Patty Pan Squash Delikates

Delikates is an early, highly productive patisson variety – for anyone wanting to discover or deliberately grow this decorative UFO vegetable. What is a patisson? A close relative of the zucchini with flat, scalloped fruits in a characteristic UFO shape. In flavour it sits between zucchini and artichoke – firmer in bite and finer in aroma than zucchini. What makes Delikates special? The combination of earliness (about 70 days vegetation period), a compact bush habit without long vines, and valuable mildew resistance – the disease that most often finishes off cucurbits in late summer. Use depends on harvest size: picked small (4–5 cm), the fruits are a delicacy for pickling – like mini artichokes in a jar. Larger fruits are ideal for frying, steaming and especially stuffing, for which the flat shape is made. Important: pick through two to three times a week to keep the plant producing. Delikates prefers sunny, wind-sheltered sites with fertile soil. Start indoors from mid-April or sow directly from mid-May. Who is this variety for? The curious, pickling fans and anyone looking for a robust, productive alternative to zucchini.