Red-Seeded Lemon Balm (Cucurbita caffer)

Red-seeded lemon squash (Cucurbita caffer): also known as lemon watermelon or winter watermelon. An ancient species originating in Africa, likely from the Kalahari Desert , it has been cultivated in Italy since the 17th century or earlier. Little-known but of great importance: it requires very little water, is extremely hardy, and tolerates strong sunlight well. It is highly productive and perfect for winter storage. In its native regions and in other semi-desert areas where it is grown (such as Mexico, where it quickly acclimatized), it is also used as a water source. It can be eaten raw, but its flavor and texture are not the best. In Italy, it is used for mustards and preserves, thanks to its high pectin content. A traditional recipe from Ravenna can be found in the next section.
Growing it is quite simple, similar in necessity to a spontaneous one. You can also let it grow at the edge of the vegetable garden without worrying too much about it. It will still produce numerous fruits similar to a watermelon of about 2/4 kg, with compact pulp, lemon yellow in colour when ripe.
It can be sown from April to June (Southern Italy). Traditionally, a few fruits are left on the ground; the following season, they will sprout independently, when the temperature is suitable for germination.
Cultivation is very simple, with no particular soil requirements, very little water, and a resistance to fungal diseases. They take a long time to ripen, but you can harvest the pumpkins (or watermelons) and store them indoors to ripen.
They are ready for consumption when the pulp is a beautiful lemon yellow colour and the seeds are an intense scarlet red.

This species is a champion of sustainability, it has very few needs, requires minimal soil cultivation, does not require irrigation (dry farming) , and can be preserved for a long time both when harvested and when processed without the use of electricity.