I t may look itty bitty (too much spider talk lately, sorry!)  But this Mexican Sour Gherkin Cucumber is one of little Madelyn's favorites!  New for us this year, and just grown as a trial, 

looking like lilliputian watermelons with their distinctive dark and light green "rinds," they make up in character what they lack in size. The Mexican Sour Gherkin  (Melothria scabra) is an heirloom native to Mexico and Central America, where it's known as  sandita (little watermelon). But it tastes neither sour nor watermelon-y; the palm-sized fruit is bright and tangy on the tongue, like cucumber with a twist of lemon. A cucamelon, if you will.

Mexican Sour Gherkins have been around since pre-Columbian times, but were not brought into botanical classification until the mid-1800s. Despite being a member of the  Cucurbitaceae family, they're only distantly related to the cucumber and will not cross with other cucumber varieties. They're also said to be the most cold-tolerant of all cukes, and will continue to fruit until the first frost.  We will see if the crew has enough patience- and a keen eye-  to harvest enough of these for our members to try!