Cucuzzi Gourds almost ready!

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jozeeben Acton, TN(Zone 7a) Jul 25, 2006

These gourds were so slow to get going but now not even the cucumber beetles can stop them! We use them like cooked zucchini when they're small -- me thinks better flavor and firmer texture.

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kurtwall Clairton, PA(Zone 6a) Jul 25, 2006

I've never heard of these. Looks like a lot of work to slice. :-)

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jozeeben Acton, TN(Zone 7a) Jul 25, 2006

Cuke beetle in male blossom.

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jozeeben Acton, TN(Zone 7a) Jul 25, 2006

Something to eat the cuke beetle?

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jozeeben Acton, TN(Zone 7a) Jul 25, 2006

Kurtwall - it won't be ready to slice until tomorrow after it grows a foot and is about an inch in diameter. You gotta watch 'em cuz they'll be 3 feet long, 2-3" in diameter and too fibrous before your know it. I think they the same thing as trombocini that Horseshoe grows?

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pajaritomt Los Alamos, NM(Zone 5a) Jul 25, 2006

I love cucuzzi gourd. I grew it both when I lived in New Orleans and now here in Los Alamos, New Mexico. It grows great in both places. The ones that got away from me and got to big, made wonderful toys for the kids at our community garden. They made all kinds of creatures out of them but were especially fond of the penguins they made. Little known but wondrous veggie!
This year I am trying snake gourd. I hope I got it in soon enough to do something.

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tombaak High Desert, NV(Zone 5a) Jul 25, 2006

Do yours grow all twisty? I think these are the same, weird and yummy.

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jozeeben Acton, TN(Zone 7a) Jul 25, 2006

Tombaak -- A definite yes, depending how they're hanging they'll go all twisty. I'm thinking Cucuzzi, Trombocini & Snake are different names for the same or very similar gourds? They usually use 'the lagenaria group' of gourds as utilitarian items and "includes the Martin or Birdhouse, Bottle and Dipper gourds." Here's an interesting link I stole from the ornamental gourd group here at Dave's: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1630.html but they forget to mention eating them while they're still young. We like it better than cooked zucchini but not sure if you can (or want) to eat it raw?

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jozeeben Acton, TN(Zone 7a) Jul 25, 2006

I got the name wrong "TROMBOCINO" -- Check out Horseshoe's mature fruit: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/467554/

. . . . and the plant files: http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/56773/index.html

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jozeeben Acton, TN(Zone 7a) Jul 26, 2006

It looks like the Trombocino is an entirely different species "moschata". The snake gourd is a diferent genus and species: "Genus: Trichosanthes, Species: cucumerina". I'm so confused. Here's that same fruit less than 24 hours later (more than double the size . . .).

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