Squash - The Manual of Seed Saving - page 229

Mixta squash seeds
The green-striped cushaw is listed on Slow Food's US Ark of Taste, “a catalog of over 200 delicious foods in danger of ex-
tinction.”
COURTESY SHUTTERSTOCK/© L. L. MASSETH
WINTER MELON, WAX GOURD
Benincasa hispida
Though it is not of the genus Cucurbita , winter melon is grown just like squash. Fully ripe fruits weigh
up to 110 lb. (50 kg) and can be spherical, egg-shaped, or oblong. Their dark green rind is thin, hard,
and waxy. The epithet hispida (Lat. hispidus , “rough”) reflects the fact that the entire plant, including
young fruits, is covered in small, white, brush-like hairs. Unripe fruits are eaten raw in salads;
steamed, sautéed, or pickled; or made into soups and stews. Young leaves, flowers, and young shoots
can also be eaten. Winter melon is common in China and India but is less known in the West, perhaps
because of the long growing season required; plants need at least 85 days to ripen, often longer. Be-
cause it also needs heat in the summer, we recommend growing in a greenhouse in temperate climates.
Young plants require lots of water; older plants prefer dry heat. Leave only one fruit per plant when
growing for seed. If you try to grow for seed but the season ends up being too short, try one of the
many delicious recipes for unripe fruits.
Winter melon seeds