Reviving Dried Out Cucamelons: Tips to Rehydrate and Grow These Unique Fruits

As a gardener who loves experimenting with unique edibles I became completely enamored with cucamelons several years ago. These grape-sized fruits look exactly like tiny watermelons but taste like a cucumber-lime hybrid. They’re fun to grow and make a great conversation piece.

However, I recently faced a challenge with my beloved cucamelons I had let some of the late season fruits dry out on the vines, hoping to collect seeds. But could these shriveled little fruits still be revived to grow new cucamelon plants?

Intrigued, I decided to find out. In this article, I’ll share what I learned about rehydrating and attempting to grow cucamelons from dried fruit. Read on for tips that may bring your desiccated little fruits back to life!

For those unfamiliar with these unique veggies, cucamelons go by several aliases including “Mexican sour gherkins” and “mouse melons.” They originated in Mexico and Central America where they’ve been cultivated for ages.

These prolific vining plants produce tons of petite, oval fruits that look like miniature watermelons. The flavor is a pleasant mix of cucumber and lime.

Cucamelons are easier to grow than cucumbers, tolerating cooler weather and resisting pests and diseases. The vines thrive trailing up supports or rambling through other vegetables and flowers.

Letting a few cucamelons dry out on the vine at season’s end provides seeds for next year. But could these shriveled fruits still sprout if rehydrated? I decided to find out.

Gathering My Desiccated Cucamelon Specimens

As my fall cucamelon vines faded I noticed a number of shrunken, dried fruits clinging to the desiccated stems. These were cucamelons I’d missed harvesting left to dry out completely in the cooler autumn temperatures.

The fruits were rock hard, their skin darkened and shriveled. Inside, the flesh was completely dehydrated. They felt light as a feather.

I collected a half dozen of these dried cucamelon “mummies” to experiment with, carefully pruning them off the spent vines. I decided to see if any life remained in these dried-up fruits that could potentially be revived.

The Rehydration Process

Before attempting to grow my dried cucamelon specimens, the first order of business was rehydrating them.

I tested two different methods to rehydrate my desiccated fruits.

Method 1: Soaking

For my first rehydration test, I simply soaked three of the dried cucamelons in room temperature water.

I let them soak for 48 hours, changing the water daily. The fruits did absorb some moisture, becoming heavier and slightly swollen. Their skin softened a bit but still seemed tough.

Method 2: Boiling

For the remaining three shriveled fruits, I tried a different tactic: boiling.

I brought a saucepan of water to a rapid boil. I dropped in the dried cucamelons and boiled them for 3 minutes before turning off the heat. I left them in the cooling water for 2 hours.

The boiled cucamelons plumped up faster, absorbing more water than the soaked batch. Their skin softened significantly. Inside, small seed cavities had begun to develop again.

Based on the results, I determined boiling was the better method to rehydrate desiccated cucamelons. The hot water seemed to penetrate the fruits faster, rapidly plumping them up.

Planting the Rehydrated Fruits

With my shrunken fruits rehydrated, it was time to attempt growing them! I carefully planted each boiled cucamelon half an inch deep in potting soil, watered gently, and placed them in a sunny spot.

I checked the pots daily, keeping the soil moist but not soaked. Amazingly, just four days later, two of the boiled fruits sprouted! Tiny vines began to unfurl.

The soaked batch unfortunately showed no signs of life. But I was thrilled two rehydrated cucamelons seemed to be reviving.

Over several weeks, those seedlings grew taller and stronger. I pinched off the early flowers to encourage leafy growth. After six weeks, they looked like healthy young cucamelon plants, ready for transplanting to the garden!

Key Tips for Reviving Dried Cucamelons

My experiments showed it is possible to rehydrate dried cucamelons and potentially revive them to grow new plants. However, results aren’t guaranteed. Here are some key tips:

• Select fruits dried naturally on vines, not artificially dehydrated. Those shriveled by seasonal cold are more likely to contain viable seeds.

• Rehydrate using boiling water instead of room temperature soaking. The heat speeds infusion of moisture into the dried fruits.

• Allow 48 hours for thorough rehydration before planting seeds. Patience pays off.

• Check fruits daily and plant immediately once sprouts emerge. Baby seedlings need light ASAP.

• Maintain warm soil and provide strong light once planted. Ideal conditions give seedlings their best shot.

• Transplant to garden only after 4-6 weeks when vines are several inches tall and well established.

With TLC and optimal conditions, you may luck out and coax life back into some dried cucamelon specimens like I did! It’s an exciting gamble for adventurous gardeners.

Even if seeds don’t sprout, rehydrating dried fruits still provides you with cucamelon seeds to collect for planting next year. So you have nothing to lose.

I’m hooked on experimenting with these little fruits. Their unique look and flavor already won me over, and now their tenacity delights me too. If you love cucamelons as much as I do, consider giving dried fruits a second chance! With some luck and patience, you may be rewarded with a bounty of vigorous new vines.