Fakous Seeds

20 seeds

Cucumis melo var. chate

Grown by: Fruition Seeds

Fakous is a beloved Palestinian heirloom melon that grows and is treated just like a cucumber — similar to other melons known as "Armenian Cucumbers" in English, "Kakadee" in Hindi, or "Carosello" in Italian. "Fakous" is the Arabic word for this kind of melon, and it is used to describe a range of different forms. Our Palestinian variety has more in common with some of the Italian types than the Armenian types — the fruits are fuzzy when young, ribbed rather than irregularly textured, and more comparable in size to standard cucumbers. The flavor is mild — even milder than a cucumber — and the texture is crunchy. They are never bitter, and the skin is thin and tasty, so it is seldom if ever peeled off. We commonly eat these raw, but also sometimes pickle them.

One favorite recipe is very simple and involves lacto-fermentation: start by scrubbing fuzzy young fakous with your hands to remove the fuzz, then make a single slice down one side (but not all the way through — you're just making sure the brine gets in), wrap each one in a fresh grape leaf, then submerge in salty brine and let them sit out for three or four days (loosely covered so they don't explode). And that's it. They're ready to eat right then, or they can be kept in the fridge for months (but they probably don't even need the fridge if you're going to eat them within a few weeks). If you can't find fresh grape leaves — even wild grape leaves will do — you can use the type sold in jars.

Growing Instructions for Turtle Island: Seeds can be started in flats a few weeks before the last spring frost date or can be direct sown 1-2 weeks after the last frost when soil temps are consistently at 60 degrees Fahrenheit, ideally warmer for this heat loving crop. Direct sowing is recommended. Sow seeds a ½ inch deep spacing seeds 12-24” apart as they tend to sprawl out widely. Fakous loves hot summers, needing consistent watering towards the beginning of the season, preferring well-drained, fertile soils (add compost as needed). It’s typical for leaves to begin yellowing around the time of fruit production. Fakous can be trellised or you can let it sprawl on the soil, as it does traditionally in Palestine. Harvest when about 6-10 inches, before they reach full size. If you want to save seeds, wait until fruit is large in size, fully ripe and has a white or yellowish color to it. Fruit will go from ripe to rot very quickly so keep an eye on it to ensure you harvest them before they rot.