scopattizo – Cucumber Shop

What is the Checkered Carosello Scopattizo?

The Checkered Carosello Scopattizo or “Chex” is an muskmelon (Cucumis melo) that is picked immature as a cucumber. It is a beautiful checkered selection of the Scopattizo Barese with smooth-skinned cylindrical fruit with lateral scallops and moderately juicy flesh. The fruit is picked when around 2 inches in diameter.

What is the difference between the Checkered Carosello Scopattizo and the Scopattizo Barese?

Though the Checkered Scopattizo (Nicknamed “Chex”) looks similar to the Carosello Scopattizo di Barese and is a selection of the variety, the Scopattizo Barese possesses a uniform half light and dark cylindrical fruit with lateral scallops. While both produce fruit on secondary and tertiary vines and darken to cover the fruit over time, the checkered ‘Scopattizo’ variety exhibits a half light/dark coloring in a checkered pattern.

How did the Checkered Carosello Scopattizo come about?

The initial seed for this cultivar was planted from a packet of SeedSelect Spuredda Leccese that contained a mix of seeds of nearly anything but the pictured fruit. When growing the Checkered Scopattizo the first time, I noticed that the fruit was very tender and just slightly checkered. A leak in the drip irrigation was soaking the roots and the plant nearly died. But fortunately, it survived long enough for the plant to give its nourishment to one fruit that I was able to harvest for seed.

The Checkered Scopattizo Carosello released by Cucumber Shop created a little bit of controversy possibly because it was not selected in Italy – though it was selected from what would be considered a Scopattizo Barese.

How do I save seeds of the Checkered Scopattizo or “Chex”?

As they they ripen for seed, Checkered Scopattizo cucumber-melons will begin to turn yellow or orange in color and may even begin to soften. If they begin to soften or easily pull from the vine (slip), then bring the fruit into a cool place to store until processing. Avoid trying to rush the process or cut open the fruit too early. There is a period of time in which the seed continues to develop within the fruit. The fruit is getting ready to process when there is a strong scent of melon in the air. Throughout the process, germination will remain high as you keep the area that the seed is stored in relatively cool (close to 70F, 21C is fine, 80F, 26C or above is not). Once large fruit is relatively soft when pressed on, slit them open length-wise and scoop out the seedy inner pulp into a colander with holes slightly smaller than the seed. If a good rinse and pulp massage does not clean the pulp out, the water can be squeezed out and water winnowing and a whisk can help clean the pulp. If seed still has a gel coating, squeeze out excess liquid and scoop the pulp/seed mixture into a jar to ferment. Usually 24 hours is as long as needed to ferment, if at all. Rinsed clean seed should be placed in a cool location with plenty of airflow to dry. Once seed is fully dry, winnow out very light seed, pack in airtight bags and refrigerate.

What is a Carosello Scopattizo Barese?

The Carosello Scopattizo di Barese is a productive uniform emerald green cylindrical fruit with lateral scallops. The fruit has light smooth skin with dark pores that grow on secondary and tertiary vines. When ready to be picked at 2 inches in diameter, the fruit will be between light and dark. They generally grow best in hot dry climates, but can do well in moist climates, if trellised. Though it has been around for a long time, there is no conclusive idea of what the word Scopattizo actually means, other than a specific variety of muskmelon picked immature, like a cucumber. But there may be clues based on the root words. The ancient Greek for ‘scopo’ is σκοπέω (skopéō, means to “look (out) for” probe or search. It may be that, because the fruit is dark green and produces further along on the vines, that growers had to ‘look out’ for it to find it. My friend Giuseppe said that word “Scopatizzo” may come from the base “Scopa”, meaning to sweep, because of its fuzz – though compared with other carosello, the Scopattizo has minimal fuzz.

Source: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/scopo

When do you pick the Carosello Scopattizo Barese?

The Scopattizo Barese is an Italian heirloom with very fine-texture when around 2 inches in diameter. The fruit begins light and turns dark over time as the dots of dark color expand outward from the pores to the remainder of the outside of the fruit. When ready for picking, the color of this variety should be midway between fully light and dark.

How do you save seeds of the Scopattizo Barese?

As they ripen for seed, Scopattizo Barese cucumbers will begin to turn white, yellow or orange in color and may even begin to soften. If they begin to soften or easily pull from the vine (slip), then bring the fruit into a cool place to store until processing. Avoid trying to rush the process or cut open the fruit too early. There is a period of time in which the seed continues to develop within the fruit. The fruit is getting ready to process when there is a strong scent of melon in the air. Throughout the process, germination will remain high as you keep the area that the seed is stored in relatively cool (close to 70F, 21C is fine, 80F, 26C or above is not). Once large fruit is relatively soft when pressed on, slit them open length-wise and scoop out the seedy inner pulp into a colander with holes slightly smaller than the seed. If a good rinse and pulp massage does not clean the pulp out, the water can be squeezed out and water winnowing and a whisk can help clean the pulp. If seed still has a gel coating, squeeze out excess liquid and scoop the pulp/seed mixture into a jar to ferment. Usually 24 hours is as long as needed to ferment, if at all. Rinsed clean seed should be placed in a cool location with plenty of airflow to dry. Once seed is fully dry, winnow out very light seed, pack in airtight bags and refrigerate.

What Selection Criteria does CucumberShop Use to select the ideal Scopattizo Barese?

The selection criteria important for selecting the Scopattizo Barese include plant vigor and health, color between light and dark at 2” in diameter, tender texture at 2-3” in diameter and cylindrical shape. The best fruit used for future generations must adhere to all of these characteristics.

Blog Posts and Videos:

Here are a couple of the blog Posts I have done of the Scopattizo Barese:

Hanging With the Chickens

The Scopattizo Barese

And here is one video I have made so far that includes the Scopattizo Barese:

Tag: scopattizo

The Checkered Carosello Scopattizo or “Chex”