Topic: Kiwano - in or out?

[sparrow]

In a nutshell really - do I grow it inside or outside? At the moment my one little seedling is tucked up in the greenhouse.

I should add I'm in South London and with a south facing plot.

[galina]

In a nutshell really - do I grow it inside or outside? At the moment my one little seedling is tucked up in the greenhouse.

I should add I'm in South London and with a south facing plot.

I had them in the greenhouse last year and they started taking over.  Had to take drastic action and disentangle the vines and lead them outside the greenhouse door.  But I am convinced they appreciate a bit of shelter initially.  Perhaps outside but with cloche cover initially is how I am going to grow them next time. 

[Duke Ellington]

Oh no .....something else I might have to try and grow!!!
What does kiwano taste like and how do you use it?

duke

[galina]

Oh no .....something else I might have to try and grow!!!
What does kiwano taste like and how do you use it?

duke

Tastes tropical, quite exotic.  You spoon the inside out of the ripe fruit.  Inside is kiwi green jelly, outside bright orange.  This is why Kiwano is also called Jelly Melon.  You could juice the pulp too.  Also nice over vanilla ice cream.  Fruit keeps for ages.  I still have one of last year's fruits left to eat now.  Hope it is still as good as around Christmas time when we ate most of the others.  I had forgotten about this one, still looks perfect though.   

[tricia]

Sounds like something I will have to try - maybe next year!

Tricia

[jimc]

This is basically a cucumber, in fact I know them as horned cucumber too. I was first introduced to them growing wild on a property where my father grew up when I was but a tot but too scared to touch them because they look somewhat like a vegetable hand grenade. Then in my early 20's I grew them again and just couldn't get a taste for them.
I tried them again in my mid 50's and now nearly a decade later look forward to a crop every year so I can eat fresh fruit during the winter.
They need to be super ripe before harvesting and will mature even more after picking. Mine usually have the first couple of frosts on them before I harvest and keep them on a verandah and finally go golden yellow on the skin.
It is a job to hold onto them and cut in half and scoop out the sweet green jelly inside. It is really a dessert vegetable.
I love them.
So once you are clear of frosts get them out side and let them run wild.
To get the best out of them let them ripen properly, by letting the skin go golden yellow.

[galina]

Just found a picture showing a ripe Kiwano and another cut open, showing the green jelly inside.