Ancient Seeds Yield Once Extinct Squash

Wimp ^ | NOV 24, 2015 | Jake Brannon:

[Popman]

Students from Winnipeg, Canada recently discovered a stash of 800-year-old seeds while on an archaeological dig. The mysterious seeds, once planted, grew into a rare species of squash that has been extinct for hundreds of years. While we don't know if the seeds themselves were safe to eat, the squash that they harvested was absolutely delicious. Check out the images below to see the rare gourd for yourself and learn more about this discovery.

[Popman]

LOL...

[MSF BU]

This is interesting. I guess it probably indicates that my five year old packages of swiss chard & pea seeds are not necessarily bad.

[trisham]

I’ve used five year old seed with excellent results.

[Lurker]

That’s cool.

L

[djf]

In the early 90’s, I did just that with acorn squash and pumpkins.

Let me tell you, the acorn squash were HUGE!

One of them IIRC was like 21 inches long!

[Sacajaweau]

The butter and salt is delicious...I’m gonna add bacon to my next pot of squash. That should be even better.

[eartrumpet]

I’m gonna add bacon to my next pot of squash. That should be even better.

Well duh!

[Forward the Light Brigade]

I love squash with butter and bacon—baked. A real fall treat!

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Now if they can find the seeds of the extinct Tanna Tree—we can brew the tea from the leaves that will extend life!

[Lazamataz]

This will end just like Jurrasiac Park.

Huge maneating squashes will terrorize everyone on the island.

[ladyjane]

Actually most of our fruits and vegetables have been systematically bred to travel well in box cars and trucks.

I read here on FR last year about a watermelon that was thought to be extinct. They found some seeds and it was the sweetest watermelon they had ever tasted. Its rind, however, was thin and the watermelon grew out of favor because it couldn’t be shipped to the stores without much damage.

The watermelon was called the Bradford, named after a man who was captured by the British during our Revolutionary War and was sent to prison down in the islands. He was the one who saved the seeds. It’s an interesting story.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/05/19/407949182/saving-the-sweetest-watermelon-the-south-has-ever-known

[bkopto]

There's a joke in here somewhere - I just know it....

[Popman]

I remember a story that the Japanese (?) Breed a square watermelon to cut shipping costs and minimize damage...

[Lizavetta]

I call BS! There is no such thing as “delicious” squash.

Spaghetti squash with garlic and pepper is good.

[SumProVita]

That is your opinion...not fact.

[Original Lurker]

Yup! Any cucurbit will cross-pollinate. I’ve has some real WTF’s pop out of seemingly nowhere.

[Georgia Girl 2]

It reminds me of what we call a candy roaster here in GA. Looks very similar.

[Redcitizen]

Thanks for my first laugh of the year!

[Lion Den Dan]

If God intended me to eat squash, He would have made them out of meat.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

I think that they actually grow them in a form.

http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/east/06/15/square.watermelon/index.html?_s=PM:asiapcf

(Snip)

“But clever Japanese farmers have solved this dilemma by forcing their watermelons to grow into a square shape. Farmers insert the melons into square, tempered glass cases while the fruit is still growing on the vine.

The square boxes are the exact dimensions of Japanese refrigerators, allowing full-grown watermelons to fit conveniently and precisely onto refrigerator shelves.”