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What are these weird little spiky things?

Heather Gardener

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Location: Yorkshire, UK 🇬🇧 (Zone 8A, I think)

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posted 3 years ago

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Hi everyone,

Hoping you can help. Does anyone know what these really cool, weird little spiky things are?

I found them at my local garden centre, £1.50 for a small cup. They were near the pumpkins/squashes. I have no idea what they are, I’m assuming some kind of curcubit, but I’d love an ID so I know what to put on the packet when I save the seeds.

4610C817-3D86-49EA-945F-C682A89CB5C2.jpeg

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Nancy Reading

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posted 3 years ago

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Absolutely no idea! Can you give an idea of scale please Heather? I get an impression they are just an inch or two long, but they could be a lot bigger (or a bit smaller)

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greg mosser

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posted 3 years ago

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i haven’t seen them like all of those, but i suspect those are spiny gourds, Momordica spp.

Anne Miller

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Location: USDA Zone 8a

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posted 3 years ago

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Maybe these:

rare mini ornamental spiky cucumbers

West Indian Gherkin Cucumbers

Rambutan

Rambutan Hairy Lychee Fruit

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Heather Gardener

pollinator

Posts: 99

Location: Yorkshire, UK 🇬🇧 (Zone 8A, I think)

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posted 3 years ago

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The biggest one, about a couple inches, with my lovely boyfriend as the hand model.

EF861C89-3890-42F8-9D09-A5A80E331458.jpeg

Heather Gardener

pollinator

Posts: 99

Location: Yorkshire, UK 🇬🇧 (Zone 8A, I think)

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posted 3 years ago

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Anne Miller, they look v much like those ornamental cucumber things. I didn’t even know that was a thing. I’d heard of ornamental gourds, which are v pretty, but I don’t get those because I don’t trust myself not to mix up the poisonous ones with the edible but still pretty ones. I got these tiny ones because they’re pretty but I have nothing edible that looks similar.

Greg Mosser I will have to Google that one.

Thank you both 😊

Rebecca Norman

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posted 3 years ago

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If they are some kind of ornamental cucurbit, AND if you like to save your seeds from year to year, I would be cautious and find out their exact species before growing them. If they are the same species as something you like to save seeds of and grow for food, they could easily cross and make your next batch of seeds grow out into something inedible.
Or, if you have enough seeds saved from all your cucurbits for the next year or two, you could try growing them next year for fun and curiosity, but don't save any seeds of edible cucurbits next year. The following year, plant only your older safe seeds for edible vegetables.

They are definitely not rambutans, which are tree fruits.

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T Melville

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posted 3 years ago

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I grew west indian gherkin this year. They didn't all have the spikes, but some did. Counting from left to right in your picture, I produced things that looked like numbers 2,3,4 and 7. I suspect number one is like number 3 but more mature. I'm guessing that numbers 5, 6 and 8 are something else. (Or at least that they exceed the diversity of what lived and produced for me.)

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Tereza Okava

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posted 3 years ago

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Yes, west indian gherkin (cucumis anguria). I grow them. There is a lot of variation. When you grow them to eat you usually pick them before the spikes get too spiky, so i dont usually see them like this (and our cultivars are for eating, not for funky appearance); when they're mature they're far too bitter to consume.

Carla Burke

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posted 3 years ago

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This might sound goofy, but... If you don't enjoy the taste, you could dry them (think birdhouse gourds), then give them a bit of tlc, and turn them into decorations/ ornaments, modeled after hedgehogs, guinea pigs, etc, and gift or sell them.

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L Pho

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posted 3 years ago

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Definitely saw these on travel channel. In Asia I believe. It's an acquired taste for sure. It'sa a gourd and yes, if you dnt like the taste use the shell for anything......ornaments, art, whatever you can think of. Maybe making a smoothies with the flesh? I have not tried them, just know it's an acquired taste.

T Melville

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Location: SW Missouri • zone 6 • ~1400' elevation

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posted 3 years ago

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Ours made edible pickles, though cucumber would've done better. I tasted it fresh and didn't like it. (I found it cucumber-like, but I don't like fresh cucumber.) I gave samples to a few family and friends who do like fresh cukes. They found it edible, but would've preferred cucumber.

Don't let that discourage you, I never produced more than one or two at a time and am letting most fully ripen for seed saving. With such limited experience, there's every chance that I mis-timed the harvest. Maybe you'll get it right and really enjoy them, if you have time and room to experiment.

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Tereza Okava

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posted 3 years ago

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For lack of a better term it's a filler vegetable, like chayote or zucchini. Here it's typically cooked with rice or made into a specific stew with coconut milk. It handles heat and drought well so it's a zucchini alternative in arid areas, but frankly for me it's a lot of work if i could use chayotes (which require no care or work to prepare) for the same dishes. You need to scrape off the spiky business and eat the fruits before the seeds get large (no sign of bitterness at all).
And, important point here on my farm: the rabbits won't eat the ones that are too mature (too bitter).
I had a lot left over last season and haven't found any forgotten anywhere (which usually happens with passionfruir, loofah, etc) so I'm curious to know if they actually dry like gourds. Maybe if you let them dry on the vine.

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