Any one know about achocha?

[zazen999]

Picked mine the day before yesterday, about 21 of them; with at least another 20+ on the plant and I assume more to come.

Will be either drowing in them [along with the courgette mountain] or adding to pretty much every dish over the next few weeks.....

[Rabidbun]

Mine haven't set fruit at all *shakes her fist at the resolutely cloudy sky* but grew quite well considering I have crowded them a little by planting two.

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

My achocha has set fruit but they are too immature to pick - prob be end of August and then I'll have a glut

[snohare]

Sound interesting. How do they store ? Are they freezable ?

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

I cut the achocha open, clean out the seeds and pith (type thingy) then pop them in the freezer. During winter I throw a handful into stews - really nice in chinese braised beef.

[tiby]

I had the seeds given to me by a kind grape here couple of years ago, grew two plants next to the conifer hedge and they did really well there without much care or attention.I tried making curry with them and loved the taste.

[Alison]

I was given some seeds (HSL originally I understand) and whilst the plant is looking healthy it's not producing anything. I'm growing it outside up an arch, should I have given it more heat?

[sbeneli]

I grew the Fat Baby variety this year, and it was my favorite of the things I grew. I've been saving the seeds from my best plant and have loads of them, if anybody is interested. (And I'd love to try out Caigua, if anybody is interested in some Fat Baby in return.)

The plants I grew at the allotment were fruiting in July, but the ones in containers in my back garden didn't start to produce until last week. I wasn't very diligent on feeding them, admittedly, but once I gave them some seaweed feed, suddenly there are fruits everywhere. :-)