The great choko revival: Grandma was right all along

Hinterland Homesteading with Racheal Pascoe

A lot of us remember the rambling choko vine at Grandma’s house and how choko was served up, too many times. But maybe we could think about giving chokos a second chance? Now, I am certainly not a dooms day prepper, but I think it is a good idea to have as many edible plants growing around the garden as possible.

Chokos are super easy to grow in south east Queensland and they give so much back in the way of fruit. It turns out Grandma might have been onto something!

Choko goodness 

The dear old choko provides us with a great source of vitamin C, folate, potassium, manganese and amino acids. Who knew all of this goodness could come from a plain old choko?

How to grow a choko 

Buy yourself one from the fruit shop if you can’t get one from a gardening friend. Sit the choko on the kitchen windowsill for a few weeks and you will notice it start to sprout. When the choko has a good bit of growth on it, plant it in the ground. Just cover it with soil, leaving the stalk out and water it every other day. In no time at all it will grow, reach up and be looking for something to grow up.

Chokos ideally need a trellis to grow on, or they can even grow along a fence. The fruit is ripe when it is about the size of a large avocado and looks kind of filled out. Before long, you will have lots of chokos and be sharing with others. We grow them at home here and enjoy eating them, but our pet pig Freckles also likes them. She helps us out when we have an abundance. 

When to pick 

I think tiny little chokos are super cute. They remind me of Coles Miniatures! Just a perfect little version of the big fruit. Anyhow, the time to pick chokos is when they are about 7cm to 10cm long. The skin and fruit are still tender at this size. If you let the fruit grow to a whopping size, then it is all a bit tougher. 

How to eat choko 

Now, a choko by itself can be plain but if you incorporate it into dishes, you will be amazed as to how many ways you can serve it up. You will need to peel the choko first.

Steamed choko with butter and salt and pepper used to be the most common way of eating it.

Zucchini is kind of similar in that it is very plain in taste but can go along with other veggies to create a fabulous dish. Think of choko as being a bit like zucchini, whatever you pair it with, will add the flavour. 

Choko can be diced, grated, sliced, baked and added to soups. As we are all thinking of ways to feed ourselves and our pets more economically, maybe choko could be incorporated into your pet meals? Steamed and fed to the chickens, mixed in with other veggies for dog food etc. Of course, add it in moderation and observe your pets to make sure it agrees with them.

Our choko vine here at home has gone bonkers with flowers and tiny fruit. If you fancy growing choko at home, now is the perfect time to get one and make a start. Grandma would be super pleased to think chokos are having a revival!