Cucumber - Achocha
I got these seeds from a trade. Achocha goes by many names. Just a few include Bolivian cucumber, stuffing cucumber, caihua, caigua, cayua, alochoto, pinyin, achokcha, achogchain, korila, and kichipoktho. It's an ancient fruit originating from the Andes Mountains in South America and was used by the Incan people not just as a food, but it was even depicted in their art! It is now grown all over the world. There are many varieties of achocha available, but the two most often available in the US are "Fat Baby" (Cyclanthera brachystachya), a soft spined fruit, and "Lady's Slipper" (Cyclanthera pedata), a smooth fruit, borne in pairs (there is a third, Cyclanthera edata that I didn't find much information on and only one US source). The leaves are serrated and pointed, looking similar to marijuana leaves, but the achocha is an avid climber and will cover a trellis, fence, or arbor, growing 12-20 feet in a single season.
The thumb-sized fruits are produced prolifically. They are often eaten raw when small, and are cooked when they get bigger. When eaten small the seeds are immature and the entire fruit can be eaten. Once it matures, the seeds should be removed first. Seeds look like small pieces of bark and are brown to black in color. These fruits are versatile! Use them for cooking, stuffing, pickling, frying, juicing, or fresh eating. Have too many? They can be dehydrated, frozen, or canned as well!
The tiny flowers attract hover flies (serphid flies) which eat up aphids and thrips and other garden pests. They grow in sandy, loamy, or clay soils, as long as they don't get water-logged. Though they can pollinate themselves, it's best to have at least two plants to assure ample pollination. Harvest frequently to encourage the plant to keep producing. The achocha is virtually immune to the things that typically kill of other cucumbers, such as squash bugs, cucumber worms, vine borers, powdery mildew, and other fungal issues. If you're a seed saver, this variety will not cross pollinate with your other cucumbers, so no isolation or preventative measures are needed. Go ahead and just dry the mature seeds for planting next year.
60-70 days to maturity
The thumb-sized fruits are produced prolifically. They are often eaten raw when small, and are cooked when they get bigger. When eaten small the seeds are immature and the entire fruit can be eaten. Once it matures, the seeds should be removed first. Seeds look like small pieces of bark and are brown to black in color. These fruits are versatile! Use them for cooking, stuffing, pickling, frying, juicing, or fresh eating. Have too many? They can be dehydrated, frozen, or canned as well!
The tiny flowers attract hover flies (serphid flies) which eat up aphids and thrips and other garden pests. They grow in sandy, loamy, or clay soils, as long as they don't get water-logged. Though they can pollinate themselves, it's best to have at least two plants to assure ample pollination. Harvest frequently to encourage the plant to keep producing. The achocha is virtually immune to the things that typically kill of other cucumbers, such as squash bugs, cucumber worms, vine borers, powdery mildew, and other fungal issues. If you're a seed saver, this variety will not cross pollinate with your other cucumbers, so no isolation or preventative measures are needed. Go ahead and just dry the mature seeds for planting next year.
60-70 days to maturity