Achocha grown for the first time in our garden

Achocha can be a substitute for cucumber. Achocha (Cyclanthera pedata), also known as caigua, caihua, korila, slipper gourd, wild cucumber and stuffing cucumber, is a deciduous, vining edible in the cucurbit family. It is believed that achocha is native to certain regions of the Andes Mountains in Peru and Bolivia and was an important food crop to the Incas.

Several studies have found that achocha plants have beneficial medicinal properties for our health. In fact, every part of the achocha plant is said to have healing effects: for example, the leaves are used to make anti-inflammatory ointments, and drinking concoctions made from the fruit promotes blood purification and detoxification. Achocha seeds can also be ground into a tea that helps lower high blood pressure. The unusual gourd is also said to help with digestive issues and high cholesterol.

Achocha vines produce a fruit that looks somewhat like a pepper in cucumber skin. This fruit is long, maturing to 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm.) long, and tapers into a slight curve toward the end, giving it a “slipper” shape. The fruit is covered with soft cucumber like spines. When harvested immature, at about 2 to 3 inches (5-8 cm.) long, the fruit is very much like a cucumber with soft, edible seeds surrounded by light, fleshy, crisp pulp. Immature achocha fruit is eaten fresh like cucumber. When the fruit is left to mature, it becomes hollow and the flat, irregularly shaped seeds grow hard and black.

The seeds of mature achocha fruit are removed and the mature fruits are served stuffed like peppers or fried, sautéed, or baked in other dishes. Immature fruit is described as tasting like cucumber, whereas the cooked mature fruit has a bell pepper flavour.

The fruit are crisp and watery when raw, much like a cucumber/courgette cross, but really come into their own when fried, sautéed or baked, shrinking down and intensifying in flavour, until they taste almost identical to roast green peppers. Unlike green peppers, however, if you pick the right variety, they will happily grow outside. The plants are annuals and will be killed by a hard frost. stuffed with cheese and rice or quinoa and baked until golden. Utterly delicious.

If your achochas have grown too big for using in salads try stir frying them in the following recipe. Quick, easy and delicious!

Stir-fried achocha

· 12 Achocha, deseeded and sliced in four along their length

· 1 large aubergine sliced in strips length ways

· 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

· A thumb of root ginger, finely grated

· 2 tablespoons of oil

· Soy sauce

· Honey

· Sesame oil to taste

Fry the aubergine in hot oil until cooked. Remove and fry the achocha. Put to one side. Then fry the garlic and ginger for a couple of minutes and return the other vegetables to the pan/wok Add roughly a tablespoon of soy sauce, a tablespoon of mirin and a teaspoon of honey to taste and finish with a sprinkling of sesame oil.

Stuffed Achocha

· 12 achocha

· 100g Edam, Gouda or Emmental cheese cut into small cubes or grated

· 75g feta cheese, crumbled

· Tablespoon of fresh, chopped oregano

· 100g onion, fine diced

· 2 cloves garlic, mashed

· 20g butter (or olive oil)

Melt the butter in a pan, high heat and chuck the diced onions in – cook them off until they begin to colour.

Add the garlic and toss around for 30 secs, take off the heat.

In a bowl put both kinds of cheese, oregano & the onion/garlic mix.

Mash it all up together and taste it, add salt if it needs it (but the salty feta should make it just right)

Cut the achocha in half lengthways and remove the seeds and pith inside.

Stuff with the cheese mixture and bake in a 190C oven for about 10 minutes until the cheese is turning golden on top.

Remove from the oven, leave for a minute or two and transfer to a plate, make sure you scrape any cheese that’s overflowed back onto the achocha!

Achocha may also be dehydrated (sliced) for winter casseroles and risottos.