Cucumber (Mexican Sour Gherkin, Cucamelon), 'Sandita'

(Melothria scabra) Most commonly known as Sandita or Sandia de Raton (little watermelon or little mouse melon), this unusual little fruit is native to Mexico and Central America and has been a dietary staple since pre-Columbian times. Crunchy with a bright, lemony, almost pickled cucumber taste, they grow on tall, 6-8’ vines covered with lovely little leaves. Profusions of smooth-skinned 1-2” little green and white speckled watermelon-looking and shaped fruit (think, fairy watermelons!) take hold quickly and are easily gathered from the ground where they fall when most ripe. They are delicious eaten raw, added to salsa and salads, as well as pickled or eaten as a juicy snack. Additionally, in warmer climates (or greenhouses grown in the north), plants produce edible tubers that are similar in appearance to crosnes or Chinese artichokes. Dr. Brandon Iker of Grand Rapids, MI who brought this to our attention (and provided the root picture) describes the taste as "cucumber-corn-radishes..