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Post by heavyhitterokra on Jul 13, 2016 17:57:42 GMT -6
My bitter melon vines are topping my 6' foot chain link fence, and have blooms all over them. I'm looking forward to the first fruit, but so far, nothing bigger than a pea has developed. I think most of the first blooms might be the male blooms?
I've really enjoyed growing them. They'd probably grow a lot faster, if I'd stop using the leaves for tea, but I guess that's half the reason I'm growing them in the first place. I drink at least two cups of it per day.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Jul 17, 2016 7:49:06 GMT -6
To make bitter melon leaf tea; prepared from freshly harvested leaves:
I've been bringing my 2 cups of water to a rolling boil, then dropping in 5 freshly picked bitter melon leaves. I leave the leaves to continue boiling for 5 more minutes, before I turn off the flame. I then let them steep and cool, about half an hour, before drinking the tea.
After Glen and I talked about methods of preparing tea yesterday, I've rethought how I might approach that differently.
If I were preparing tea from dried herbs, I would boil the water first, then turn off the flame, and place my herb ball in the pot of hot (but no longer boiling water). I would let that steep for at lest 5 minutes, then pour it into a cup, and drink it hot.
This morning, I have prepared my freshly harvested bitter melon leaves the in the same way I would, if I were using dry herbs.
They are still steeping right now, so it will be a few minutes, before I get to taste the results.
Maybe, this new method will help preserve some of the volatile oils, and hamper the vitamins less?
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Jul 17, 2016 14:50:10 GMT -6
Same great taste, but only half the calories!
Just kidding...
Either of the two above mentioned methods of brewing the tea will work. I can't tell any difference in the quality of the finished product.
I would be guessing though, that the herbal tea brewing method, of dropping bitter melon leaves into hot, but no longer boiling water, would be less destructive to any vitamins that might be available to the consumer of this tea.
Plus, it is a lot easier to brew this way, as you don't have to time the boil. You just drop your leaves into the pot of boiling water and turn off the flame immediately. You let the tea steep until it's cool enough to drink, and it's good.
I've been drinking this brew all day long with no noticed side effects.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Jul 26, 2016 12:23:08 GMT -6
I found a fat bitter melon this morning about 3" inches long, and maybe 3/4" of an inch in diameter. The withered bloom was still attached. That's the third one I've found this week. It won't be long now, until I'll have one big enough to eat.
My hog cut one of the vines that was growing on the wrong side of the fence. It was about 8 feet long, so I pulled it out of the fence, and cut it up into pieces about 6" inches long with two leaves on each piece. Then I spread it out on a cookie sheet and put it in my oven with the pilot light that never goes out. Within 24 hours it was dehydrated and ready to store away for this Winter's tea.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Aug 15, 2016 21:14:50 GMT -6
Glen,
My first bitter melon went to seed this morning... Spectacular color!
My Wife loved the seed pulp. She said it would be worth growing just for the orange pod.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Aug 26, 2016 12:46:32 GMT -6
Glen,
I should have plenty of bitter melon seed soon. I picked my third ripe fruit for the season just this morning. Next year, I think I'll try starting some in pots to be transplanted, so they get an earlier start. According to what I've read about growing bitter melon in Oklahoma, they are right on schedule with what one should expect when direct sowing the seeds into the garden.
They have been an enjoyable plant to grow, with little trouble beyond the fact that they need to be watered regularly during our severe Oklahoma heat.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Aug 29, 2016 11:13:39 GMT -6
Glen, I have another ripe bitter melon this morning!
The Wife and kids love the sweet red seeds, and so do the birds! One of them opened this morning without me seeing it in time, and by 11:00 am the seeds were all gone!
I noticed a few new green fruits emerging from the runners too. I guess they need to be picked heavily in order to produce more?
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Post by glen on Sept 28, 2016 16:54:57 GMT -6
This is just a reminder that this fruit is the best medicine for a sick stomach you can find for free anywhere!! I have had travelors illness. Or, Montezuma's Revenge. Or, what ever you want to call sick stomach lately, along with food poison type symptoms. Use the fruits if you have it and juice it. Chop up the bittermelons into chunks. Scoop out the seeds if you want. I don't think it matters. Add some water to your blender and throw in the chunks as much as you can and puree it. I add a pinch of salt. If you are doing this because you are sick you probably need a little salt. Puree it and add more water if needed or more chunks of bittermelon if needed. I use a big pot and a sieve and pour the mixture thru the sieve. Pour the juice into a pitcher. Drink some in the morning and some in the evening. Do this for as many days as you want. It will give you quick relief. Good for diahrea, upset stomach, acid reflux etc. This stuff will clean out your system and stop flatulence also. They even say it will kill worms but I wouldn't know if it really does that or not. Folks if you got IBS, this stuff helps. If you get any type of stomach problem try this. If it doesn't help you it certainly won't hurt you. If it helps you got a real helpful remedy that doesn't cost much. I actually freeze bags of chunked up bittermelon so I have it during the months when I have no fresh fruits. It tastes bitter. So what? Drink it fast. Once it gets down where you need it you realize this stuff is your best friend. You will be telling your friends about this stuff.
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Post by glen on Sept 28, 2016 17:09:12 GMT -6
I am getting more fruits than Ron is getting. My plants are over a year old and I am still getting a few. I have plenty of seed and will plant again in May, right before the rainy season starts. I get 10 to 20 big bittermelons a week on only a few plants. My plants will cover an entire tree if allowed to do so. They are the kings of my trellis. I let em rule because they are real helpers to me. Ron uses the leaves a lot because he does not get that many fruits. Bittermelon likes the tropical or semitropical climate the best. It can be grown in OK though. Ron is proof of that. The leaves are useful as well. I think the leaves have other medicinal property's. I don't use them that much because of the prolific production of melons that I enjoy. I mean I have to give em away when they are really coming in. Fruits are more effective for stomach ailments in my humble opinion. But, the leaves are also very nutricious consumed in tea. And, are full of vitamins and compounds that are useful to us as well. Even the roots of this plant have special property's that natural healers use and prescribe. The entire plant is consumable. It is said that the leaf tea is very good at preventing and controlling type 2 diabetes. I cannot vouch for this but it is talked about quite abit online. I can only vouch for the medicinal quality's of the fruit juice in treating stomach ailments. I can vouch for its affectiveness for that. A super tonic.
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Post by glen on Oct 29, 2016 19:46:16 GMT -6
It is Oct 29th and I am still cutting many many fruits. I had stopped using the melons for awhile. Now I am back at it. I had forgotten how well I feel when I am drinking the juice. I have IBS I believe. Or, a very sensitive stomach. I am embarrassed to go into much detail of what it is like to have IBS. Except to say that if you have IBS, drinking the bittermelon juice makes you feel like you are cured. At least for the time you are drinking the juice. If you stop drinking bittermelon juice, the symptoms will return. Sometimes slowly but whatever. The juice is not a cure. It does provide relief though. I really don't know of any other medicine that Works as good. There is no cure for IBS that I know of. Its just something that if you have it, you live with it. Forever. Doctors didn't even recognize this problema as a medical condition for many years. At any rate, if you got this problema, its worth trying bittermelon juice just to see if it helps. Its not a miracle cure, but you might think its almost a miracle. Hopefully. No promises. It Works very well for me. Also, I have also had good reports on how it helps those of us that suffer from Chronic Gastritus also. Best thing to do is to try this stuff. See if Works. Bittermelon juice is an excellent tonic even if you don't really need it. Full of vitamins and healthful compounds. And, its so easy to grow and its practically free. Its a must have veggy for the spring garden.
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Post by glen on Nov 1, 2016 14:38:33 GMT -6
Today I really picked a bunch of bittermelons. The fruits I am getting now are small. I had about 12 in the kitchen this morning and I used 9 to make a half gallon pitcher of juice. I was lazy so I didn't scoop out the seeds. I just cut them long ways and then chunked them out seeds and all and threw them in the blender. I added filtered water. I just blended them up into a fine puree, poured the stuff thru a sieve. It actually took two times to puree the whole bunch of fruits. After straining the mixture I poured it into a pitcher and added more water and stirred it up after the pitcher was full. Real green bittermelon does not have a whole lot of water in them. You need to add quite a bit of good drinking water to this recipe to make a half gallon which is quite a bit of juice. This will last me and my girlfriend a couple of days. Its addictive. Feeling good is addictive.
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Post by glen on Nov 1, 2016 14:57:46 GMT -6
I am not sure who is reading this thread but I am happy to have a few readers and I hope someone is benefiting from the information. If you have comments to share with us they are surely welcome and remember, you do not have to be a member of this forum to chime in and sound off. I am not an expert on bittermelon. All of us would appreciate any additional information. As you know, I feel that since bittermelon is not part of US culinary tradition that the best way to consume it is by juicing it. In the East and in different cultures around the world bittermelon is used as a normal vegetable in the kitchen. I can't get the hang of that. Thats just me. Again, thanx for reading and please comment if you would like. Bittermelon is awesome.
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Post by macmex on Nov 2, 2016 2:19:41 GMT -6
I'm reading it! I misplaced my seed this spring, and didn't get it in. But in 2017 I fully intend to grow bitter melon!
George
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Nov 2, 2016 20:01:18 GMT -6
George,
I've got lots of bitter melon seeds saved from this Summer if you ever need any. Two more went to seed just today, but ants got to the sweet red seed cover before I did, so I just laid them on the ground until next Spring.
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Post by glen on Nov 2, 2016 20:29:28 GMT -6
I am very pleased to have Ron onboard and George as a future, potential convert. I was able to plant more seed today along my fence. We have stable temps year around here in Panama so we can grow bittermelon anytime. The only problem for me will be lack of moisture starting sometime in December. As far as Ron goes. I suggest that you seek a better variety of bittermelon for Oklahoma. I have checked online and there are many different variety's of bittermelon. You might find a variety that is better suited to Oklahoma. Which most likely would be an earlier yeilding variety. Now, I need to talk to Ron more since he has experience now with growing bittermelon. However, an ideal variety would bear fruit in about 60 days and keep producing fruits until frost comes and kills the vines. I am not sure how long it took Ron to see his first fruit. Only a few plants are needed though. Germination can be spotty, sometimes its only 50% so plant at least 3 seeds in each spot near a fence of course. After all, its called the pharmacy on the fence. So easy to grow too.
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