Giant Achocha Seeds

Giant Achocha Seeds - Cyclanthera pedata - Caigua

Cyclanthera pedata
Caigua

Annual
Full Sun
Germination Tested November 17, 2024: 100%

5 seeds per packet

$5.00 CAD

Sale Sold out

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Achocha or caigua is a vigorous annual vine in the cucumber family. The fruits can be eaten whole when young either raw or cooked, and stuffed and cooked when larger. This is a giant variety I sourced from Slovakia, which is excellent for stuffing. The spines on the fruit are soft and pliable, and some don't have spines at all.

When raw, achocha tastes like a fresh young cucumber, with hints of green pepper or green bean. They’re juicy and crunchy. Delicious! Try the young achochas in place of cucumber in this Smashed Asian Cucumber Salad recipe. They also shine in stir fries.

When the achochas grow larger and the seeds toughen, the inside becomes hollow and the seeds can easily be taken out. Try substituting giant achocha in stuffed pepper recipes. Here is a Peruvian "caigua rellenas" (stuffed achocha) recipe. Or slice them and add to stir fries. They also make an interesting container for cocktails- see photos. The achochas can be frozen, which may eliminate the need for blanching for stuffed achocha recipes.

The stage where the fruit is medium-sized is the most challenging to work with, because the seeds have toughened up and are still encased in pulp. More effort is required to hollow the achocha out with a spoon to remove the tough seeds. The bottom line: harvest the small or large fruits, not medium, for easy cooking!

Achocha grows quickly, and is almost immune to diseases and pests that affect other plants in the same family. They would make a fantastic living shade wall on a patio or garden nook because they grow so quickly. They usually don’t start setting fruit until later in the season, but will keep producing until frost. They shine in the garden after the cucumbers have slowed down.

Achocha was domesticated centuries ago in the Andes, but interestingly it’s no longer found growing wild there. It was an important crop to the Incas. Now it is widely grown and enjoyed in South and Central America, South Asia, and beyond.

Growing Instructions

Achocha can be started indoors, or direct sown once the soil has warmed up. Treat similarly to cucumbers.
For indoor planting I recommend sowing in seed starting mix, because I discovered they really didn't like to sprout in paper towel during my germination tests!
If starting indoors, note they do grow quite quickly so don't start them too early. 2-4 weeks before your planting out date is probably sufficient- for example start indoors mid April to early May for planting out mid-May. If you do start them really early indoors, have some stakes ready to put in their pots for them to climb up. Make sure you have a tall trellis for the plants to grow on outdoors as vines can grow over 12 feet long! They can also be allowed to sprawl on the ground, but fruits may be harder to find and harvest.

Shipping & Returns

We ship seeds via Canada Post within Canada for $6 to $8 depending on weight, United States for $20, and Internationally for $20*. Live plants, bulbs, and bulbils can only be shipped within Canada.

Any shipping overages will be refunded.

Shipping in Canada

We ship seeds in Canada via regular letter mail, which is an untracked service, and usually takes 1-2 weeks to arrive once we fulfill your order. Larger bulbs and plants are sent via tracked flat rate box.

Shipping to the US

We now require all US shoppers to obtain a Small Lot Seed Permit before purchasing. It's free to apply and you will likely be granted the permit instantly. To apply:

Go to https://efile.aphis.usda.gov/s/
Select PPQ-587 in the dropdown menu and click "Get Started".
Login and follow the instructions to obtain a permit. You may list "Eligible Taxa" instead of listing all the species you'd like to import.
Once you receive your permit, email us a PDF copy, including the yellow/green coloured labels. Tell us if which USDA station you want us to send the seeds to. If not mentioned we will choose a random one. Also let us know your order number. Our email is grow@cicadaseeds.ca
We are not able to send any pepper or tomato seeds, or any bulbils due to restrictions.

After receiving your documentation, we will follow all requirements for mailing your seeds. We will ship via tracked parcel. Unfortunately we are not able to replace packages that are confiscated or destroyed by customs.

Shipping Internationally

International orders are usually shipped via untracked packet. The package will list the contents as "Garden Seeds". It is your responsibility to ensure you have the required import permit. Cicada Seeds will not be responsible for any orders held of confiscated by customs.

International shipping countries include: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom.

This list may change without notice. Sometimes Canada Post will not allow us to ship to certain countries due to wars or natural disasters, see this page for delivery service alerts: https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/our-company/news-and-media/service-alerts.page

Please reach out if your country is not on this list, email us and we will try to arrange an alternate shipping option.

If you have any issues with your order, please contact us within 60 days and we will do our best to make it right.

*Shipping fees listed here are in Canadian dollars.