Zucchini stew KILLS!

11 years ago

http://www.thelocal.de/20150821/courgette-stew-kills-pensioner-in-heidelberg

The lowered sense of taste in the elderly may have been part of the problem.

"Cucurbitacins have been bred out of most commercially sold seeds, Bild
reports – meaning gardeners who go out and buy a seed pack to grow their
own courgettes shouldn't need to worry about the toxins.

However, using seeds from previous years can be dangerous, they warn."

This would be because of cross-pollination from high cucurbitacin varieties, or reassortment of genes.

Gardeners should also avoid growing [edible varieties] next to ornamental breeds of
pumpkin." Cross pollination is the issue. The hybrid fruits can have high levels of curcubitaicin, in the same way that a bell pepper plant grown next to a Jalapeno can have "hot" fruits.

Featured Answer

rgreen48

11 years ago

Unless I completely misunderstand, growing one type of squash next to another, and eating the fruits of the edible, is not a problem. However, saving the seeds from unknown crosses - such as between an ornamental and an edible - may bring a plant which produces the toxin.

This is why I had a straight-faced response above (without emoticons it may not have been discerned.) The fruit of squash, as well as the example of peppers as used above, carry the genetic make up of the mother plant. Just as an edible squash variety would not contain the toxin, the fruit of a sweet pepper plant would not carry the heat from what is planted adjacent.

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Comments (6)

rgreen48
11 years ago
"... in the same way that a bell pepper plant grown next to a Jalapeno can have 'hot' fruits."

:-|
goldana80
11 years ago
Thanks for the heads up. It was quite an interesting article and I wasn't aware that it could be dangerous. Also I have grown edible pumpkins next to ornamental ones. I will be sure to take note that it shouldn't be done in the future!
As a side note, I would have never continued to eat a fruit or vegetable if it was so bitter tasting as what happened in this situation. I would have thought something is surely wrong with it and thrown it away.
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goldana80
11 years ago
rgreen48 I think you might be right. Or at least it sounds right to me!
Everything that I've read points to cross-pollination only affecting the seeds inside the vegetable or fruit. The results would only be seen in the following year's produce (if grown from saved seeds).
I'd really like to know why this article states otherwise? Would a sweet pepper be hot if they were growing next to a hot pepper and you saved seed from it?
I have grown edible pumpkins from saved seeds of the previous year's harvest and they were grown together with ornamental gourds. I ate them and they were all fine. Nothing strange!
I could see what they are saying though in the article. I know that they can and do cross pollinate, therefore it could be risky business.
I guess from now on, I will buy seed fresh every year (at least the varieties that I will be eating).
rgreen48
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I really don't know the facts about that toxin, but Wiki did say it exists. I hand pollinate my squashes, so I'm not concerned about saving seeds from my heirlooms. Then again, I don't grow ornamentals, so I'm completely unconcerned about my seeds.

However, if one did grow ornamentals, it would be interesting to learn the chances of getting a cross that carries the chemical.

Edit: Yes, it is possible for the seeds from a sweet pepper to carry heat if it was pollinated by a hot pepper grown next to it. That would be another interesting study that I've never done... to learn if heat is a dominate genetic trait in peppers.
Peter (6b SE NY)
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
It stands to reason that a sweet pepper plant can produce a hot pepper if cross pollinated by a hot pepper, as the seeds are a major source of the heat, and the seeds are affected. Is this the case?

It is a bad idea to save cucurbit seeds in general unless they were properly isolated and hand pollinated - they cross so easily and who knows what you'll get the next year.