Caigua is eaten both in its immature state as well as when it is mature. Young fruit is eaten fresh, out-of-hand much like a cucumber. It can be sliced and added to salads or sautéed and served alongside a main dish. Mature Achocha is typically stuffed like a pepper with meats, fish or cheeses and herbs; it can be sliced, fried, breaded and baked. It is juiced in Peru and added to high-nutrient juice mixes. The ancient cucurbit can be substituted for cooked green peppers and is a milder substitute for jalapenos in Jalapeno poppers. Caigua can be frozen, canned or dehydrated. Hope this helps you some. I've never grown it, and was curious so I looked it up. (Grin)
Achocha in 🇺🇸 US used fresh in salads as it tastes so must like cucumber. Reduces cholesterol...early harvest tender and late harvest stuffed. ..Vivi I love your adventuress spirit!!!💐💌
I loved watching you go through all the anxiety and then the analysis of how to cook it. Really glad that it turned out to be something you liked. Surprised that you found it fiddly to work with the achocha, after knowing you podded chickpeas and actually grew them again the next year. Those, I consider fiddly!
Hi Vivi. I wish I would have a grey drizzly day. My total rainfall for September is 3.7mm. It is so dry my lawn has died. Out west they have had some rain but nowhere near enough. Despite all this I have had a good corn harvest and my second sewing is in the ground. My cabbages are doing well and are starting to heart up. I have harvested loads of tomatoes and have another crop growing right now.
You've got us interested and doing research. I've never heard of them before. According to Wikipedia, the "young shoots and leaves can also be eaten as greens." Always an adventure trying new food.
I remember Zach from An American Homestead growing and eating these. Thank you for sharing about them with us. As an herbalist, I thought about the Doctrine of Signatures of this plant. I would guess it's good for spine and nerves and/or chest/lungs. I'm watching this from my treadmill and your curry made me HUNGRY! ;)
Hi viv that looked tasty . A tip I’ve found is to roast the onions tomatoes garlic peppers etc it gives an amazing flavour to a curry . After I’ve roasted i blitz it to a sauce I then add curry powder to a little olive oil to make a paste fry for a min or 2 and add to the sauce and then add some other veg . Glad the new veg was a success x
Lovely! So pleased they're good. We will definitely be trying something like this. I was feeling a little apprehensive about trying them but feel a little more confident now! R.
Wow, how fascinating. I love trying new things. I wish I’d been with you. I would’ve nabbed one of those fresh raw pieces and shoved it straight in my gob to see what it was like. I really don’t think I’ve got enough space on my plot for an achocha, but who knows, maybe one day. Thank you for a great video and for taking us on this journey with you.
I was so pleasantly surprised by how lovely they tasted I will certainly be experimenting some more with them......maybe not pickles though, yuk! Hahahaha. ;-)
Yay - I'm so pleased you are going to give them a go next year!I was so pleasantly surprised with this......I will definitely be trying them in lots more ways. :-)
Caigua pronounced kai-wa (Cyclanthera pedata) according to my seed catalogue here in NZ. Traditionally used to reduce blood cholesterol and high blood pressure. Used in summer salads with a pleasant cucumber taste! I might have to try it but heaven knows where I would plant it
Thank you lovely.....I couldn't put my finger o the taste at the time but after eating lots more I would say the immature pods are quite like cucumber and the mature ones like sweet peppers. 😊
Vivi just looked up achocha and saw that you can marinate them in italian dressing then grill. You can also eat them raw with ranch dip or stir fry as well. It is in the cucumber family. You can also juice them or use them in smoothies.
We!l done Vivi. 😀 I love trying different foods. They look a little like peppers when you cut them open might try them next year growing up my fence. Take care.
Hi Vivi, I have just read the link from the previous comment and it states the achocha plant helps lower cholesterol levels too! Another good reason to grow from seed next year. Interesting!
I love trying new foods, too. This year I tried a couple of Asian veggies for the first time. Bitter Melon- yuck, double yuck, and Fuzzy Melon-delicious, delicious, delicious. And I should say, the bitter melon was so interesting looking I really wanted to like it. Oh, well. I may have to try the Achocha next season. :}
Hahaha - I guess we have to go through a bit of yuck (even double yuck!) before we find the delicious. Go on you for having a go and experimenting. :-)
Heyyyyy Vivi..I’m playing catch up. I’m glad you’re getting Fall temps there. It’s still boiling here in Tennessee. It’s supposed to be in the mid 90’s all this week. I’ve never seen that little new veggie you’re cooking. Very interesting little jewel. Soup soup soup is my favorite food. Your recipe looks delicious. Since their hollow..I bet they would be good stuffed with a delicious cheese. Love trying new things! ✌🏼❤️& Happy Cooking
Ugh, so hot where you are still! I think I will try them stuffed......I'm thinking a rice mix......and maybe a cheeses sauce over the top then baked...... :-)
Speaking of things going out of date, I went to make some bread (impulsively) yesterday, then subsequently checked the use by date of the yeast, clearly remembering buying it for just such an occasion. It expired in 2011.
I've been really looking forward to this one. And, you did us proud! (I think it might be a case of I'm bravest, you go first.) Have you tried the young ones raw? I think it will look lovely growing on your new fence. Perhaps one for the calendar next year. Thank you so much for sharing memories of sunny days while it's pouring down outside. Enjoy!
It snowed here in Edmonton, Canada today even though it's not nearly time for that nonsense yet. The organic community farm I run worked very hard to get all the tender crops in before they got ruined. I miss summer already!
Glad you survived ;) yay for you, I do love to try out new dishes too and love the ones most that are from scratch and self invented. Well done!! Over here it's wet and dreary so perfect to work the harvest away, I've some pumpkins that I'll put into the slow cooker to make puree/mash to put into the freezer, I've patty pans, gurkins, napa cabbages for making kimchi and so on. So I've to kick myself in to gear now and start cutting the napa cabbage first so it can be set aside with salt to extract some of the liquid. But first things needed to be done first and that was watching your video. Thank you so much for sharing, it's so inspiring to just try things out and now I'm curious if I can find me some seeds for achocha's I'm sure I can find it. I found also on Wikipedia the link to that plant it's Cyclanthera pedata en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclanthera_pedata Wishing you an awesome sunday with lots of fun and joy in all you do xoxo. Vleer.
I am not a 100% sure. I think i grew them before and snacked on them during summer by eating them while they were basically olive sized. Like miniature crunchy cucumber
I think you would have to make it again WITHOUT the Achocha to really see what the difference is. If nothing else use like you said, like a treat. Plus you can always raise it just to sell the seeds if the are expensive.
I have cooked achocha it has a bit of a cucumber flavour i cut mine nearly in half from the pointy end scooped out the seeds and membrane then stuffed with sauted veg layered on a dish then covered with a cheese sauce and baked delish 😃 i think it would be good with a garlicky tomato based sauce too or ricotta and tomato sauce layered mmmmmm
Sounds nice. I'm thinking maybe tried with parsnip or turnip maybe cauliflower or broccoli they are always quite nice in a curry especially cauliflower.
I’ve been waiting for this. My fingers are crossed that you enjoy it. It’s a plant domesticated/cultivated by the Inca, I thought it was mildly cucumber crossed with a mild pepper? I only had it raw.
I have grown them and they grew well here but I found them tough and a lot of work for something that I really didn't like that much, I would rather grow cucumbers and squash, although my squash did terrible this year. I did get a few Cinderella pumpkins but not much else
I was nervous too! This year I had the variety 'Fat Baby" which is an odd spiny looking one, self sown from compost I made last year. I do not really like it, reminds me of green pepper/cucumber but since it is great to look at and takes up no space when grown vertically, I will probably grow it again as it is supposedly VERY good for one. In time I may like it. If the fruits are really young there is no need to take out the seeds, especially of Fat Baby.
@@TheChristinaJo Rampant grower! No special care needed! One plant, which I did not intend to grow, has produced dozens of fruits. Have learned that if weather is too dry they pause in their growth until rain! Perhaps if I had watered sooner may have had crop earlier.
Hmm what about eating them with the seeds. Like cutting them into quarters n chucking them in. I wonder how the seeds taste... I dont deseed my winter squash... Hmmm. Ill see what can find
I haven't watched your harvest video yet, is it a type of pepper? In looks that is what it reminds me of. I found a recipe for cucumber muffins and plan on making them today. Your soup does look really good.
Worst scenario , hand them out at Halloween, Lol. I would ask …..is it easy to grow, volume of fruit compared to space used, is there something youd like better, that is easier to grow, gives you higher yield or is better tasting. Maybe youd like to start some sweet potato slips this winter, the leaves are edible, lovely climbing vines and pot them up in those grow bags for late harvest tubers.
Sadly sweet potatoes do not do well here.....ach, I wish they did! I'll certainly grow the achocha again because it takes up so little space and gives some lovely green covering to my fence......and now I know how good it tastes I'll be making much more of the harvests. :-)
Look up "Suburban Homestead". He grows and explains Achocha. Also a recipe. I think He's from Bolivia. He calls it the Bolivian cucumber. Hope this helps!
I haven't done one no........but it's really quite straight forward......I simmer whatever veggie bits I have for about 20 minutes, strain and go! I often use thinnings in the early summer......so fennel, carrots, leeks etc......usually a stalk or two of celery.....often the scraps of onions. Have a go. :-)
Information from a seed supplier. If they are small the seeds are easily edible. Uses In Central and South America the fruits are eaten either raw or cooked after removal of the seeds. They are also prepared as stuffed peppers; stuffed with meat, fish or cheese and then baked or fresh. Medical studies in Peru have shown that achocha can lower cholesterol levels. In herbal medicine a tea from the seeds is used for controlling high blood pressure. The seeds and/or the fruits are also recommended for gastrointestinal disorders. The leaves are considered hypoglycemic and prepared in a decoction for diabetes. The fruits are boiled in milk and gargled for tonsillitis. The fruit juice is also recommended for high cholesterol, hypertension, tonsillitis, arteriosclerosis, circulatory problems, diabetes and as a diuretic. The fruit and/or the leaves are boiled in olive oil and used externally as a topical anti-inflammatory and analgesic. The roots are used to clean the teeth. Harvest When fruit is 2" long; harvest regularly to encourage production.
They don't really expire. The dates are best by dates. Generally, you can't taste the difference. If it hasn't bulged it is still ok to use. Open the can and smell.
I'm sure you're right.......it just amased me that I had a can which was out of date.......made me realise how long I have been self-sufficient in tomatoes..... :-)
Hey Vivi 🙋 i got cut off on your last video due to the weather so i didnt finish my comments lol...😡😉 heres what i found. don’t be nervous lol, there supposed to be great 👍..keep your achocha vines harvested (before the fruit matures past the green stage) so that they will stay productive. A well maintained achocha plant will be prolific until frost. Cooked achocha tastes less like cucumbers and more like a mixture of artichokes, beans, and green peppers. Tender vine shoots (with leaves, flowers, and tendrils) are eaten raw, sauteed, or stir-fried. Mature achocha can be sliced onto pizza, mixed into curries, breaded and fried, or substituted in any recipe that calls for cooked green peppers. peru-recipes.com/2008/08/ajiaco-de-caiguas-caigua-ajiaco and you will find more recipes doll 👍😁 right i will now watch you cook lol...hugs 🤗🌻👩🏼🌾x
gabriella kadar gabriella, try this whilst i search that other one lol..... urbanvegpatch.blogspot.com/2015/11/how-to-preserve-abundance-of-achocha.html
I couldn't put my finger on the taste at the time of trying it.....but, yes, it's definitely like peppers.....lovely addition. I think I may have left it a bit late to do any serious harvesting (that'll teach me to be braver sooner!) but am certainly going to grow it again next year and have loads more experiments with it. I hope your weather has chilled it's boots a bit by now! ;-)
gabriella kadar ha ha Gabriella...I always grow amaranth and the vid, (“A wee natter with Clarice, part 1) I have just mentioned the callaloo lol 😆😁...hugs doll 🤗👩🌾💐x
Have you seen these recipes? At the bottom of the webpage. www.appalachianfeet.com/2010/12/13/how-to-grow-and-use-achochacaigua-a-problem-free-cucumber-substitute-wrecipes/
Suburban homestead has made achocha pie, i tried it last year and was really nice. If you have more achochas left to harvest, i really recommend you to try his recipe as well: ruclips.net/video/x0V6ZgRFHPI/видео.html
Caigua is eaten both in its immature state as well as when it is mature. Young fruit is eaten fresh, out-of-hand much like a cucumber. It can be sliced and added to salads or sautéed and served alongside a main dish. Mature Achocha is typically stuffed like a pepper with meats, fish or cheeses and herbs; it can be sliced, fried, breaded and baked. It is juiced in Peru and added to high-nutrient juice mixes. The ancient cucurbit can be substituted for cooked green peppers and is a milder substitute for jalapenos in Jalapeno poppers. Caigua can be frozen,
canned or dehydrated. Hope this helps you some. I've never grown it, and was curious so I looked it up. (Grin)
Fabulous....thank you lovely. :-)
Achocha in 🇺🇸 US used fresh in salads as it tastes so must like cucumber. Reduces cholesterol...early
harvest tender and late harvest stuffed. ..Vivi I love your adventuress spirit!!!💐💌
I'm definitely growing it again next year......and I will be much more adventurous about harvesting and using it. I really enjoyed it. :-)
Thanks for bringing us along.
My pleasure. :-)
I loved watching you go through all the anxiety and then the analysis of how to cook it. Really glad that it turned out to be something you liked. Surprised that you found it fiddly to work with the achocha, after knowing you podded chickpeas and actually grew them again the next year. Those, I consider fiddly!
Hahahah - the fiddly scale! ;-)
If you use a teaspoon and lightly scrap down it, they de-seed way easier 💜
Hahaha - yes......I will do next time......don't know why I didn't think of it this time. :-)
Hi Vivi. I wish I would have a grey drizzly day. My total rainfall for September is 3.7mm. It is so dry my lawn has died. Out west they have had some rain but nowhere near enough. Despite all this I have had a good corn harvest and my second sewing is in the ground. My cabbages are doing well and are starting to heart up. I have harvested loads of tomatoes and have another crop growing right now.
Yay for great harvests despite the lack of rain. We're getting a ton of it now.....I should try and send you some. ;-)
You've got us interested and doing research. I've never heard of them before. According to Wikipedia, the "young shoots and leaves can also be eaten as greens." Always an adventure trying new food.
Hmmmmm........am I brave enough? Hahaha......I'll stick with the fruits for now. ;-)
I remember Zach from An American Homestead growing and eating these. Thank you for sharing about them with us. As an herbalist, I thought about the Doctrine of Signatures of this plant. I would guess it's good for spine and nerves and/or chest/lungs. I'm watching this from my treadmill and your curry made me HUNGRY! ;)
Hahahaha - I'm picturing you on your treadmill eating it........ooops, messy! ;-)
Hi viv that looked tasty . A tip I’ve found is to roast the onions tomatoes garlic peppers etc it gives an amazing flavour to a curry . After I’ve roasted i blitz it to a sauce I then add curry powder to a little olive oil to make a paste fry for a min or 2 and add to the sauce and then add some other veg . Glad the new veg was a success x
I do roast them sometimes.....but only when I have something else to roast at the same time so I save on fuel for the oven. :-)
Lovely! So pleased they're good. We will definitely be trying something like this. I was feeling a little apprehensive about trying them but feel a little more confident now! R.
I'm so pleased with how pleasant this was.....and now I can't wait to start experimenting a whole lot more with them. :-)
Wow, how fascinating. I love trying new things. I wish I’d been with you. I would’ve nabbed one of those fresh raw pieces and shoved it straight in my gob to see what it was like. I really don’t think I’ve got enough space on my plot for an achocha, but who knows, maybe one day. Thank you for a great video and for taking us on this journey with you.
Ooooh, it was a lovely surprise. It really doesn't take up much room......maybe even up the side of your shed? Well worth a go. :-)
Thank you Vivi for doing this. Thinking about growing some next year. Just to grow something different. Hope it will grow up here in the north.
I think it should grow for you so long as you are frost free. Have fun having a go! :-)
That is so great that it turned out great and you like the flavor, Yaayyy!! 😉 Thank you for sharing. ☺️💗
Cheers lovely. :-)
Looks like you have a winner. I watched someone who pickles the small ones and stuffs the large ones. He called them Bolivian cucumbers.
I was so pleasantly surprised by how lovely they tasted I will certainly be experimenting some more with them......maybe not pickles though, yuk! Hahahaha. ;-)
Hi Vivvi how wonderful loving the seeds and yes lm going to try growing them next spring ,Thank you l loved your Vlog xxx
Yay - I'm so pleased you are going to give them a go next year!I was so pleasantly surprised with this......I will definitely be trying them in lots more ways. :-)
Awsome update thank you for sharing my friend looks yummy
Thank you lovely. :-)
Very high in nutritional content very good for you and a great use of the space xxx
It's a win/win/win! :-)
Caigua pronounced kai-wa (Cyclanthera pedata) according to my seed catalogue here in NZ. Traditionally used to reduce blood cholesterol and high blood pressure. Used in summer salads with a pleasant cucumber taste! I might have to try it but heaven knows where I would plant it
Ooooh, plant it! It doesn't take up much space (soil space)......just needs a fence or teepee to sprawl over. :-)
Really interesting Vivi - brabe experiment. Glad it worked out.
Thank you lovely.....I couldn't put my finger o the taste at the time but after eating lots more I would say the immature pods are quite like cucumber and the mature ones like sweet peppers. 😊
Vivi just looked up achocha and saw that you can marinate them in italian dressing then grill. You can also eat them raw with ranch dip or stir fry as well. It is in the cucumber family. You can also juice them or use them in smoothies.
Thank you lovely.....I'm looking forward to having them lots of different ways next year. :-)
Interesting! I’m glad it turned out well.
Hahaha - me too....and now I feel more brave to try lots of different ways with it. :-)
We!l done Vivi. 😀 I love trying different foods. They look a little like peppers when you cut them open might try them next year growing up my fence. Take care.
Oh yes do give them a go......so easy to grow and such pretty leaves. :-)
Lovely looking curry vivi ...... i could watch you cook all day , i love your enthusiasm 😊 x
Aww, thank you Emma. :-)
Hi Vivi, I have just read the link from the previous comment and it states the achocha plant helps lower cholesterol levels too! Another good reason to grow from seed next year. Interesting!
Fantastic. The more I read about them the more I want them. ;-)
I love trying new foods, too. This year I tried a couple of Asian veggies for the first time. Bitter Melon- yuck, double yuck, and Fuzzy Melon-delicious, delicious, delicious. And I should say, the bitter melon was so interesting looking I really wanted to like it. Oh, well. I may have to try the Achocha next season. :}
To help take a lot of the bitterness out, you rub with salt and let it sit for ten minutes,rinse and use. It helps a lot! I tried it this year...
Hahaha - I guess we have to go through a bit of yuck (even double yuck!) before we find the delicious. Go on you for having a go and experimenting. :-)
Lovely seed
Aren't they gorgeous!? Dangling so tantalisingly...... :-)
Heyyyyy Vivi..I’m playing catch up. I’m glad you’re getting Fall temps there. It’s still boiling here in Tennessee. It’s supposed to be in the mid 90’s all this week. I’ve never seen that little new veggie you’re cooking. Very interesting little jewel. Soup soup soup is my favorite food. Your recipe looks delicious. Since their hollow..I bet they would be good stuffed with a delicious cheese. Love trying new things! ✌🏼❤️& Happy Cooking
I just watched that myself, it did look good.
Ugh, so hot where you are still! I think I will try them stuffed......I'm thinking a rice mix......and maybe a cheeses sauce over the top then baked...... :-)
What Vivi did next Ohhhhh that sounds perfect!😋
Yay, I've been looking forward to this one Vivi!
Cheers lovely. :-)
Speaking of things going out of date, I went to make some bread (impulsively) yesterday, then subsequently checked the use by date of the yeast, clearly remembering buying it for just such an occasion. It expired in 2011.
Hahahahaha - sounds like my cupboards! ;-)
I would also add turmeric, cumin, and coriander powders, they all go great with curry, even some paprika too!
Absolutely......they were all in the curry powder. I love 'em! :-)
I've been really looking forward to this one. And, you did us proud! (I think it might be a case of I'm bravest, you go first.)
Have you tried the young ones raw? I think it will look lovely growing on your new fence. Perhaps one for the calendar next year.
Thank you so much for sharing memories of sunny days while it's pouring down outside. Enjoy!
Definitely going to grow it again next year....such a lovely plant......and now I feel braver about eating it! ;-)
It snowed here in Edmonton, Canada today even though it's not nearly time for that nonsense yet. The organic community farm I run worked very hard to get all the tender crops in before they got ruined. I miss summer already!
SNOW!!!!! You're kidding!!!
What on earth!!!!! Oh lorks.......I hope you managed to save the tender stuff. :-)
Glad you survived ;) yay for you, I do love to try out new dishes too and love the ones most that are from scratch and self invented. Well done!!
Over here it's wet and dreary so perfect to work the harvest away, I've some pumpkins that I'll put into the slow cooker to make puree/mash to put into the freezer, I've patty pans, gurkins, napa cabbages for making kimchi and so on. So I've to kick myself in to gear now and start cutting the napa cabbage first so it can be set aside with salt to extract some of the liquid. But first things needed to be done first and that was watching your video. Thank you so much for sharing, it's so inspiring to just try things out and now I'm curious if I can find me some seeds for achocha's I'm sure I can find it. I found also on Wikipedia the link to that plant it's Cyclanthera pedata en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclanthera_pedata Wishing you an awesome sunday with lots of fun and joy in all you do xoxo. Vleer.
Yay - happy kitchen time to you lovely! :-)
Wonder if the young ones could be chopped up raw and added to salads? Might be worth a try!
Apparently so.......I'm going to try some this way. :-)
looks lovely
I was delighted how well it turned out......scoffed the lot in minutes! ;-)
I am not a 100% sure. I think i grew them before and snacked on them during summer by eating them while they were basically olive sized. Like miniature crunchy cucumber
I am definitely going to be more brave with them next year and try some raw as a snack like you did. :-)
I think you would have to make it again WITHOUT the Achocha to really see what the difference is. If nothing else use like you said, like a treat. Plus you can always raise it just to sell the seeds if the are expensive.
Exactly. Cheers Karl. :-)
Well done Vivi, a braver woman than me lol, I was having kittens when you tried it, thank heavens you liked it, yaaaay 😁👍
Oh it was such a pleasant surprise......I'm kind of kicking myself now for not trying it sooner and getting a bigger harvest in. :-)
Never mind, next year you can go to town and grow loads. Well done Vivi😁👍👏👏👏
I have cooked achocha it has a bit of a cucumber flavour i cut mine nearly in half from the pointy end scooped out the seeds and membrane then stuffed with sauted veg layered on a dish then covered with a cheese sauce and baked delish 😃 i think it would be good with a garlicky tomato based sauce too or ricotta and tomato sauce layered mmmmmm
Ooooooh, that sounds so good! :-)
Sounds nice. I'm thinking maybe tried with parsnip or turnip maybe cauliflower or broccoli they are always quite nice in a curry especially cauliflower.
Oh I love cauliflower in curry......but I find them impossible to grow so I haven't had one for years..... :-)
I’ve been waiting for this. My fingers are crossed that you enjoy it. It’s a plant domesticated/cultivated by the Inca, I thought it was mildly cucumber crossed with a mild pepper? I only had it raw.
I couldn't put my finger on it at the time but....yes, definitely pepper! :-)
I have grown them and they grew well here but I found them tough and a lot of work for something that I really didn't like that much, I would rather grow cucumbers and squash, although my squash did terrible this year. I did get a few Cinderella pumpkins but not much else
My thoughts too.....but it is a lovely plant to cover the fence.......so I reckon I'll do it again. :-)
I was nervous too! This year I had the variety 'Fat Baby" which is an odd spiny looking one, self sown from compost I made last year. I do not really like it, reminds me of green pepper/cucumber but since it is great to look at and takes up no space when grown vertically,
I will probably grow it again as it is supposedly VERY good for one. In time I may like it. If the fruits are really young there is no need to take out the seeds, especially of Fat Baby.
I have the Fat Baby variety as well! I will be growing come spring. Any advice?
@@TheChristinaJo Rampant grower! No special care needed! One plant, which I did not intend to grow, has produced dozens of fruits. Have learned that if weather is too dry they pause in their growth until rain! Perhaps if I had watered sooner may have had crop earlier.
My thoughts too! It's a beautiful plant, takes up no space......might as well try to learn to love eating it! ;-)
Great video, hope you have fun at malvern 💗
Cheers Debbie. :-)
That recipe looks really delicious : )
I was very pleasantly surprised! Oooh, it was good. :-)
Hmm what about eating them with the seeds. Like cutting them into quarters n chucking them in. I wonder how the seeds taste... I dont deseed my winter squash... Hmmm. Ill see what can find
I wonder too.....especially with the really young ones. I need to find out if the seeds are gastro nasty! ;-)
Vivi, I wonder if you could roast the achocha with a little olive oil, garlic and salt/pepper. Then maybe add it to a salad.
I'm thinking this too......might try baking/roasting a few with a stuffing/sauce...... :-)
I haven't watched your harvest video yet, is it a type of pepper? In looks that is what it reminds me of. I found a recipe for cucumber muffins and plan on making them today. Your soup does look really good.
It's a member of the cucumber family......but once cooked it did remind me of peppers. T'was lovely. :-)
Worst scenario , hand them out at Halloween, Lol.
I would ask …..is it easy to grow, volume of fruit compared to space used, is there something youd like better, that is easier to grow, gives you higher yield or is better tasting. Maybe youd like to start some sweet potato slips this winter, the leaves are edible, lovely climbing vines and pot them up in those grow bags for late harvest tubers.
Sadly sweet potatoes do not do well here.....ach, I wish they did! I'll certainly grow the achocha again because it takes up so little space and gives some lovely green covering to my fence......and now I know how good it tastes I'll be making much more of the harvests. :-)
Look up "Suburban Homestead". He grows and explains Achocha. Also a recipe. I think He's from Bolivia.
He calls it the Bolivian cucumber. Hope this helps!
Fab - thank you. :-)
Wonder if it is worth dehydrating or freezing?
I may have a go at freezing a few to see how they do. :-)
Hi Vivi! Do you have a video on how to make veggie stock? Thank you
I haven't done one no........but it's really quite straight forward......I simmer whatever veggie bits I have for about 20 minutes, strain and go! I often use thinnings in the early summer......so fennel, carrots, leeks etc......usually a stalk or two of celery.....often the scraps of onions. Have a go. :-)
Do you have any younger achocha without developed seeds that don't need to be pre prepared? Perhaps they need to be picked earlier.
I wonder that too......I will certainly have a go with a few younger ones. :-)
You might be able to scrape the seeds out with a spoon.
I shall definitely try that next time.....hahaha, what a fiddle. :-)
Information from a seed supplier. If they are small the seeds are easily edible.
Uses
In Central and South America the fruits are eaten either raw or cooked after removal of the seeds. They are also prepared as stuffed peppers; stuffed with meat, fish or cheese and then baked or fresh.
Medical studies in Peru have shown that achocha can lower cholesterol levels. In herbal medicine a tea from the seeds is used for controlling high blood pressure. The seeds and/or the fruits are also recommended for gastrointestinal disorders. The leaves are considered hypoglycemic and prepared in a decoction for diabetes. The fruits are boiled in milk and gargled for tonsillitis. The fruit juice is also recommended for high cholesterol, hypertension, tonsillitis, arteriosclerosis, circulatory problems, diabetes and as a diuretic. The fruit and/or the leaves are boiled in olive oil and used externally as a topical anti-inflammatory and analgesic. The roots are used to clean the teeth.
Harvest
When fruit is 2" long; harvest regularly to encourage production.
Ooooh, thank you so much. I'll definitely be growing them again next year and am looking forward to trying lots more dishes with them. :-)
You can make achocha jam
Fab. Thank you. :-)
Yum yum doll 🤤😋...hugs 👌😁🤗x
Cheers lovely. :-)
Rain ☔️
Too much. ;-)
They don't really expire. The dates are best by dates. Generally, you can't taste the difference. If it hasn't bulged it is still ok to use. Open the can and smell.
I'm sure you're right.......it just amased me that I had a can which was out of date.......made me realise how long I have been self-sufficient in tomatoes..... :-)
Would be easier to remove the seeds with a spoon.
Hahaha -definitely! ;-)
With your lovely seed packets and the cost of seeds, you could put them on your shop. I'd rather buy them from you.
What a good idea.
It's something I'm looking into. ;-)
Hey Vivi 🙋 i got cut off on your last video due to the weather so i didnt finish my comments lol...😡😉 heres what i found. don’t be nervous lol, there supposed to be great 👍..keep your achocha vines harvested (before the fruit matures past the green stage) so that they will stay productive. A well maintained achocha plant will be prolific until frost. Cooked achocha tastes less like cucumbers and more like a mixture of artichokes, beans, and green peppers. Tender vine shoots (with leaves, flowers, and tendrils) are eaten raw, sauteed, or stir-fried. Mature achocha can be sliced onto pizza, mixed into curries, breaded and fried, or substituted in any recipe that calls for cooked green peppers. peru-recipes.com/2008/08/ajiaco-de-caiguas-caigua-ajiaco and you will find more recipes doll 👍😁 right i will now watch you cook lol...hugs 🤗🌻👩🏼🌾x
gabriella kadar I will have a look again after dinner 😁
gabriella kadar gabriella, try this whilst i search that other one lol..... urbanvegpatch.blogspot.com/2015/11/how-to-preserve-abundance-of-achocha.html
I couldn't put my finger on the taste at the time of trying it.....but, yes, it's definitely like peppers.....lovely addition. I think I may have left it a bit late to do any serious harvesting (that'll teach me to be braver sooner!) but am certainly going to grow it again next year and have loads more experiments with it. I hope your weather has chilled it's boots a bit by now! ;-)
Ok vivi, if that link doesn’t work then i have given another one to gabriella below...and try this one also.. www.onecommunityglobal.org/achochas/ 😁
gabriella kadar ha ha Gabriella...I always grow amaranth and the vid, (“A wee natter with Clarice, part 1) I have just mentioned the callaloo lol 😆😁...hugs doll 🤗👩🌾💐x
Fabulous lovely - thank you! :-)
Have you seen these recipes? At the bottom of the webpage.
www.appalachianfeet.com/2010/12/13/how-to-grow-and-use-achochacaigua-a-problem-free-cucumber-substitute-wrecipes/
Ooooh, no.......thank you......I've bookmarked it! :-)
Suburban homestead has made achocha pie, i tried it last year and was really nice. If you have more achochas left to harvest, i really recommend you to try his recipe as well: ruclips.net/video/x0V6ZgRFHPI/видео.html
Oooooh, thank you! :-)