PO Box 3908, Lawrence, KS 66046
seeds@growitalian.com
Call (785) 748-0959
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Zucchetta Serpente di Sicilia - Serpent of Sicily, a prized heirloom variety of vegetable seeds from Italy. Also known as cucuzze or gagootza, this unique gourd, grown and enjoyed like a summer squash, is a favorite among those from Southern Italy. Its fruit can grow up to three feet long but tastes best when picked young, around 12 inches. A vigorous grower with vines that can reach up to 25 feet, it thrives on terraces or pergolas. Even the growing tips of the vines are edible—sauté them in olive oil for a delicious treat.
Zucchetta is a warm-weather crop ideal for gardeners in the USA. Because the seeds have a hard coat, germination can take 4-6 weeks unless scarified. To scarify, rub the seeds gently on sandpaper to weaken the coat without damaging the interior, then soak them for 24 hours. Click here for more details on scarification.
Scarified seeds germinate in about 10-14 days. Plant seeds in hills spaced six feet apart, placing four seeds per hill and thinning to two or three plants. This Italian heirloom vegetable matures 70-75 days after germination. Each 6-gram packet contains approximately 30-40 seeds.
Order tese authentic seeds from Italy today and grow Italian vegetables in your own garden in the United States. Perfect for gardeners in the US who want to experience the rich heritage of Southern Italian cuisine.
Read more about Zucchetta on our blog.
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Zucchetta Serpent of Sicily/Cucuzza (146-43)
Zucchetta Serpent of Sicily/Cucuzza (146-43)
Regular price
$6.00
Regular price
Sale price
$6.00
Unit price
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per
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Patricia Sapienza We have grown these for a couple of years. Always have great results.
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Pat I enjoy all your squash, but the one I have the most fun with is Zuchetta Serpent of Sicily / Cucuzza. They are showy, abundant and delicious.
It starts with finding a sunny spot where I can build a trellis or arbor for these aggressive climbers to grow.
I don’t bother to scrape the seed shells or soak the seeds. They germinate just fine if the soil is wet and warm. I fill a good size hole with organic leaf compost and plant 3-4 seeds in each spot.
When seeds germinate I train them to grow on the trellis or arbor, although they manage just fine on their own. One important and delicious element is to prune the side growing tips of the vine and sauté them in olive oil. They are delicious and keeps the vine from getting overly bushy. Otherwise, I pick most of the cucuzza when it is 12-18 inches long. My favorite preparation is sautéed with with onion, garlic and tomato sauce, and eaten with some homemade crusty bread.
I do leave a couple of cucuzza on the vine, letting them grow to 3-4 feet. They become the center of attention in the neighborhood.
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davide cuccia Being part-Sicilian I've always enjoyed cucuzza and a dish made by my cousins in Sicily ... tenerumi! Your seeds grow faster than any other seeds I've tried in the past ... my plants are out of control! I'm very very happy and will continue to buy from you every year! Grazie mille!
davide!
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Joe Nasello My mother was born in Cefalu, Sicily in 1910 and immigrated to the United States through the Port of New Orleans with her parents as a small child. Growing up, I remember Mama growing huge Cucuzzas (we called them gagootzas) along the fence line at our house in Alexandria, Louisiana. My non-Italian friends used to tease me because of the shape of this delicious squash. Fully grown, it resembles a baseball bat. I'm certain the appeal to m parents was the large (think inexpensive) harvest these seeds produce. Mama was a great cook, and she prepared the gagootzas perfectly. She would peel them, cut them into cubes and saute them in olive oil, onions, garlic and tomatoes from our backyard garden. She would also add smaller chunks of Romano cheese and the tenerumis (the tentacles on the tip of the vines). I recently purchased some seeds from Seeds from Italy, and I can't wait to try and replicate my Mama's recipes. Buono appetite!
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Croquetman If too much is never a bad thing, then cucuzzi are just the ticket. I planted 3 seeds at the end of a trellis (15 feet long) near a stand of corn. Those three tiny seeds produced vines that today have overwhelmed that trellis and most of the finished corn stalks as well. And fruit?!?!? We have so much. This is like zucchini on steroids. What is needed is unique family heritage recipes for this unique (and wonderful) vegetable. How about a cucuzzi cookbook?