<h4>You're browser does not support iFrames - here is an exerpt of the content</h4> <a href="http://veggies-only.blogspot.com/2010/08/my-furry-cucumber.html">Click here to read the article in full</a> This Spring I was fortunate to obtain some cucumber seeds from <a href="http://www.masdudiable.com/">Mas Du Diable </a>in a seed swap. The origins of this variety of cucumber are little known, but they are supposed to have been grown by one family in <strong><em>Bari, Italy</em></strong> for many generations. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TGg1-78lHqI/AAAAAAAAD2M/8lJ5L9SBGMw/s1600/DSC08271.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505709899820375714" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TGg1-78lHqI/AAAAAAAAD2M/8lJ5L9SBGMw/s400/DSC08271.JPG" /></a> The old man in this family said that this variety had been handed down through the generations but he was afraid that he now had no-one in his family who were interested in keeping it going. Thus, these seeds were handed over.<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TGg1vaXg0JI/AAAAAAAAD2E/pFDrggBM2HQ/s1600/DSC08272.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505709633108496530" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TGg1vaXg0JI/AAAAAAAAD2E/pFDrggBM2HQ/s400/DSC08272.JPG" /></a> It is believed to be from the genus <strong><em>cucumis melo</em></strong> - which is a cucumber which is more related to a melon, hence this furry jacket that you sometimes feel on melons.<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TGg1gAB1RsI/AAAAAAAAD18/nQ0lCJhW2nM/s1600/DSC08273.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505709368340203202" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TGg1gAB1RsI/AAAAAAAAD18/nQ0lCJhW2nM/s400/DSC08273.JPG" /></a> After picking you just gently rub the furry jacket off under some water...<br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TGg1PED-Q-I/AAAAAAAAD10/WC0XmWdYu2g/s1600/DSC08274.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505709077365146594" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TGg1PED-Q-I/AAAAAAAAD10/WC0XmWdYu2g/s400/DSC08274.JPG" /></a> And you are left with a beautiful, pale, lunch-box sized cucumber.<br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TGg0-Xv7t0I/AAAAAAAAD1s/qBlEV2cv-n0/s1600/DSC08277.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505708790592026434" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TGg0-Xv7t0I/AAAAAAAAD1s/qBlEV2cv-n0/s400/DSC08277.JPG" /></a> That tastes wonderful! Mild, crispy and refreshing. The texture is just a little bit wetter and less dense than a usual cucumber - I can see where the close relationship to the melon family comes in here. So far, this is the only one on the plant this year. Fingers crossed for a couple more, they were delicious.</div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/28615441-6959992413513726143?l=veggies-only.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
