Lesson 6.4.0 BITTER MELON - Momordica charantia
FOOD FOREST COURSE
BITTER MELON - Momordica charantia
Bitter melon
originated in either China or India and is widely cultivated throughout Southeast
Asia. It is a member of the cucurbit family, and it is known as balsam pear or
bitter gourd. The fruit is used only at its very immature stage, because when
it reaches maturity, it becomes too bitter to eat due to the alkaloid memorising.
The bitter flavour can be reduced somewhat by parboiling and refreshing the
water in between cooking or soaking in salt water. The bitter flavour is very
much prized by the Asians, as they believe the fruits have many medicinal
properties.
The bitter melon
grows on a very attractive vine and is worth growing just for its looks. It is
fast growing and thrives in a damp and part sunny position. Male and female
flowers appear in profusion, and they need insects to pollinate them. The male
flowers make the first appearance, and they open up at sunrise to remain viable
for only one day. They usually exceed the female flowers by 25 to 1. When the
immature fruits appear, they are a light green in colour with white flesh on
the inside. They have a knobbly appearance on the outside and look like nothing
else you’ve ever seen. Don’t leave the
fruit on the vine too long as they ripen quite quickly, and you would have
missed the opportunity to eat it. The fruit will turn a yellow colour then turn
orange and then it will split open to reveal a bright red placenta to which the
seeds are attached. There are quite a few varieties around including green and
white bitter melon. They all need to be eaten in the very young stage.
Text from the roots, Elisabeth Ferkonia (Aus.) PDC
studied with Bill Mollison:
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