(C. melo) An extra long dark green fruit, slightly grooved, with firm flesh and few seeds. Flesh is savory, crisp, crunchy and bitter-free. Harvest immature fruit at ~ 2” diameter. Requires a longer season. Color may vary slightly. 24 Seeds.
(C. melo) Very early cucumber with light green cylindrical fruit, slightly grooved, with firm flesh and few seeds. Flesh is savory, crisp and tender, crunchy, bitter-free and does not cause indigestion as other cucumbers can. Perfect for all climates but grows exceptionally well in warm-hot climates. Harvest immature fruit when ~ 2” diameter or ~ 14” in length.Seed packet includes 24 seeds and growing instructions.
(C. melo) A gourmet Armenian-type striped cucumber with long slightly grooved fruit, firm flesh and few seeds. Flesh is savory, crisp, tender bitter-free and does not cause indigestion as other cucumbers can. As a plant this cucumber exhibits slow initial growth that is well rewarded by disease resistance, taste, and beauty. Perfect for all climates but grows exceptionally well in warm-hot climates. Seed packets include growing instructions. 24 Seeds.
(C. melo) Very early cucumber with dark green cylindrical fruit, slightly grooved, with firm flesh and few seeds. Flesh is savory, crisp and tender, crunchy, bitter-free and does not cause indigestion as other cucumbers can. Perfect for all climates but grows exceptionally well in warm-hot climates. Harvest immature fruit when ~ 2” diameter or ~ 14” in length. Seed packet includes 24 seeds and growing instructions.
Tar Kakdi (Pronounced”Kak-a-dee”) is a Cucumis melo var. flexuous from India. While this variety looks much like an Armenian cucumber, they are not. This is my experience from growing them twice in 2023. These are much more consistently slender and long. These have much shorter fine fuzz. The Tar Kakdi require a much longer growing season and healthy soil. There are many different populations and sources of this seed. I grew out five different Indian sources of this variety this last summer and was only able to save a very little amount of seed.While I had a lot of success with growing them to fruit, I had great difficulty acquiring seed as I accidentally put disease-laden compost onto my first crop and I was too late with growing my second crop.
This listing is NOT currently for sale, but it looks as if Baker Creek Seeds is selling it – though I have no idea how it will turn out. My feelings about Baker Creek are very mixed (see the picture of myself and Jere Gettle) but I will give them the benefit of the doubt in that they are working to maintain rare indigenous varieties. I wish each of you the very best in your upcoming season! Here is the link to this variety from Baker Creek: https://www.rareseeds.com/cucumber-indian-snake
A knowledge archive of all things “cucumber” from Cucumber Shop.
–The “Regular” Indian Cucumbers
Long Cucumber Melons:
–Snake Melons or Armenian Cucumbers
Italian Cucumber Varieties:
–The Carosello Barese Cucumber
Other cucumber-type fruit:
What is an snake melon? What is an Armenian cucumber?
Similar to other muskmelons, Snake melons are from the species Cucumis melo, but instead of the melon being a round sweet fruit that is consumed when ripe, snake melons are long savory fruit that are picked immature and consumed as cucumbers. Snake melons are a variety of Cucumis melo called flexuous. The term flexuous means “full of bends and curves” and is synonymous with the word “curvy”. Unlike the United States and Canada, most countries have their own name for this unripe melon, which – in the local vernacular – means the same thing as what we call an “Armenian cucumber”.
While the stereotypical snake melon is light-green long and curvy, not all of them are. They come in a variety of lengths, colors and patterns. There are some that are dark green, striped, splotchy, extra long and thin, short and some that are so light that they are nearly white.
Why are snake melons often called “Armenian” Cucumbers?
Armenian Cucumbers are mainly called that because they were brought by Armenian immigrants into the central valley of California somewhere between the late 1800s and early 1900s and became well known afterwards. While they are called “Armenian cucumbers” in the United States, these melons (Cucumis melo) that are picked immature as cucumbers have a long history dating back to ancient Egypt and were once the primary type of cucumber in much of the world. Many countries (and sometimes different regions within a country) have their own name for this type of cucumber.
How do you know when to Pick a snake melon or Armenian cucumber?
Picking an snake melon is similar to picking a zucchini or any slender summer squash. The easiest way to determine when to pick an snake melon is by the diameter. Armenian cucumbers are usually most palatable when between 1-2 inches in diameter. The goal is to pick a crisp, yet slightly tender juicy cucumber. If picked too early, the fruit can be a bit dry yet somewhat tender while if it is picked later the fruit can be quite juicy but more firm and crunchy than a carrot. It is important to check the vines often for fruit because the ideal window of time for picking is usually only a few days. If the fruit is left on to mature for seed, the vines tend to siphon their strength into existing fruit for seed production instead of producing more fruit.
What is a cucumber-melon?
Often when people think of a cucumber, they imagine an American long green thick-skinned waxy fruit that is purchased from a grocery store. Others imagine a Long English cucumber or a Lebanese thin-skinned small fruit. Even if an individual has never encountered a bitter cucumber or experienced indigestion from eating one, he may consider cucumbers to be bland, watery fruit that exhibit a bit of a slightly bitter sappy aftertaste. To all those who has become accustomed to the flavor, texture and aftertaste of regular Cucumis sativus cucumbers, and would prefer a better experience – there is a much better cucumber available.
Prior to the introduction of regular Cucumis sativus cucumbers, melons were the only cucumbers many were familiar with. Unlike the mature sweet muskmelons that we are accustomed to, Cucumis melo (or C. melo) was picked as a savory immature long delicious cucumber. From Ancient Egypt, C. melo cucumbers made their way to Europe. They were sought after by various groups of people and were a staple of kings and emperors.
The Cucumis melo varieties that are most suitable as cucumbers have been selected to be picked immature as cucumbers and generally have a taste, texture and growth habit that ensure that the expression of their best traits occurs during the immature stage of fruit development. The heat-loving vines develop fruit that is crisp, yet tender, bitter-free and gentle on the stomach. They slowly transpire water, have a moderate water content and often impart a rich, almost complex flavor with a slightly sweet aftertaste. For comparison sake, cucumber-melons are like tomatoes in that they are a fruit that is consumed as a savory vegetable. Or you can think of them in the way that a zucchini is an immature form of squash. In short, cucumber-melons can be considered the gourmet “zucchini” of the muskmelon family.
Cucumis melo fruit that is picked immature as a cucumber is often referred to as a melon cucumber or a “cucumber-melon”. While there are many indigenous varieties, there are two main types that people may be familiar with. The first and most common is, in America, referred to as an Armenian cucumber. One who has seen an Armenian-type cucumber will most likely envision a long light green smooth fruit with rounded ridges. But there are other types of Armenian cucumber including those that are light, dark, striped, splotched or may have other characteristics that set it apart from a regular Armenian cucumber. The Armenian cucumber also goes by many different names, depending upon the country someone lives in. The second, lesser known type of C. melo cucumber originates from southern Italy. These gourmet Italian cucumbers are generally referred to as “carosello”. Although shorter than most Armenian cucumbers, they display a range of flavors, colors, shapes and sizes.
Should someone ever get the chance to taste a cucumber-melon, they may find it very worthwhile. With their crisp, tender-yet-crisp, bitter-free rich texture and rich flavor it is no wonder why this was the cucumber sought after by kings.
What is a Cucumber?
When someone says the word “cucumber” many different images can come to mind. Someone who lives in a remote village of one country may consider cucumbers to be completely different than someone who lives in a big city of another country. Even dictionaries have a different view of cucumbers. Merriam-Webster dictionary restricts the meaning of a cucumber to “the fruit of the vine (Cucumis sativus) of the gourd family cultivated as a garden vegetable” while the Oxford Dictionary describes cucumbers more broadly as “a long, green-skinned fruit with watery flesh, usually eaten raw in salads or pickled”
Though not everything that is considered a cucumber is from the species Cucumis sativus or even long, they all have some very common traits. They all grow on a vine and produce fruit in one season or less that is picked immature and eaten raw, in salads or pickled. The majority of what I would refer to as a cucumber are in the Cucumis genus and either Cucumis sativus or Cucumis melo. Not all C. sativus or melo varieties are palatable at their immature stage. Some at one stage or another are suitable for cooking. The Cucumis melo that are most suitable as cucumbers are those that have been bred to be picked immature as cucumbers and generally have a taste, texture and growth habit that ensure that the expression of their best traits occurs during the immature stage of fruit development.
In both growing, taste, texture and juiciness, the two species of cucumber can be different. Cucumis sativus, which originates in Asia, are generally more tolerant of moisture and cool nights, but are more easily stressed by excessive heat. The fruit is generally harder, stores better and exhibits a high water content but presents a bit of a sappy aftertaste, can turn bitter when the plant is stressed and, depending upon the variety, can cause indigestion.
Cucumis melo, which comes from Africa, may struggle with cool wet conditions, but thrives in the heat. Fruits of this kind are not bred for sweetness, but rather for their immature fresh-eating qualities. Instead of becoming bitter when the vine is stressed, the fruit may develop faster, may be smaller or may have smaller seeds. The cucumbers from these plants are generally crisp, yet tender, bitter-free and gentle on the stomach. They slowly transpire water, have a moderate water content and often impart a rich, almost complex flavor with a slightly sweet aftertaste.
So – what is a cucumber? A cucumber is a fruit picked from a vine that is eaten fresh or used to pickle or cook that is generally considered juicy, crisp and delicious.
Our Purpose:
To Discover: To discover and gather as many Carosello and other unique cucumber-melon varieties as possible.
To Preserve: We grow out each variety, selecting unique traits that have historically characterized each specific cucumber variety. A portion of the first crop is often offered to original seed donors to replenish their own stock.
To Provide Access: Because access is key to preservation, we desire to distribute these incredible cucumber varieties with others.
Cucumber Shop is a hobby business that specializes in open-pollinated cucumber and cucumber-melon varieties. Between the seed that I import and the seed that I produce, the minimal profit that is generated is cycled back into the business. I am always looking for new and exciting cucumber varieties. Each variety that I grow is stabilized to keep it as close to keep it as true-to-type as possible. Over time, various cucumber strains are refined until I offer them at Cucumber Shop.
What to expect when you order: High quality seed that will produce delicious cucumbers. Seed packets are labeled, with directions on the back.
Each sample seed packet contains 24 seeds. Priced at a set amount per packet (See more information after the Guarantee below) with free shipping in the U.S.
Each packet is protected with padding in an envelope.
Major Credit Cards and Paypal accepted.
Free seeds from my own vegetable seed collection are included in each order.
Guarantee: Cucumber Shop guarantees only seed quality and purity and will not be liable for more than the purchase price.
Pricing: The less it costs me to sell, the cheaper my prices. I charge the least for in-person transactions (no shipping required), I charge more for Venmo (“Jay Tracy@Cucumber_Shop” for Venmo) and Zelle (“[email protected]” for Zelle ),I charge more for Paypal and Stripe (various fees required), and – because of additional fees, I charge the most for other marketplaces, such as Etsy.
The idea for Cucumber Shop began well before 2012, from a conversation I had with an Arizona and Tucson gardening guru named George Brookbank. At one Tucson Organic Gardener’s meeting I told him several of my concerns with the regular Armenian cucumber variety, to which he recommended an Armenian-type cucumber called a “Serpentine Cucumber”. His suggestion began my search for more regular cucumber and cucumber-melon varieties that would grow well in Arizona’s climate. Each time I grew out each new cucumber variety and experienced more success, I decided that I could offer these varieties to others. Over time, as I obtained more and more varieties, the little hobby shop has taken shape to become Cucumber Shop.
2012- registered CucumberShop domain & developed logo
2013- registered trademark and began ecommerce shop on Blogger
2014- CucumberShop opened on Etsy
2019- CucumberShop.com became its own website
Other events include acquiring specific cucumber varieties and domain names.
Several other domains that are incorporated into Cucumber Shop include CucumberSeed.com, CucumberSeeds.com, CucumberSeeds.net and CucumberSeedShop.com.
Higher germination can be achieved by pre-sprouting seed.
Pre-sprouting is different from transplanting. Because cucumbers have sensitive roots, transplanting can stunt cucumber growth. On the other hand, pre-sprouting can save growing time and help you achieve greater success in growing cucumbers. You can find my presprouting video here, or you can just follow the directions and pictures for my pre-sprouting method below.
Next- Add water to the paper towel (just enough to wet the paper towel). It is important to wring (or press) out any excess water before closing the ziploc bag. Too much water can make the seeds rot!
If you have any questions about my service please see my reviews on Google, at Dave’s Garden or Etsy.
Any other questions you have can be directed to [email protected].
-Questions about Refunds? Go to our Refund Policy page.
Q: Do you grow all of your own seeds?
A: I do grow many of the varieties that I sell and hope to continue to grow more varieties myself – to ensure better seed germination (sprouting) and vigor (healthy growth) than I get from any of the seeds I purchase.
Q: How many kinds of cucumber-melons do you offer?
A: Currently, we are offering 18 different varieties of cucumber melon. We currently offer more types of carosello cucumber than anyone else.
Q: Will these cucumbers cross with my other cucumbers?
A: Many of the varieties that I offer are cucumber-melons (botanically a melon and agriculturally a cucumber). If you are a seed saver and want to save pure seeds, you can any cucumber-melon (Cucumis Melo) next to regular cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) without crossing. If you are trying to grow pure seed, just make sure not to grow two cucumber-melon varieties (Cucumis Melo) together or two regular cucumber varieties (Cucumis Melo) together, as they will cross.
Q: What makes your cucumbers better than other cucumber varieties on the market?
A: The Carosello and Armenian-type cucumber varieties I offer are bitter-free, burpless rare heirloom cucumber seeds. Our goal is to offer the most delicious gourmet fresh-eating cucumbers that can be found anywhere. Many varieties possess specific shapes, contours, coloring, or incredible flavor that make them stand out from other cucumber varieties. Although they originate from southern Europe (mostly Italy) these cucumber varieties can (and do) grow anywhere you can grow regular cucumbers and perform even better in hot climates.
Q: Why don’t I see more of these cucumbers in the supermarket?
A: Because these cucumber-melon varieties have crisp, yet tender skin they do not travel as well as other cucumber varieties. Additionally, the more porous skin of cucumber- melons does not trap water in as well as many other hard waxy-skinned cucumber varieties. Out of these cucumber varieties, the regular Armenian cucumber variety travels better than some of the others, if picked later. You may even find this variety sold at a local farmer’s market. Once you start serving these fresh-picked cucumbers at home you may have difficulty returning to the store to pick up regular cucumbers.
Q: Why is there fuzz on the cucumber-melons you offer?
A: The slight fuzz is a characteristic that is exhibited by fruit in the melon family. Though some Carosello varieties exhibit more fuzz than others, the fuzz is generally harmless and can be easily brushed off. The fuzz may act as a natural deterrent for sap-sucking insects that would otherwise take advantage of the cucumber’s tender skin.
Q: Are your seeds Heirloom, Organic or Genetically-Modified?
A: Each seed variety that I sell is open-pollinated and, in a sense, heirloom. I personally grow each cucumber variety in an organic fashion, without the use of pesticides. None of the varieties that I offer are genetically modified
Q: Where do your cucumber varieties come from?
A: The majority of the cucumber-melon varieties that I offer have well over 50 years of history and are prized for their taste, texture and ability to grow in the environment of the Mediterranean and beyond. A few of the varieties are stable, recently introduced crosses, but the C. Melo variant Flexuosus that includes carosello are of ancient origin, dating back to at least ancient Egypt and are even spoken of in biblical text ( Hudáková, 2016) (Paris, 2008).
Q: Where does the Carosello cucumber name come come from?
A: The name “Carosello” for these cucumbers came by Italian seed companies trying to label the seeds with a word that would be familiar with consumers. A good friend of mine with a family history in the region where these cucumber-melons come from further explains: “In Italian the word “carosello” means the same as the English word “carousel” [meaning the amusement ride for children in which children ride around on a circle while listening to music from an organ]. In the case of the carosello cucumber, the most accepted explanation is that it comes from a local dialect word: “carusieddo” because the first place in Puglia in ancient times when “carusieddo” was first cultivated is Carosino, a small village close to Taranto. When seed companies decided to market “carusieddo”, they couldn’t write on seed packets a vernacular word, so they chose the closest Italian word to “carusieddo” as a sound: carosello, which doesn’t have anything to do with “carousel” in this case.”
To learn more about the origin of cucumber-melons, see: Paris, Harry & Janick, J. (2008). Reflections on linguistics as an aid to taxonomical identification of ancient Mediterranean cucurbits: the Piqqus of the Faqqous1., Hudáková, Lubica (2016) Gardening at Deir el-Bersha in the Middle Kingdom: a unique representation of Cucurbitaceae cultivation, and Janick, Jules & Paris, Harry & C Parrish, David. (2008). The Cucurbits of Mediterranean Antiquity: Identification of Taxa from Ancient Images and Descriptions. Annals of botany. 100. 1441-57.
The Cucumbershop logo is a registered Trademark.
No permission is given to use any picture on this website, without express consent.
Cucumbershop strives to provide regular Cucumber seed and Carosello cucumber seed varieties at the lowest price.
