Noticed this advertised in a newspaper today, and thought - coo, that woman
with the genetic manipulations is fast on her feet.

But, a Google suggests that the advertised plant is Solanum muricatum,
alias Pepino or melon pear, which I'd never heard of, but is apparently a
long-established Andean fruit.

Anyone tried a) eating or b) growing these?

I found a couple of sites that said :

" It is a very mild taste, slightly sweet - will probably be very popular
as a vegetable in salads or cooked in stews"

Which sounds a bit dull.

But
http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/kitch...itcouture.html
says:

Leaves up to 6 inches long and bears 3/4-inch, bright blue flowers and
oval, 5-inch, purple-striped yellow fruit, with a fine melon fragrance and
flavor.

and Future Foods says:

It bears large sweet fruits described as having the flavour of a ripe
melon with a hint of pear. Requires similar cultivation to tomatoes. Plants
can be increased by taking cuttings which root very easily.


Which sounds easy, attractive, and delicious.

So, what do you think? And greenhouse, or warm windowsill?

Victoria

In article . 10,
Victoria Clare writes:
|
| Leaves up to 6 inches long and bears 3/4-inch, bright blue flowers and
| oval, 5-inch, purple-striped yellow fruit, with a fine melon fragrance and
| flavor.
|
| So, what do you think? And greenhouse, or warm windowsill?

Just HOW big are your windowsills?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

(Nick Maclaren) wrote in
:


In article . 10,
Victoria Clare writes:
|
| Leaves up to 6 inches long and bears 3/4-inch, bright blue flowers
| and oval, 5-inch, purple-striped yellow fruit, with a fine melon
| fragrance and flavor.
|
| So, what do you think? And greenhouse, or warm windowsill?

Just HOW big are your windowsills?

Does it grow that big then?

http://www.banana-tree.com/ said 3 feet - a bit big for the sill, perhaps,
but we have french windows, and several places with low sills where a plant
could stand on the floor in a big pot and still look out of the window.

I assumed as it was being sold as a pot plant that it wasn't likely to
reach triffid proportions (thinking on, that was a foolish assumption - all
sorts of vast things come as pot plants!)

Victoria

In article . 10,
Victoria Clare wrote:
(Nick Maclaren) wrote in
:


In article . 10,
Victoria Clare writes:
|
| Leaves up to 6 inches long and bears 3/4-inch, bright blue flowers
| and oval, 5-inch, purple-striped yellow fruit, with a fine melon
| fragrance and flavor.
|
| So, what do you think? And greenhouse, or warm windowsill?

Just HOW big are your windowsills?

Does it grow that big then?

http://www.banana-tree.com/ said 3 feet - a bit big for the sill, perhaps,
but we have french windows, and several places with low sills where a plant
could stand on the floor in a big pot and still look out of the window.

I assumed as it was being sold as a pot plant that it wasn't likely to
reach triffid proportions (thinking on, that was a foolish assumption - all
sorts of vast things come as pot plants!)

3' high is a bit surprising for 5" fruit - think structural engineering!
My guess is that it would be tree tomato size - just about possible to
keep down to pot plant size, but not small. I will see if it is in any
of my books.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

The message . 10
from Victoria Clare contains these words:

I assumed as it was being sold as a pot plant that it wasn't likely to
reach triffid proportions (thinking on, that was a foolish assumption - all
sorts of vast things come as pot plants!)

Yes, I rescued a rubber plant from a bonfire heap and it's stretched.

--
Tony
Replace solidi with dots to reply: tony/anson snailything zetnet/co/uk

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi

Victoria Clare wrote in
. 240.10:

Further to my original post, I have now found an authoritative-looking page
about this solanum: the most used common name of which appears to be pepino
dulce:

http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/pepino.html

I've also found a bunch of people commenting on flavour and culture (google
groups search on pepino dulce).

People's experience of the plant and fruit seems to be varied: some people
say they have had flavourless mushy ones (but then, I've had pears and
mangos like that from supermarkets occasionally) and others say the flavour
is great. I deduce that there are a number of cultivars and ripeness
probably makes a difference too.

Flowers also seem to vary a lot in colour and size.

In terms of height, most people seem to think they are comparable with
tomatoes, and at least one variety can be grown in a hanging basket. The
fruit apparently vary from tomato-sized to 6-inch monsters.

I can't find anywhere else selling any variety in, or to, the UK, so I
think I'll give the offer I saw a go, and see what I end up with.

If they are really hardy to -2, I *might* even just get away with one
outside against my sunny wall (already populated by a fig and my beloved
pomegranite bush).

Victoria