Oh my Goodness.... SOOO happy I found this clip! I couldn't find cucamelon seeds anywhere and a friend just happened to have a spare starter. Now I have hundreds and have been sharing these. I didn't know to wait until they get "wilty"... fantastic. Yay! I'll have cucamelons next year!
I'm so glad you did! Thank you for your comment. While I do sell them, I am more than happy to show people how to save them. Cucamelons taste just okay compared to some of my Carosello cucumber varieties.
Very helpful I had no idea how to do this! I'm a total newbie when it comes to gardening but it was so much fun raising these and I wanted to save their seeds! Thanks a lot!
The seeds are developed by the time the very thin branch from the main vine to the fruit dries out. Some ripe fruit hold to the vine while others will drop after the thin branch dries out. The fruit is much easier to process for seed after it looses it's shine and look dull and begins to deteriorate. You can also identify these fruit because they are slightly soft when squeezed between the index finger and the thumb.
I collected all the ones on the ground to use for seed saving. Can I set them in the sun to dry out or get soft? The vines are still producing gherkins as the frost not come yet.
Why do you have to leave seeds in a glass jar does the lid need to be on or off also do you put water in it...??? I have never done that to my tomatoes seeds...and mine keep for years...!!!❤❤❤
Dear Karen, Thank you so much for your message. The seeds of the Sanditas or Mexican Sour Gherkins are covered with a pulpy sack. As long as the acidic mixture surrounds each seed, they will not germinate. However, if the seed pulp degrades and the seeds are exposed to water for any length of time, they will begin germinating. This is why I do not add water when fermenting. I prefer to ferment the pulp in glass jars because the pulp of the fruit is pretty acidic and will easily react with various materials. Even wearing gloves, I would occasionally get the acid from the fruit on my hands after processing the seed. For seed storage, I prefer glass jars in the refrigerator because of a study that was conducted which showed that glass jars were better at preserving seeds than plastic. Glass jars have performed better for me than any other preservation method, so that is what I continue to use. I'm not finding the study right now, but it had results very similar to the results of preserving in cans in this study: www.researchgate.net/figure/The-effect-of-different-types-of-seed-storage-containers-on-the-germination-percent-of_fig4_216379642
@jaemhair I put the lid on it and leave it in a cool dry place in my house. Don't add any water for fermentation or it could cause the seeds to sprout.
Thank you for your question. Mold will grow on the very top. If the gel around the seeds is breaking down faster than a week, check the jar each day to see how much the gel has broken down. Mold usually only affects the seeds at the top after the seed gel has broken down significantly.
Thank-you for your video! Do you leave the lid on tight or loose? Does the temperature of the room matter wherever you're fermenting? Do you swish the seeds around or leave the jar be the whole 7-10 days?
I generally leave the lid on loose. The volume of the fermenting pulp increases a bit as it breaks down and it needs room to expand. If the jar is too tight and it could make a mess. I do like shaking it a bit after about 5 days to get a sense for how much it has broken down. If you see layers of separation, it is likely done fermenting. The overall goal is to break down the semi-solid gel covering. I keep things on the cool side. Temperatures too warm could potentially signal the germination process.
@@CucumberShop Thanks a bunch for the quick reply! I was thinking of keeping it outside because it's warm in my apartment so wasn't sure if it would do ok in cold temperatures...
Dear Jessica, That is a really good question. With C. sativus cucumbers, I do not add any water at all. I do remove as much pulp as I can beforehand, but I do not add any water. As the jell-like coverings that envelope the seed break down, plenty of water is released. Too much water in the fermentating process can trigger premature germination, which would make the seed unsuitable for storage. I put a lid on the jar, or in the case of a bucket, I put a lid on the bucket.
I I removed them from the vine when they begin to lose a little water. When the seed has generally set in the cucamelon, the outside gloss changes from shiny to dull and the fruits soften. If you pick them beforehand, you will still be able to harvested, but some of the seed may not be viable.
You can direct sow, but I would pre-sprout them, unless you have a lot of seed. They can take 1-2 weeks to germinate in ideal conditions and germinate much faster in a moist warm paper towel. When in ideal conditions (80 degrees and moist) I check them every 12 hours after two days on a heating mat. As soon as they sprout, I plant them. They take about 2 months to really establish themselves, but after that, they'll take off.
Are my seeds not viable if I pick them before they are wrinkly? I can't remember if the vine was dead. Nights are getting colder and I wanted to pick before I lost them to Frost. Thanks!
The fruit matures for seed when the surface no longer has a shine/gloss, but is much easier for processing once it starts to slightly decay. The seed itself will continue to draw strength from the seed for quite a while after the fruit itself matures.
I would get them off the vine right before the first frost. It will just make it easier. The seed in the fruit should make it through a light frost, but it may just be more work if you wait.
Thank you for this video. I live in a warm area would like to know how to plant these from seeds how deep do you put them in the dirt what time of the year is good to plant?
Hello there Jan. Thank you for the question. Cucamelons have very small seed that takes a while to establish. I generally germinate them in a paper towel first, then either plant them in a soil block or directly into the garden. I explain my germination method here: ua-cam.com/video/vQQzWjCkFGw/v-deo.html Now would be a perfect time to start your seed in the Northern hemisphere and be sure to wait until all danger of frost has passed before planting.
Thank you for your question, Jeffery. You can definitely try processing the fruit when it is plump and juicy (before it begins to wrinkle). But having spent over 40 or 50 hours processing the fruit and had multiple 5-gallon buckets full of fruit. I can tell you that the seed is more mature, the fruit is easier to handle and the inner pulp releases from the skin easier when the fruit begins to wrinkle. It was pretty dry when I processed them and I didn't leave the unprocessed fruit stacked or a closed container. If you do, they may mold.
Oh my Goodness.... SOOO happy I found this clip! I couldn't find cucamelon seeds anywhere and a friend just happened to have a spare starter. Now I have hundreds and have been sharing these. I didn't know to wait until they get "wilty"... fantastic. Yay! I'll have cucamelons next year!
I'm so glad you did! Thank you for your comment. While I do sell them, I am more than happy to show people how to save them. Cucamelons taste just okay compared to some of my Carosello cucumber varieties.
Very helpful I had no idea how to do this! I'm a total newbie when it comes to gardening but it was so much fun raising these and I wanted to save their seeds! Thanks a lot!
A perfect seedsaver, as usual, Jay.
Do you let them get wrinkly on the vine or you pick them and then let them wrinkle. Trying to figure out when to pick them for seed savings.
The seeds are developed by the time the very thin branch from the main vine to the fruit dries out. Some ripe fruit hold to the vine while others will drop after the thin branch dries out.
The fruit is much easier to process for seed after it looses it's shine and look dull and begins to deteriorate. You can also identify these fruit because they are slightly soft when squeezed between the index finger and the thumb.
Thank you for the tutorial! Love the shirt!
Thank you! I have to apologize for my sour expression and the poor lighting. I was dealing with teenager attitudes right before this video.
I collected all the ones on the ground to use for seed saving. Can I set them in the sun to dry out or get soft? The vines are still producing gherkins as the frost not come yet.
To soften - yes, but not to dry. The more they dry them out, the more sticky the pulp will become, making processing difficult.
Why do you have to leave seeds in a glass jar does the lid need to be on or off also do you put water in it...???
I have never done that to my tomatoes seeds...and mine keep for years...!!!❤❤❤
Dear Karen,
Thank you so much for your message. The seeds of the Sanditas or Mexican Sour Gherkins are covered with a pulpy sack. As long as the acidic mixture surrounds each seed, they will not germinate. However, if the seed pulp degrades and the seeds are exposed to water for any length of time, they will begin germinating. This is why I do not add water when fermenting. I prefer to ferment the pulp in glass jars because the pulp of the fruit is pretty acidic and will easily react with various materials. Even wearing gloves, I would occasionally get the acid from the fruit on my hands after processing the seed. For seed storage, I prefer glass jars in the refrigerator because of a study that was conducted which showed that glass jars were better at preserving seeds than plastic. Glass jars have performed better for me than any other preservation method, so that is what I continue to use. I'm not finding the study right now, but it had results very similar to the results of preserving in cans in this study: www.researchgate.net/figure/The-effect-of-different-types-of-seed-storage-containers-on-the-germination-percent-of_fig4_216379642
@CucumberShop do you cover the glass jar for fermentation? Do you leave it on the counter or put it in the fridge?
@jaemhair I put the lid on it and leave it in a cool dry place in my house. Don't add any water for fermentation or it could cause the seeds to sprout.
Hi! Great video. How do you keep them from growing mold in the jar? My first try at this was a fail due to excessive mold. :(
Thank you for your question. Mold will grow on the very top. If the gel around the seeds is breaking down faster than a week, check the jar each day to see how much the gel has broken down. Mold usually only affects the seeds at the top after the seed gel has broken down significantly.
@@CucumberShop Thanks so much for the super fast reply!! Great to know.,
Thank-you for your video!
Do you leave the lid on tight or loose? Does the temperature of the room matter wherever you're fermenting? Do you swish the seeds around or leave the jar be the whole 7-10 days?
I generally leave the lid on loose. The volume of the fermenting pulp increases a bit as it breaks down and it needs room to expand. If the jar is too tight and it could make a mess. I do like shaking it a bit after about 5 days to get a sense for how much it has broken down. If you see layers of separation, it is likely done fermenting. The overall goal is to break down the semi-solid gel covering. I keep things on the cool side. Temperatures too warm could potentially signal the germination process.
@@CucumberShop Thanks a bunch for the quick reply! I was thinking of keeping it outside because it's warm in my apartment so wasn't sure if it would do ok in cold temperatures...
Do you put any water in the jar with the pulp to ferment? Do you put a lid or parchment paper over the jar?
Dear Jessica,
That is a really good question. With C. sativus cucumbers, I do not add any water at all. I do remove as much pulp as I can beforehand, but I do not add any water. As the jell-like coverings that envelope the seed break down, plenty of water is released. Too much water in the fermentating process can trigger premature germination, which would make the seed unsuitable for storage. I put a lid on the jar, or in the case of a bucket, I put a lid on the bucket.
Do you keep them on the vine or take them off first than wait till they turn wrinkled?
I I removed them from the vine when they begin to lose a little water. When the seed has generally set in the cucamelon, the outside gloss changes from shiny to dull and the fruits soften. If you pick them beforehand, you will still be able to harvested, but some of the seed may not be viable.
Could I direct sow? I do it with tomatoes and peppers. Just slice and plant.
You can direct sow, but I would pre-sprout them, unless you have a lot of seed. They can take 1-2 weeks to germinate in ideal conditions and germinate much faster in a moist warm paper towel. When in ideal conditions (80 degrees and moist) I check them every 12 hours after two days on a heating mat. As soon as they sprout, I plant them. They take about 2 months to really establish themselves, but after that, they'll take off.
Are my seeds not viable if I pick them before they are wrinkly? I can't remember if the vine was dead. Nights are getting colder and I wanted to pick before I lost them to Frost. Thanks!
The fruit matures for seed when the surface no longer has a shine/gloss, but is much easier for processing once it starts to slightly decay. The seed itself will continue to draw strength from the seed for quite a while after the fruit itself matures.
I would get them off the vine right before the first frost. It will just make it easier. The seed in the fruit should make it through a light frost, but it may just be more work if you wait.
Thank you for this video. I live in a warm area would like to know how to plant these from seeds how deep do you put them in the dirt what time of the year is good to plant?
Hello there Jan. Thank you for the question. Cucamelons have very small seed that takes a while to establish. I generally germinate them in a paper towel first, then either plant them in a soil block or directly into the garden. I explain my germination method here: ua-cam.com/video/vQQzWjCkFGw/v-deo.html
Now would be a perfect time to start your seed in the Northern hemisphere and be sure to wait until all danger of frost has passed before planting.
Why do they have to be "wilty"?
Thank you for your question, Jeffery. You can definitely try processing the fruit when it is plump and juicy (before it begins to wrinkle). But having spent over 40 or 50 hours processing the fruit and had multiple 5-gallon buckets full of fruit. I can tell you that the seed is more mature, the fruit is easier to handle and the inner pulp releases from the skin easier when the fruit begins to wrinkle. It was pretty dry when I processed them and I didn't leave the unprocessed fruit stacked or a closed container. If you do, they may mold.
1 Rinse Is Enough lol