Cucamelon Refrigerator Pickles are easy to make and can be used like any other pickle: on a relish tray, in salads, on sandwiches, etc. This pickled cucamelon recipe requires 2 weeks curing time in the fridge and yields 4 pints of pickles.
As an adventurous kitchen gardener, I am always searching for new edibles to grow and serve. Several years ago, my quest led to the Cucamelon (Melothria scabra), an annual vine in the Cucurbitaceae plant family that includes cucumbers, melons, and squash.
Cucamelons are known by numerous names including Mexican sour gherkin and mouse melon. In their native Central America they are called sandita, which means “little watermelon.” All of the names apply: Cucamelons taste like a cross between cucumber and lime and look like mini watermelons, the perfect size for a mouse picnic. Luckily, neither wildlife nor insects in our garden show any interest in the tiny, tart fruits (although that may not be the case in your area).
Cucamelons are super straight off the vine, and they’re scrummy in a salad or stir-fry, but my favorite preparation is Cucamelon Refrigerator Pickles. My recipe is based on my Father’s method using mint and dill. I adapted it for cucamelons, and the results are delicious.
Cucamelon Refrigerator Pickles are easy to make. This vegetarian recipe requires 2 weeks curing time in the fridge and yields 4 pints of pickles. I like to use clear canning jars because the pickles are pretty and they are nice to send home with dinner guests (trust me, they WILL want to take some home). Your yield may vary slightly depending on the shape of your jar. If you wind up with extra cucamelons, then make more pickles. If you wind up with extra vinegar, whisk it with your favorite oil to make salad dressing.
The Cucamelon recipe contains an optional step: scrunch a grape leaf, add it to the top of the jar above the cucamelons and push it down under the liquid. This was my Father’s trick for keeping the pickles crisp. It also keeps the cucamelons down below the brine.
For growing information, read How to Grow, Harvest and Cook Cucamelons.
Trivia: I’m such a cucamelon fan that I’m featured raving about them in the 2017 Botanical Interests seed catalog (I’m on page 23).
To submit questions or thoughts about this recipe, please scroll down and post in the comments section below.
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Passive Time | 14 days |
| Servings |
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- 6 cups cucamelons washed, dried
- 3 cups vinegar white wine
- 2 tsp salt Kosher or pickling salt
- 2/3 cups sugar granulated
- 12 sprigs dill fresh
- 1 handful spearmint leaves fresh
- 4 tbsp peppercorns pink
- 4 tbsp coriander seeds
- 4 cloves garlic medium
- 4 grape leaves optional
Ingredients
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- Combine vinegar, salt, and sugar in mixing bowl, whisk until salt and sugar are completely dissolved, set aside. To keep your brine nice and clear, be sure to use pickling salt or Kosher salt that doesn't have additives (such as anti-caking agents).
- Divide the cucamelons, spices (peppercorns and coriander) and herbs (dill and spearmint) into four equal portions so that you have the same amount for each of your four pint jars (I like to use wide mouth pint jars for this recipe). Add a layer or two of cucamelons to each jar, followed by a few spearmint leaves and sprinkle of the spices, repeating until done. Add three dill sprigs and one clove of garlic to the middle of each jar when it's half full.
- Pour the vinegar mix over the cucamelons in each jar up to the thread. OPTIONAL: scrunch a grape leaf, add it to the top of the jar above the cucamelons and push it down under the liquid (my Father's trick for keeping the pickles crisp). Seal tightly.
- Place in refrigerator, wait two weeks until you eat them, finish within two months, continuous refrigeration required.
2017-09-27 at 3:39 PM
I’ve never heard of pickles like these before! Thanks for sharing! I love learning new ways and new vegetables to pickle as much as I can. Gonna try to make these at home at some point!
2017-09-27 at 3:46 PM
Nice to “meet” you Billy, I look forward to hearing about your cucamelon pickle results!
~Reese
2021-08-28 at 2:48 AM
How do these pickles compare in taste to others?Are they like bread and butter pickles?Dill or sweet?
2021-08-31 at 8:20 AM
Hello Melodie, thank you for your question!
This Cucamelon Refrigerator Pickle recipe results in dill pickles. You can change the flavor by playing with the brine – use different vinegar, change the amount of sugar, etc.
~Reese
2023-07-31 at 10:20 AM
I dont have coriander seeds. Do you think they’ll still taste good without it?
2023-08-04 at 6:35 PM
Hello Lara, thank you for visiting Glamorosi Cooks.
You CAN make these Cucamelon Refrigerator Pickles without coriander seeds. They will taste different, but they should still be delicious.
Maybe you can make them twice: once now without the coriander, and again later with it. I’d love to hear about your results.
Best Wishes, Reese
2023-09-13 at 6:15 PM
This year is my first experience learning about, and growing, these fun things! Can these be made with apple cider vinegar? Also, can you use any grape leaves or are there certain types that are better than others?
2023-09-14 at 11:26 AM
Hello Frankie, nice to meet you!
You can definitely make these Cucamelon Refrigerator Pickles with apple cider vinegar. I make them with it on occasion and they are delicious.
As for the grape leaves – it is the tannins they contain that reportedly help with the pickle crispness, and the tannin levels vary with each variety.
I have used leaves from numerous varieties over the years including from red seedless grapevines in my own garden (my late father used leaves from Concord grapes). So far, all of my pickled cucamelons have been nice and crisp.
Best Wishes, Reese