{"product_id":"gourd-cucuzza-2029","title":"Gourd Cucuzza Seeds","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLagenaria siceraria\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCucuzza is a remarkable edible form of bottle gourd producing exceptionally long, slender fruits with smooth, pale green skin. Also known as Italian Edible Gourd, Italian Squash and New Guinea Butter Bean, the vigorous vines can produce fruits approaching 1 m long if allowed to mature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite often being treated like a zucchini in the kitchen, Cucuzza is actually a bottle gourd rather than a squash. For eating, harvest the fruits young, ideally from around 15 cm while the skin is tender and the flesh soft. At this stage they have a mild, delicate flavour and can be sautéed, fried, grilled, added to soups and stews or cooked anywhere you might ordinarily use zucchini.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCucuzza is particularly associated with southern Italian and Sicilian cooking, where both the young fruits and tender growing tips are traditionally eaten. In Sicily the long gourds are known as \u003cem\u003ecucuzza\u003c\/em\u003e, while the tender shoots and leaves, known as \u003cem\u003etenerumi\u003c\/em\u003e, are used in soups, pasta dishes and other summer cooking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf fruits are allowed to grow larger, cut them lengthways and remove the developing seeds before cooking. Fully mature fruits eventually develop the hard shell characteristic of \u003cem\u003eLagenaria siceraria\u003c\/em\u003e, a species that has been cultivated since ancient times for both food and practical uses. Mature bottle gourds have historically been dried and fashioned into containers, utensils and other household objects in cultures around the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlants are extremely vigorous annual vines and require plenty of room. A strong trellis or arbour is ideal, allowing the long fruits to hang freely and develop straighter. They thrive in the same warm, fertile conditions as pumpkins and squash.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSeed count: approximately 3–4 seeds\/g\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eApproximately 13 seeds per packet\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhen to Plant (Australia)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTropics: Spring to autumn\u003cbr\u003eSubtropics: Spring to summer\u003cbr\u003eMild climates: Spring after frost to early summer\u003cbr\u003eCold climates: Spring after the last frost\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlanting \/ Sowing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSow directly into warm soil after all danger of frost, approximately 20–30 mm deep. Space plants approximately 80–120 cm apart in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProvide a very sturdy trellis, fence or arbour capable of supporting the vigorous vines and developing fruits. Keep plants consistently watered during flowering and fruit development and provide generous organic matter and nutrition throughout the growing season.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor zucchini-style use, harvest fruits young and tender from around 15 cm long. Older fruits can still be eaten while the flesh remains tender, but may need peeling and the developing seeds removed. Regular harvesting encourages continued fruit production.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaturity: approximately 55–80 days.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDue to quarantine restrictions, TAS has an 800g limit per each seed variety and WA has a 10,000 seeds limit per variety.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Eden Seeds","offers":[{"title":"Packet","offer_id":46649657295066,"sku":null,"price":3.9,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0736\/4866\/8890\/files\/V_Gourd_Cucuzzi.jpg?v=1771465336","url":"https:\/\/www.edenseeds.com.au\/products\/gourd-cucuzza-2029","provider":"Eden Seeds ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}