African Crops For The Future E05: Horned Cucumber (Cucumis metuliferus)

[@fungayimutodza3848]

Gaka reminzwa- my grandmother's fields were always full of them. they just reseeded from year to year. To remove thorns we used to rub them on rocks ' paruware'

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

Nice, thanks for sharing that!

[@elsabadenhorst9746]

From South Africa. We are old and live off my small +- 30x30 metre piece of land and is off the grid (solar). I only have rain water. My stapel food is sweet potatoes, babana, cassava, Amadumbe (tarro), and rabbit. I do have some chicken and eggs, giant snails, pawpaw, grapes, passion frute, cherry guava, and a small pach of greens, mixed herbs and tomatoes. We also have 3 bee hives. My self, my husband and our dog survive on this small piecce of land !! All the feed for the 5 rabbits and 4 chickens we produse on the land. I am looking at your vidio's hoping to find crops that will sustain us with more diversety. Thank you do much for your tine.🌹

[@brianmpofu2295]

Please also stay armed

[@mthadaniel]

Great video, we used to take these for granted 🙆🏾‍♂️🙆🏾‍♂️🙆🏾‍♂️

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

Thanks! Hopefully we won't take them for granted any more....!

[@thandimichelle]

Your videos are truly inspiring

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

Thank you, I appreciate that!

[@bigmazthepostdoc5288]

Viva Crops of the Future... Love gaka Gus, in season foods

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

Thanks so much!

[@mandyconnecteddogs]

I have just harvested my second crop of these. I absolutely adore the taste, cold from the fridge... best eaten when orange and ripe. I have planted another crop now, and hopefully will get them busy

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

Nice, thanks for sharing!

[@susangribble4075]

I have just grown them for the first time!!! Amazing thank you for your information 😃

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

Fantastic, and thanks for sharing! I hope yours come out as tasty as these ones were!

[@KennyMavi]

You are doing a great job my friend. Love from Chitungwiza Zimbabwe.

[@simbarashechinyani8844]

I love your content

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

Thanks!

[@TheSamaz247]

Loving the content sir, subscribed. Will share with my friends.

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

Awesome, thank you!

[@murumewaT]

I saw someone on Oprah a few years ago saying he had discovered a fruit that helps in weight loss and burns fat...I was like, that's a gaka, we grew up eating those 😃

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

I know, that's exactly the miracle of nature! There's no disease for which the cure doesn't exist somewhere out there in the natural world. Our ancestors knew that, and then somehow we forgot it. We just have to reconnect with the natural world and rediscover what's out there. I hope I'm doing my part in a small way to help that process along!

[@NtokozoMoyo]

Bruh....

[@viviteshome9983]

Thank you so much for the information.

[@greatoutdoors630]

Another great video. I want some jelly melon now!

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

You and me both!

[@Lene-inBerlin]

Me too!

[@terrypanayiotou]

Just started growing them in Thailand

[@adsupermusone8875]

Very remarkable to know about malaria treatment

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

I know. These plants are amazing!

[@twoturtletom]

Very interesting Gus. We definitely see these in the US, as you mentioned, but they are a bit of a novelty. I’ve never seen anyone cook with it. Thanks for the ideas on how to use it.

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

It'll definitely impress any guests you bring round to dinner!

[@martinqwerty2]

Awesome

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

Thanks!

[@patriciangwenya2545]

Lovely and delicious. Igake

[@joysithole4244]

I love your video keep the job up watching you from capetown

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

Thank you!

[@rajaninambiar7186]

Thank you.I see this fruit sold here in Nl as decoration fruits. Is Cucumis Dipsaceus also edible?

[@lovernthater]

I’m interested in the leaves. A natural cure for malaria? Malaria medication is so expensive in Nigeria, and sadly many people die because they cannot afford drugs. Could this be an answer?Hmmmm I will look into this more. Thanks again Gus , you are the best!

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

Thanks Adama, I appreciate your enthusiasm and positive energy! People like you make the world a better place!

[@lofulsorro2841]

Goats love them fruits..They grown in bushes everywhere in South sudan 🇸🇸

[@isaiahkaliati9478]

There are alot of these fruits in Malawi and these are called 'Chipwete (s), Zipwete (P) and only need market out there.

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

Thanks for sharing that!

[@ginamitembe8935]

Well thank you 👍🌟👏🌍

[@bmurray4659]

My son brought these home today. Located South East QLD. I was stumped 🤣 thank you for educating me. How does one know they're ripe?

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

Wow, glad to have been able to educate you! They're ripe when they start to change colour. If they're still pure green, you need to wait a bit. As soon as there's a bit of yellow or orange, you're good to go!

[@Lene-inBerlin]

I had no idea these cured malaria! Strangely enough i was the only one in my family that really loved and ate lots of these often and I was also the only one who never got malaria, everyone else did. 😀

[@artemisdesignstx]

Yes

[@kingjames4886]

it's not ripe... I grew these like a decade ago, they're neat. you're supposed to let them ripen til they're yellow and eat the pulp around the seeds like a pomagranate. crazy they were able to grow and ripen in zone 4. I've also seen these used as props on star trek as "alien vegetables" XD

[@thandimichelle]

Is this fruit the same as the "cucumber" from the Khoi from the dryer South Africa. Not seen often

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

It's not the same as the wild cucumber, Cucumis africanus, although they're quite similar.

[@chiyenyumba7135]

😂 😂 😂 The Khoi are very popular these days very funny

[@viviteshome9983]

Oh my I found them growing in 3 different places in my garden. Did not Know what they were. They looked aliens. I now know what they are interesting. It gave us tons of them. Don’t really know what to do with them. Any recipes?

[@brightername8801]

I love u

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

Thank you!

[@lili_dee]

Thanks. I saw seeds for this online the other day and wondered what it is like.

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

I hope one day you get to taste its unique and interesting flavour!

[@worldpeace786]

Hi there, thank you for the information and knowledge shared! Im in zim and wandering where i could find a naturally occuring variety of this cucumber, the ones that are cultivated are they also 100% from natural occuring ones too? Thabks in advance. Reason im asking is because id like to get my hands on some seeds and grow them at home, id just like it to be the most natural organic variety if possible. Thabks again for the video

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

The naturally occurring ones are bitter and actually a little poisonous. The cultivated ones have been selected over thousands of years by humans for the sweeter flavour and are not poisonous. So go for the cultivated ones which you find all over the country growing unaided in people's fields. And honestly, there's nothing un-natural or un-organic about the cultivated varieties of this particular species. They're all good!

[@worldpeace786]

@@AfricanPlantHunter thank you so much for that answer! Im definately going to grab my hands on some and get them growing 🤗

[@nellieblighhill4575]

They are prickly little demons but very tasty, I agree.

[@AdmireM]

Gaka

[@Fayrwa06]

Magaka in Shona

[@justinsteenkamp6593]

The one I tasted is very bitter.

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

Yes, they can be bitter, but they're not usually. I love them!

[@Callsign-Blade_RunnerSG]

African Durians?? 😅

[@chiyenyumba7135]

Under utilised by whom Africans have always utilised these for generations... 😂. Please don't make claims of "discovering" 😂 😂 😂. Funny how you say "allegedly taken out of Zimbabwe". Casting a little bit of doubt on the story.

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

Fair point. Although I didn’t say “unutilised” - I said “underutilised”, which is very different. “Underutilised” means they could be utilised a lot more, which I think you and I probably agree would be a good thing. My perspective is that in Zimbabwe (and the same is probably true across Africa) consumers do not really value their own indigenous foods crops, and instead prefer to eat foods derived from introduced exotic crops (in our case maize, wheat and soya). This puts power into the hands of the seed and agro-chemical companies (most of whom are multinationals) who control the inputs, and also increases vulnerability to drought and climatic shocks (since these crops are not native to Africa and are not naturally climatically adapted to African conditions). They also, coincidentally, produce foods that are a lot less nutritionally beneficial than those derived from indigenous plants. My mission is to raise awareness about these indigenous plants and convince local farmers and local consumers to reinvest in their production and consumption, which I strongly believe will be beneficial to our health, our livelihoods and our ecosystem.

[@chiyenyumba7135]

@@AfricanPlantHunter people value their local foods and have always planted them. It's other factors like urbanisation etc and the introduction of money based economies that changed African lifestyles. Its okay you are going around it's interesting and positive

[@sadzasnake1755]

Howzit Gus. Regarding this GAKA cucumber. When is the best time to plant this. We had a vine where I did my apprenticeship at DULY’s & Co in Dellas back in the 80’s. Bloody awesome eating. Had a few here in Perth and want to grow them now. If you can help I would appreciate it. Cheers. Ken the Rhotralian🇦🇺

[@AfricanPlantHunter]

Howzit Ken, nice to hear from you! I'd plant just as you come out of winter and the temperatures start rising. In a sandy, well-drained soil, but with regular watering. Good luck!

[@sadzasnake1755]

@@AfricanPlantHunter Many thanks for the reply and advice Gus. Very much appreciated. Cheers.