Fat Tomato Achocha Lady's Slipper Seeds
Anthony sowing organic Irish garden seeds
Fat Tomato Achocha Lady's Slipper Seeds
Anthony sowing organic Irish garden seeds

Achocha Lady's Slipper Seeds

€4.00

Cyclanthera pedata

Achocha Lady’s Slippers is a fast-growing, vining plant native to the Andes of Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Also known as caigua, caihua, slipper gourd, wild cucumber, or Bolivian cucumber, it’s particularly well suited to cooler climates, making it an excellent choice for Irish gardens.

The vigorous vines produce small, green, lightly spiny fruits that resemble miniature cucumbers. Crisp and mildly sweet in flavour, achocha can be eaten raw, cooked, stuffed, or added to stir-fries and stews. Easy to grow and highly productive, it benefits from support and plenty of space to climb.

Average number of seeds: 4

Open-pollinated, chemical-free seeds. Grown and saved in Wexford, Ireland. We only grow and save seeds from plants that were started from certified organic seeds.

Each seed packet includes growing tips and cooking suggestions inside.

Cyclanthera pedata

Achocha Lady’s Slippers is a fast-growing, vining plant native to the Andes of Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Also known as caigua, caihua, slipper gourd, wild cucumber, or Bolivian cucumber, it’s particularly well suited to cooler climates, making it an excellent choice for Irish gardens.

The vigorous vines produce small, green, lightly spiny fruits that resemble miniature cucumbers. Crisp and mildly sweet in flavour, achocha can be eaten raw, cooked, stuffed, or added to stir-fries and stews. Easy to grow and highly productive, it benefits from support and plenty of space to climb.

Average number of seeds: 4

Open-pollinated, chemical-free seeds. Grown and saved in Wexford, Ireland. We only grow and save seeds from plants that were started from certified organic seeds.

Each seed packet includes growing tips and cooking suggestions inside.

  • To ensure the best germination, the temperature must be 18-20°C. Sow seeds 2.5 cm deep in small pots with peat-free compost. Once established, plant 50 cm apart undercover or outside from late May to avoid frosts. Grow them up a string or support them with bamboo.

    Sow indoors: March to May

    Plant out: May to July

    Harvesting time: August to October

    Check out our Grow & Cook section for more growing tips.

  • Achocha has a fresh, delicate flavour somewhere between cucumber and green pepper. Young fruits can be eaten raw in salads, thinly sliced, or lightly pickled. They’re also excellent sautéed, added to stir-fries, soups, and stews, or stuffed and baked in the traditional South American way.

    We love them quickly pan-fried in olive oil with garlic and herbs, or halved and filled with grains, cheese, or spiced vegetables.

    Check out our Grow & Cook section for more cooking ideas.

  • Check our frequently asked questions page for answers to all those questions you might have.

    If you have a specific question, feel free to reach out to us at hello@fattomato.ie