Compared to everything from mini-melons to cucumbers to fava beans, the Mexican Sour Gherkin (Melothria scabra) is a small heirloom vegetable that lends itself to salads, stir fries and pickle crocks. Grow the small gems as you would cucumbers -- with a support for the vigorous vines as well as full sun and fertile soil.

Seeds may be either started indoors or directly in the garden when the soil is warm enough. Gardeners in warmer, Mediterranean climates can often skip the extra work of raising Mexican sour gherkin seedlings by direct-seeding the intriguing veggies in April or May.

Direct-seed Mexican sour gherkins into a garden bed to which a 3-inch layer of compost has been tilled into the ground. Sow about six seeds in groups, or circles, that are 12 inches apart. Within each circle, plant the seeds about 2 inches from one another.

Sow at the depth recommended on the seed packet -- generally about 1 inch. Water the ground lightly. Thin seedlings to 12 inches apart when they are 4 inches tall. Choose the strongest-looking seedling and cut the rest to the ground with garden scissors. Water the vines at least once a week, checking between watering sessions to ensure the ground is moist to a depth of at least 3 inches.

Packet: 9 grams of seed

Produces cucumbers that are typically dark green with white spines and 9 inches in length. A great cucumber for pickling and salads, having a mild flavor with a hint of sweetness. A great choice for market growers and home gardeners. Start in doors a month before the last frost, or direct sow a couple of weeks after the last frost. Plant in hills 5 feet apart. Sow 5 or 6 seeds per hill half an inch deep and at least an inch apart. 

Typical salad variety. Cylindrical fruits, 18-20 cm long, with rounded tip. Dark green skin, firm flesh with few seeds. Central sprouts should be pinched out above first four leaves, repeating operation after side-sprouts have grown. Abundant production from first fruits onwards. SOWING: plant outdoors from March to June, sowing 2-3 seeds per hole, with intervals of 30/40 cm between holes  and 1 metre between rows. Thin out seedlings after germination.

Dark green, smooth, slender fruits grow eight to nine inches long on vigorous vines and are ready to pick after 55 days.

‘Marketer’ is an open-pollinated variety with a sweet, mild flavor. A winner of the All-America Selections award in the edibles category in 1943, it’s ideal for hot, humid Southern climates.

Size:

These cucumbers are small, typically 2-4 inches long, making them perfect for pickling or snacking. 

Taste:

They have a crisp, sweet flavor, making them a delicious addition to salads or pickles. 

Plant:

The Parisian Gherkin plant is compact, making it suitable for smaller gardens or containers. 

Uses:

Pickling: The cucumbers are excellent for pickling, holding up well to the process and creating tasty, small pickles. 

Fresh: They can also be enjoyed fresh in salads, appetizers, or as a snack. 

Cucumber Homemade Pickles

Homemade Pickles Cucumber is a very vigorous vining plant that produces a large abundance of solid, crisp, and flavorful cucumbers. The firm crunchy cucumbers grow 6" long and the plant is resistant to common cucumber diseases.

Salad Bush produces full-size, full-flavor 8 inch slicers on tiny plants. The dark green, smooth-skinned cucumbers are attractive with high disease resistance meaning they will have a high yield and a longer season.