BITTER MELON

[applestar]

OK OK I know there are members growing this vegetable (fruit?)

I haven’t commented before because I hated to admit I have never ever tried them before — eating nor growing

But such enthusiasm! I’m starting to think I might be missing something…. I get that aside from muggy humid fungal susceptibility, they are great in the hottest part of the summer season. Do they really taste good or are you all growing and eating them because they are good for you healthwise?

I was researching this season’s project of dedicated cucurbit pruning and styling, and came across this video for Bitter Melon which recommends pinching the main (parent) vine after 5~6 leaves and styling to 4 children vines. Explanation is that Bitter Melon doesn’t fruit well (also irregularly shaped fruits) on the main parent vine but is prolific on children and grandchildren vines.

I am AGAIN struck by the trellising frame (cucumber support frame) and netting (cucumber netting), which are apparently universally available and accepted gardening tools in Japan, but which I have not seen offered in the US market.

I had some hopes for the Tokyo Summer Olympics — after the Winter Olympics in Japan, a whole slew of innovative products in Japan that I’d been reading about in magazines, etc. and been frustrated about availability entered the US market. Maybe these will be enjoying that effect? (Tomato spiral stakes which our European gardening friends had been using for years became available to the US gardeners after the Olympics in Europe)

The COVID restrictions and limited spectators may dampen exposure to such interesting conveniences if the Olympic folks are not gardeners….


ゴーヤをたくさん収穫する方法　子づる４本仕立て　誘引のやり方　20/6/3

How to grow a bountiful Bitter Melon harvest — Vertically Style to 4 Children Vines and Guide/Direct 6/3/2020

[pepperhead212]

apple, I have two bitter melon plants this year, that are the Chinese or Thai type, even though I got them from Seeds Of India. Here is the variety:
https://www.seedsofindia.com/item/Bitte ... yonara-189

The bitterness is milder than the Indian varieties. The white one I grew last year from Baker Creek was even milder, but not as productive, and the rest of the seeds did not germinate this year. They are all slow to sprout, and I always start more than I need. It is slow, at first, but once it starts going up the trellis, it takes off! And usually only 50 days from transplant until first harvest.

It is growing very well, and is much more resistant to diseases than some of the varieties I have tried before. Even with this year's super humid weather, there is almost no apparent disease, while some varieties were were almost totally wiped out by something - like some tomatoes. The lower leaves are starting to turning yellow, but I just have to trim them, like with the bottle gourds. I have them in SIPs, growing on a trellis, and I let them grow to the top - 5 feet - then pinch it off, with a large number of side shoots. I try to keep those under control, but it's like indeterminate tomatoes - impossible to pinch off all those suckers!

These are producing very well, and I harvest them smallish - around 8", though they say they get to 15".
They produce constantly, with a couple on each plant growing fairly fast, with a number of very small ones at all times, and as soon as I harvest the larger ones, a couple take over and grow quickly. Something that happens eventually, is that they start ripening - turning red, but much smaller. I think it might be a length of day issue, with some starting earlier than others. I've never planted one in the middle of the summer, to see if it's an age thing instead, and they will produce normally in the later summer.

Most of the dishes I use them in they are just one ingredient in, to add that flavor, like those bitter eggplants in Thai curry. But I've also made some chutneys with them, as well as pickles - something that I'll have to make soon, to use all these up! There are many interesting Indian recipes I want to try - just haven't gotten around to them yet.

I use these pepper bags from Aldi's, to store these. These are not something you'll find at Aldi's!
Bitter mellons, 2 more harvested on 7-17. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[imafan26]

Bitter melon is a weed in my yard. They are very healthy and do have benefits in helping with diabetes in lowering blood sugar. However, if you eat too much sugar in the first place, it won't work.

The long Chinese bitter melon is not as bitter as the smaller Indian or wild bitter melon.
They are bitter, but some people like that bitter flavor. A lot of Thai dishes have the four flavors salty, sour, bitter, and sweet. Bitter foods are often eaten along with citrus to offset fishy dishes.

The leaves are also edible. Young leaves can be blanched and used in soups.

The trick with cooking bitter melon is not to overcook or bruise the bitter melon. It is usually one of the last things you will put in a dish and after it is put in the dish, you shake the pot but do not stir it or you will damage the bitter melon and make it even more bitter.

[Gary350]

I have been wanting to try bitter melon but I have no clue how to, eat it, prepare it, cook it. The Korean lady at farmers market sells bitter melon, she speaks a little English with Korean accent so far I have only been able to understand park of what she say about eating bitter melon. I should buy a bitter melon and try it before I grow them. Wife will be interested if bitter melon lowers blood sugar. I have a low blood sugar problem I need to eat carbs & sugar to keep my blood sugar up bitter melon might make me worse. I will buy a bitter melon next Friday.

[pepperhead212]

My two plants pretty much stopped producing a while back, and I figured that was because the plant could simply not support all those vines! So about a week ago, I just pulled about 3/4 of the vines off, as well as all those old larger leaves - sort of like trimming tomatoes, or cucumbers. And today, I saw a new fruit, about 4" long, which developed during this intense heat we've been having, so it wasn't the heat that held them back! I'll find out if it ripens quickly, like some late varieties have done in the past.