Imagine you are an tomato gardener and find out a friend is growing tomatoes. You ask them what kind they are growing and they say “Red”. To which you ask them to be more descriptive. They reply “round”. You ask “Can you be a little more descriptive – like what type are they?” to which they reply, “I am growing red round tomatoes”.
Though this hypothetical narrative is very simple, so is the name of the Carosello Barese cucumber. There are dozens of unique carosello cucumber varieties, many of which originate from the area around Barese and also share the name “Barese”. While this particular carosello cucumber may very well originate from Bari, Italy – the variability of the variety as well as the traits that it shares with some other carosello varieties would lead some to believe that it is not a particularly unique carosello variety at all. The Carosello Barese can be incredibly variable not only from one seed supplier to another, but from one grower to another. But what exactly is a Carosello Barese? Generally speaking, a Carosello Barese cucumber is an Italian Cucumis melo (variety chate or Adzhur) that has an oval to cylindrical fruit with light colored exterior. The flesh of this thin-skinned cucumber is tender yet crisp, bitter-free and easy on the digestion. Currently, I know of two different variations of this one variety.
This variety of Carosello Barese is very similar to the Carosello Mezzo Lungo Barese, but much more juicy
The first type of Carosello Barese is very similar in appearance to the Mezzo Lungo Barese, except that it is not as hairy as the Mezzo Lungo Barese is. The outer skin is light in color and has some furrows spreading from end to the other along the long portion of the fruit. Unlike the Mezzo Lungo Barese, which is much more crispy, the flavor is much more like the Scopattizo Barese. The flesh is a little more tender and slightly more juicy than the Mezzo Lungo (or Medium Long) of Barese.
The Carosello Barese Cucumber from Italy – This variant is nearly identical to the Light Leccese
The second type of Carosello Barese that I know of is much more similar to the Carosello Bianco Leccese or, what I commonly refer to as the Light Carosello Leccese. This variety has thin tender skin and is has a relatively smooth cylindrical surface. However, the last Carosello Barese that I grew was much more variable in shape and growth (some growing bushy, while others grew longer vines) than the Bianco Leccese.
This Carosello Barese Cucumber (Cucumis melo var. chate) is very close to the Light Leccese
If you grow anywhere where heat is a concern or would just to grow a delicious cucumber for a change, you may want to consider growing the Carosello Barese cucumber. While not always the most consistent variety, they are often superior to many other cucumbers in taste, texture and quality.
Long before the regular Indian cucumber (Cucumis sativus) had swept through Europe, many varieties of immature fruit of muskmelon (Cucumis melo) thrived. After making their way up from Africa, these melon-cucumbers became the default cucumber for both the common people and the rulers. But perhaps because changes in politics or because of the practical demands of countries that prefer to utilize cucumbers for their storage qualities, Cucumis melo fell out of favor in almost all of the continent as the more cool-tolerant Cucumis sativus was introduced. While the majority of Europe had largely forgotten C. melo cucumbers, immature cucumbers continued to thrive in southern Italy. Small pockets of small-scale farmers continued to grow out these immature cucumber-melons for their families and to sell at market. In the Apulia region of Italy, this immature melon (Cucumis melo var. chate or adzhur) that is picked immature as a cucumber is known as a carosello. A carosello cucumber is a muskmelon that is picked early like a zucchini, yet consumed like a gourmet cucumber. With a fine crisp-yet-tender texture, rich flavor and exceptional quality, many carosello cucumbers are truly in a class of their own.
Carosello varieties – from the Biodiversity of the Horticultrual Species in Pugliga (BiodiverSO) website at biodiverbiodiversitapuglia.it
Image from the website For the Biodiversity of the Horticultrual Species in Pugliga (BiodiverSO) at biodiversitapuglia.it
Carosello cucumbers come in many shapes from longer to cylindrical to oval to round. They range in color from nearly white to slightly mottled, to slightly dark to fully dark green. Carosello can also exhibit different patterns such as striped, mottled or solid coloring. Many have a unique texture to the flesh and a taste that was selected by the individual farmers where they originated. Each variety has its own unique qualities that make it worth enjoying.
Various caroselli, courtesy of carosellopugliese.blogspot
Where did the Carosello cucumber get its name?
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 friend of mine, Giuseppe Monteleone, who has 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.”
Various caroselli, courtesy of carosellopugliese.blogspot
How do you grow a Carosello Cucumber?
Begin by finding high quality seed and preparing the beds. As carosello cucumbers are fundamentally melons (Cucumis melo variety chate) they tend to grow like other vines in the muskmelon family. Melons thrive in the heat and enjoy soils rich soils that drain well. They can be sensitive to wet roots and should be grown in raised areas or hills in areas where there is abundant summer rainfall.
Germinating seed prior to planting can often save time, but be careful when handling seedlings as melons and cucumber have very delicate roots that are easily damaged and root shock will stunt plant growth. Plant seeds or seedlings in the soil when there is no longer any danger of frost. Vines prefer hot days and warm nights. While most carosello varieties produce their first crop of cucumbers when the vines are just over 12 inches in diameter, the roots will require more space as the vines grow.
Various caroselli, courtesy of carosellopugliese.blogspot
Carosello grow like a zucchini, with the initial cluster of fruit in the crown of the vine and later flushes of fruit setting further on. Similar to zucchini, carosello cucumbers grow quickly and should be harvested often. Any Pick fruit when between 1-2 inches in diameter as the quality is often best when about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Round varieties are often best when picked at the size of a peach (3-5 inches in diameter) fuzz on the fruit can either be eaten or can be easily brushed off dry or under a little running water. The skin of most varieties is thin and tender, while the flesh can range from tender, yet crisp to very firm. The initial flavor and texture is similar to a Lebanese or English cucumber, while the aftertaste is often slightly sweet. Carosello cucumbers are often easier to digest than regular cucumbers and, unlike regular cucumbers, the fruit does not exhibit bitterness when the plant is stressed.
How do you save seed from Carosello Cucumbers?
Saving seed of carosello cucumber is very similar to saving seeds of regular Muskmelon because they are Cucumis melo and will easily cross with any other muskmelon, such as cantaloupe or honeydew – and many of the same rules apply. One way to recognize fruit that is beginning to produce seed is that the fruit will first grow very large, then stop growing – even when the plant continues to thrive. To determine seed ripeness, look for fruit that slips from the vine, has changed color, begins to smell very sweet or has become very soft. Once the fruit begins to decay, seed can be removed, rinsed and dried for growing the next generation. Without intentional selection, open-pollinated vegetable varieties often experience what is called “drift”. This means that without saving seed from fruit and plants that exhibit characteristic traits of the specific cultivar, the variety can noticeably change over the course of just a few generations.
Saving Seeds of a Carosello Cucumber (Cucumis sativus var. chate)
Picture Sources:
BiodiverSO For the Biodiversity of the Horticultrual Species in Pugliga at biodiverbiodiversitapuglia.it
Carosello Pugliese Blog (Carosello Pugliese and other vegetables grown on the balcony) at: http://carosellopugliese.blogspot.com/
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.
The Light Armenian Cucumber (Cucumis melo var. flexuous)
The Light Armenian Cucumber compared with the Dark Armenian Cucumber (both Cucumis melo var flexuous)
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.
The Dark Armenian Cucumber or Tortarello Scuro Barese is a Cucumis Melo cucumber
Slices of the Dark Armenian cucumber or Tortarello Scuro Barese cucumber (C. melo)
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.
The Painted Serpent or Striped Armenian (Cucumis melo var. flexuous)
Slices of the Striped Armenian, or Painted Serpent Cucumber
The Facussa is a very rare snake melon from Carloforte in Sardinia, Italy
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.
Assorted Cucumis melo cucumbers, or cucumber-melons (See biodiversitapuglia.it)
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.
Some Cucumis melo (melons) picked immature as cucumbers (see carosellopugliese.blogspot)
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.
