Daily Mail

Anyone fancy a cucamelon sandwich?

- By Eleanor Harding

THEY are the size of grapes, look like miniature watermelon­s and taste of cucumbers and lime.

But the bizarre-looking ‘cucamelon’ is not some geneticall­y-modified hybrid grown in a laboratory.

It’s a central American delicacy that’s been eaten in Mexico for centuries.

Now British gardeners will be able to taste it for themselves after Suttons Seeds included the plant in their new range.

Enthusiast­s say it be can be sliced up in a salad to complement radishes and pickles, added to sandwiches or just eaten on its own as a refreshing zesty snack.

Before now, fans of the cucamelon had to go to specialist supermarke­ts to track one down.

But it can now be grown in tubs, pots, or growbags. Sown in April, they take two to three months to mature. Despite their exotic origins, they are easier to grow than regular cucum- bers. They are ignored by pests, resistant to drought and perfectly happy to grow outdoors.

Suttons Seeds are selling them online as part of its Homegrown Revolution range, which has been created with TV gardener James Wong. Seeds cost £1.85 for a packet of 20 or £7.99 for three small plants.

A Suttons spokesman said: ‘It can be used in a variety of dishes including salads and salsa, or can be speared and placed in a martini glass which works quite well.’

 ??  ?? Zesty snack: The cucamelon
Zesty snack: The cucamelon

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom