[Madame Cholet]

what's it like to grow and eat please?

[BabbyAnn]

I think the description mentions the taste of melon or like a pepper when cooked, but I thought they were more like raw courgette/squash.  The pods look weird and cute with the soft bendy barbs.  They don't have a strong flavour and could be added to most cooked dishes.

As for growing ... well, slow at first - after my 2nd attempt to grow them I nearly gave up but then in August last year they put such a quick growth on, they turned into triffids with several side shoots and tendrils ready to grab hold of you     They were a talking point with the neighbours as they tried to escape their bed despite having canes to climb up.  I'd recommend erecting a net for them to cling on to and on a bed away from a main footpath.  They can grow up to 5 feet + tall and make a fantastic natural screen.  They are also a prolific crop and the 5 plants I grew was way too much.  Interestingly I got loads of self seeded plants this year from the pods that got missed - difficult to imagine why I struggled to get any to grow in 2010   

[Madame Cholet]

thanks I'm planning a rustic arch with 4 plants plenty to dehydrate.

[New shoot]

Don't buy seeds Rachel - I have loads of home saved ones so pm me your address  

Mine are slow to get going this year, because of the lousy weather, but are motoring now and small fruits are forming.  I grow them up canes and netting.  They grow like triffids as BabyAnn says and I just leave them to it, so they are no work really  

Last year I had loads and dried a few jars of them.  They do have a green pepper taste if allowed to get a bit bigger.  Real Seeds say harvest them very small and use the whole lot.  I found them a bit bland at that stage.  Once larger, you have to cut the seeds and pith off so you just have the outside skin and flesh, but the flavour is much more pronounced  

[8doubles]

IMO achocha is a weed, it grows like bindweed self seeds all over the place and to be honest is not very good to eat. You do not see it in the shops for a good reason.

Use the space to grow something tastier or prettier.

[Madame Cholet]

Anything that's easy and prolific i'll give ago always good for soup ratatouie ect. Can't grow peppers here with out a green house so anything similar will be good to have a try.
thanks all.