lemon cucumbers in India. There are varieties that produce spherical fruits, egg-shaped fruits, elliptical fruits, and others. However, such varieties are completely unsuitable for our climate.

Lemon cucumber plants are huge, thick vines up to 6 meters long. Sometimes called cucumber trees, they sprout numerous stems during the growing season, producing round or ovoid cucumbers. As they ripen, their color first turns light green, then lemon-yellow. The thin skin is covered with small, soft hairs. The first flush of fruit ripens in mid-July. At this time, the tree is covered with a scattering of yellow cucumbers. New fruits emerge continuously, and this continues until mid-October. A single vine can yield up to 10 kilograms of unique cucumbers per season.

White cucumber

The white-skinned vegetable differs from its green counterpart only in the color of its skin. In all other respects, it's the same vegetable we're all accustomed to growing in our gardens.

White cucumbers are the result of painstaking breeding. By removing the green pigment, scientists have created an excellent product, which many claim is much tastier than regular cucumbers. Their flavor is brighter, richer, and more refreshing. They are always bitter-free.

The vines of the white "cucumbers" grow up to two meters and absolutely require staking. The fruits form along the entire length of the vine. Their placement on the stem doesn't affect the size of the fruits.

A clear advantage of white varieties is their good tolerance to changing environmental conditions. Pollination and fruit set occur consistently, both in full sun and at temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius.