Pear Melon - Pepino - Solanum muricatum

The Pear Melon or Pepino is a shrubby plant, cultivated for its fruits that taste like a combination of pear and melon. This tender plant requires a lot of heat and can be planted in open ground or in pots in warm climates, or in a greenhouse in cooler regions. Planting is done in spring and harvest takes place in autumn.

The Pear Melon or Melon Pear belongs to the Solanaceae family, just like eggplant and tomato. Its name comes from its fruits, which have a taste that resembles both melon and pear. This perennial shrub has a bushy habit and reaches a height of almost 1 metre (3 feet) when fully matured. In summer, it produces decorative white and violet star-shaped flowers. The smooth-skinned fruits are oval-shaped and turn pale yellow with violet marbling when ripe.

Originally from South America, this tender plant requires a lot of heat. It can be grown in open ground in warm climates and will then be an annual plant. In cooler regions, it can be cultivated in a greenhouse or in a pot to be stored during winter. If it receives enough heat, it can be kept for several years.

Rich in vitamin C, the fruits of the Pear Melon are best consumed when fully ripe. They can be eaten raw for a refreshing taste, but they are more often cooked, either pan-fried as a side dish or used in jams, sorbets, or pies.

Harvesting: The fruits are harvested when fully ripe, in autumn, before the first frost. If the fruits have not fully ripened, pick them before the frost and let them ripen indoors.

Storage: The fruits can be stored for several weeks in a cool place at 10°C.

Gardening tip: We recommend mulching the soil with thin successive layers of grass clippings, preferably mixed with dead leaves. This protection helps keep the soil moist and also reduces weed growth.