Making pickles or preserves from hedgehog cucumbers (cucumis africanus)
This isn’t really an answer about the cucumber you mention, but actually the idea to pickle anything from crabapples to watermelon rinds...

My great grandmother (raised in the Great Depression) made pickled watermelon rinds. I’ll never forget their unexpected crunch and sweetness. Here is a description, but basically sugar and salt them, add vinegar and spices (my grandmother used sumac among other spices) - but I am sure you know how to pickle.