My favorite Mezzo Lungo Barese and Polignano

After growing out an unknown carosello cucumber variety, I decided to try out a Mezzo Lungo Polignano carosello variety in the 1-yard grape bin. This variety was one that I had tried out previously in 2021. In fact, I labeled the specific population, which was provided to me by an Italian gentleman named Angelo, for a future Mezzo Lungo Polignano trial.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The context for the Mezzo Lungo Polignano name is this: In southern Italy, melons have been grown immature as cucumbers for thousands of years. Though these cucumber-melons are called by many different names, to the outside world they are known as “carosello”. A specific town or village will often grow their own specific carosello cucumber variety. In order to distinguish the variety from a carosello in another area, the name of a specific variety may include a specific trait of the cucumber, but almost always include the origin of the variety. ‘Mezzo Lungo’ means ‘half long’. That part of the variety name may have originated from being compared with length of the local ‘Tortarello’ or local snake melon. There is a Mezzo Lungo from Barese, which tends to be slightly longer and a Mezzo Lungo from Polignano, which tends to be a bit shorter. Both are known to be very fuzzy, crisp cylindrical cucumber varieties.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fuzzy fruit is the primary reason why I had made a note to grow the specific population of Mezzo Lungo from Angelo again. This population, which was named variety #3, sprouted well. In order to give the unknown variety more time to mature, I started the Mezzo Lungo Polignano seedlings in ten inch hydroponic baskets until they were large enough to require planting into the garden. They grew very well and matured quickly. They began setting fruit in early August and by late August, the fruit varied from being ready for fresh-eating to ripe for seed-saving. Unfortunately, there was a bit of variation in fruit color and length. But the color variation was rare and I eliminated as much of that fruit as I could. On the positive side, the fuzziness was quite thick and pronounced, the fruit was crisp, but much juicier than any other Mezzo Lungo varieties that I have tried. For a Mezzo Lungo, the flavor was quite good too. As a result, I decided that this population will become the foundation for my future Mezzo Lungo Polignano (short) and Mezzo Lungo Barese (long) carosello varieties.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite all of my faults and mistakes, I am grateful that I can try out different carosello varieties. Even different populations of the same variety – provided to me by various growers and seed companies – enable me to determine what fruit would be most desirable for market growers. Though there are many wonderful and unique indigenous and heirloom vegetable varieties, very few will continue to be grown or shared if they do not perform well or taste good.

The Speckled “Friendship” Carosello

Just to provide some context on the “Speckled Friendship” Carosello, this carosello variety originated from a packet of mixed-up, possibly polymorphic Carosello Spuredda Leccese seed sent to me by my friend Giuseppe. Similar to may other companies that sell seed from Italy, this specific Carosello seed from SeedSelect looked nothing like what was pictured on the seed package. I grew the first one out in the greenhouse in either late 2020 or early 2021 and then in 2022.

Being the third year that I have grown this variety, I already knew that it would not produce early in the season. For this reason, I grew it in my backyard garden. My backyard garden has been becoming less and less fertile due to a high population of some kind of fungus, tree roots invading the garden and year-to-year increased shade cover.

Unlike other years, when I can start in early May, the unseasonably cool and wet May in 2023 made it difficult to start plants when we normally would. I was not able to put my transplants into the ground until early June. Even then, the weather was very similar to at least a month earlier compared to the last five years.

Despite all the challenges, the speckled carosello did pretty well in the backyard garden. They were definitely slow though. I ended up pulling most of them out after the first week of September, though I was able to keep them from developing Powdery Mildew for much longer than I would have otherwise done.

My goal in growing the speckled carosello is to produce a cylindrical carosello variety. While the current population is still mostly oval, I was able to find a plant that only produced cylindrical fruit. In order to promote the trait, the seeds from this plant will become the foundation of my future population.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I decided to call this variety the “Speckled Friendship” carosello because my friend Giuseppe initially sent me the seed and I relied on my friend Giuseppe’s seed in later 2021. He sent the seed to me to begin with, I grew it out and sent it back to him. He then grew it to seed, sent it back to me and I grew out two generations since. Though I have known Giuseppe for over a decade, I have never met him in person. I hope that we will one day meet. Until then, I am very grateful to have such a good friend in Italy.