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.
Where can I find more information about the Checkered Carosello Scopattizo?
More of the history of the variety can be found on my blog in the following two blog posts:
https://scientificgardener.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-checkered-scopattizo-carosello.html and
https://scientificgardener.blogspot.com/2023/09/in-defense-of-name.html
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