Pepino Melon

Pepino melon, also known as Pepino dulce (sweet cucumber), melon pear, or just Pepino, is a delicious fruit native to the temperate Andean areas of Chile, Columbia, and Peru. You can also find this fruit in other South American countries such as Kenya and Bolivia. It is a small oval fruit with firm, smooth skin that turns yellow with purple stripes when it ripens. The taste of Pepino fruit has been described as a cross between a cucumber and a honeydew melon or a cantaloupe. The fruit's size can range from that of passion fruit to that of a grown person's hand. As a perennial plant, the Pepino bush can last for many years.

The shrub can go as tall as 3 feet (1 meter) and as wide as 3 feet (1 meter). Like a tomato plant, they benefit from being staked, caged, or grown on a trellis. If allowed to spread out organically, the Pepino shrub will attract pests and animals that enjoy eating fruit. The Pepino will multiply and blanket the ground if you don't mind sharing your harvest. The fruit is mildly sweet and best eaten when completely ripe for the sweetest flavor. The entire Pepino fruit is edible, including the skin and seeds, though the skin may become tough by the time the fruit is ripe. Instead, peel the skin before eating, or eating around it.