The Gourd Family

The gourd family, also called the cucurbit family, includes cucumbers and squashes, as well as melons like watermelon and cantaloupe. When picked while immature, they have tender, edible skins, as in the case of cucumbers and summer squash. When allowed to mature, as in the case of winter squash and pumpkins, the skins become hard and are not generally eaten. (Some sources put eggplant in the gourd family, but this is incorrect.)