Frost damage.
Chilacayote Melon Cucurbita Ficifolia
AKA Shark Fin Melon, Fig Leaf Gourd, Seven Year Melon, Asian Pumpkin, Pie Melon
Hit by our frost last week but still plugging along. It is a perennial that will be killed to the ground in a hard frost but will grow back if the root is not damaged.
The fruit are all white so far, however I bought the white/green variety. Go figure.
Main reason for trying is that it is a different species from all my other pumpkins, squash and cucumbers so it will not cross pollinate with them.
Other sources of information below.
www.tradewindsfruit.com/content/malabar-gourd.htm states:
Mature fruits have a sweet flavor and are used in desserts and beverages. Immature fruits can be cooked as a vegetable. Both the flowers and young shoots are eaten as leafy greens. The protein rich seeds are also eaten and are used to make palanquetas, a Mexican confection.
www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cucurbita+ficifolia states:
Best used when young, at that stage it can be used like a cucumber. The mature fruits are sometimes boiled and eaten. A confection is made from the flesh by boiling it with crude sugar. The mature fruit can be stored for 2 years or more and becomes sweeter with storage. The fruit is up to 35cm in diameter. Seed - raw. Rich in oil with a nutty flavor but very fiddly to use because the seed is small and covered with a fibrous coat. The seed is delicious when roasted and eaten like peanuts. An edible oil is obtained from the seed. It is rich in oleic acid.
