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Post by glen on Sept 16, 2017 15:23:41 GMT -6
I planted a bunch more seeds this morning out along the fence behind my green house. I just picked three spots and weeded the area, broke up the soil a bit and planted 4 seeds in each spot. I did this three times. If you have a lot of seed, use it. Germination rates can be hit or miss. Use the seed. When you get a vine, save lots of seed. That way you can afford to use a lot of seed and give a lot of it away also. Germination rates can be a pain in the butte with Bittermelon. Sometimes they come up nicely. Sometimes not. Also, you may see volunteers in your yard after growing bittermelon. You can dig up the volunteers and transplant them somewhere else but its not really ideal for this plant. They don't like anyone digging them up. But, if thats all you have, its worth a try. I have a few volunteers in the yard now but I really don't want to have to try and transplant them. Like I said, bittermelon likes ground that is amended with organic material and the ph should be about neutral. However, you can grow it in lousy ground also. No ground is lousier than mine and I can grow bittermelon.
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Post by glen on Sept 16, 2017 15:26:50 GMT -6
Ron, you have revived my interest in bittermelon. I kind of forgot about them. I appreciate that. You have kept this thread alive and hopefully I will be back in the game fairly soon with new vines.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Sept 18, 2017 9:05:21 GMT -6
I just now drank two cups of bitter melon tea that I made from bitter melon leaves and Roselle calyces this morning. Plus, I harvested another ripe fruit for seeds. My family likes eating the pulp; I like seeing the bright colors. The bright orange flesh and bright red seed pulp really are a 'feel good' thing to see early in the morning.
Thanks, Glen, for the seeds!
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Sept 18, 2017 9:14:31 GMT -6
I was just now reading page 6 of your bitter melon thread: George, bittermelon likes heat. They are in the same family as the cucurbits. Like squash and pumpkin etc. They also like lots of sun. They like organic material mixed into the soil. They also like a neutral pH. Depending on the variety these vines need lots of room to spread out. The variety I sent to Oklahoma is a big vine. You only need one or 2 vines if you have a good one. They will produce hundreds of fruits. This is the recipe. It is said to be Philipino where they call this plant Ampalaya. However, they fix this recipe all over the world. Use 2 fruits. Cut them long ways and scoop out the pulp and seed. Chop up the halves. Saute them in a frying pan in some oil for a while. Then throw in some chopped onions, garlic, Italian tomato, and saute them until you like them. Use some salt. I like to use season salt. Season to your own taste then throw in 2 or 3 eggs and cook them in this mixture of bittermelon and veggys. If you are a novice you can peel the fruits to lessen the bitter taste. However, the skin is where a lot of the healthy compounds hide so when you develop a taste for the bitterness try to eat this without peeling. This dish will grow on you slowly. Once you like it forget about it. You will want to eat it again for breakfast. In the third world, eggs aren't just for breakfast. Also, try using this veggy in soups and stews. The problem generally is going to be that most US consumers are not acclimated to the taste so just try this for yourself. Don't experiment with guests. In my opinion, the best way to use this fruit without infringing on the delicate taste requirements of typical US consumers is to make juice out of the fruits. This way you can get the benefits of the fruits without expecting others to like it. Because they will not. It's sort of like trying to get someone to eat okra. They won't. The juice is easy to make. Just cut the fruits long ways and scoop out the pulp and seed. Chop them into chunks and then puree in the blender. With water. Add more water depending on how much you are pureeing. You will get the hang of it. The less water you add the stronger the juice is. Once it is pureed then strain it by pouring it thru a sieve. Remember to use shiny green fruits. There is nothing wrong with the ripe fruits for some people. I do not eat it ripe myself. The ripe fruit will ferment extremely quickly if you make juice out of it and it is much sweeter. I have read that the ripe fruit is toxic online but that is not correct. Bittermelon is not toxic. The juice, if made from shiny green fruits will last for 3 days in the fridge. Drink a cup in the morning and a cup in the evening. There is lots of potassium and vitamin c in this juice and its very medicinal and will give you a lot of energy. The fruits can be frozen also. Just cut them they way I said and put them in freezer bags and throw in the freezer. If you have any issues with your gut this juice will provide quick relief. Do you have flatulence? I hope not. However, if you do this juice stops it in its tracks. Diahrea? Upset stomach? Stops it in its tracks. Acid stomach? Stops it. If you are not sick, it keeps you from getting sick to your stomach. Cleans out your liver. Kills parasites. Slows the growth of certain cancer cells. Google it for self. Take the benefits I listed with a grain of salt and try this juice. Then, tell me what you think? *** I think George and I will have to try your bitter melon and tomato recipe as a side dish with our Jerusalem Artichoke stew this Autumn. If it can counter the flatulent effects of that stew we made, then it should be heralded around the world as a medical marvel!
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Post by macmex on Sept 19, 2017 6:02:35 GMT -6
Thanks Glen. My vine(s) don't seem to be thriving. But they are partly shaded. I will first make sure I have seed for the coming year, then I'll try this. I am quite interested!
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Post by glen on Sept 19, 2017 18:15:30 GMT -6
I asked Afrane in Ghana about bittermelon. He knows about this plant and says that it is used as medicine in Ghana. He did not say what they use it specifically for. However, we have a pretty good idea what it is used for already. It is used for many reasons above and beyond what I mentioned. I hate to mention all the different uses for this plant as a medicine because I do not know the actual value of it since I am not an herbalist or natural medicine expert. I do know that it is full of vitamins and minerals and is worth consuming. Just like all veggy's are worth consuming. Good food is actually very good medicine. When we take a vitamin pill do we actually know what is in the this vitamin? Nope. Chances are its just a sugar pill. When our diet is as good as we can make it we ensure that we are getting the vitamins and minerals we need. George, just plant it the same way you plant your cucumbers next time. Full sun if you have the space.
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Post by macmex on Sept 20, 2017 11:39:25 GMT -6
I will do that. Here are two pictures of what I found when I went out and looked yesterday afternoon. I suppose the second one got over ripe.
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Post by glen on Sept 20, 2017 21:33:16 GMT -6
It is time to cut those fruits and save the seeds. Some people like to suck off the red seed covering and spit the seeds out. I haven't tried this but it is said that the taste is sweet. Clean off the red seed coatings in running water. Only save the seeds with the nice golden color. Put the seeds on a dish and allow to completely dry before freezing. I would allow them a couple of weeks to dry fully. The internet says in some articles that the ripe fruit is toxic. I don't eat the ripe fruit because I don't like the taste. However, the ripe fruits are not toxic. You have to experiment with this fruit to find out the way you like to consume it. I recommend using shiny unripened fruits to make juice and drink that. There are other ways to use bittermelon. I have never grown any Hindu bittermelon so I am curious to hear how that juice is. Please try it and give us a review? Looks like there is a lot of seed? Oh, you do not have to wait until the fruits open. When the fruits are yellow or yellowish you can cut them open and extract the seeds. If you allow the fruits to open like this some of the seeds will fall out of the fruits and you will lose them.
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Post by glen on Sept 20, 2017 21:38:47 GMT -6
Oh, I forgot to say. If you prepare your soil the way you usually prepare your soil for cucumbers and grow the vine in full sun, you will get a lot of fruits. You will be surprised how many you can harvest. You won't know what to do with it. The variety I have will produce hundreds of fruits if grown well. If you grow it in less sun it just produces less. There are many variety's of bittermelon. The variety I have can get tremendously big, like a pumpkin vine almost. They can just grow and grow and take over a tree. They can be the king of the trellis if you give them sun, heat and some nitrogen along with that good soil. In fact, one good vine is really all you would ever need. My vines last a long time also, only dying usually when something kills them.
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Post by macmex on Sept 21, 2017 5:53:58 GMT -6
I picked a ripe fruit last night and broke it open. We spooned out the seeds, popping them into our mouths and cleaning them that way. I really liked the flavor, as did my wife. I think I'd grow them if not just for the ripe fruit. I like it! I'll try a green one, as you suggest.
Oh, I also broke off a piece of the golden fruit shell and tried it. It's bitter, but no where near as bitter as green.
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Post by glen on Sept 21, 2017 10:19:52 GMT -6
In the third world bittermelon grows wild and poor people gather it and eat it. It grows on fences. They love the seed coverings. As far as the bitter taste. I forgot the name of the chemical that bittermelon produces that makes the bitter taste. However, it is thought that the more bitter the fruits the more healthful the fruits are for us. I have read where people say that the hindu variety's are more bitter than the chino variety's there-fore, theoretically more healthful. There hasn't been much western style research done on the benefits of bittermelon since there isn't enough money to be made by using this fruit. Pharmaceutical company's do not want us to be aware of healthful things we can do for ourselves. They want us to be totally dependant on them so they can extract our money. Bittermelon is free for backyard gardeners. Free is a bad Word. There will never be any serious research done on bittermelon unless they can make a buck by doing so.
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Post by glen on Sept 23, 2017 10:13:20 GMT -6
This morning I noticed a few new bittermelon seeds had germinated. I think its been about a week. 2 or 3 out of 24 seeds! Not a very good germination rate but I will take it considering that the first time I tried this year no seeds germinated. I expect to see more late. Fresh seeds work better. I still don't know what is the formula for saving seeds. Dry them out totally and then seal them air tight in a zip lock bag is the only thing I can think of. I think having a nice big quantity of seeds is a good idea and then planting a lot of them when you plant gives you a better chance of having a few seedlings. I only need 1 or 2 vines myself if they are good ones.
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Post by glen on Oct 9, 2017 16:52:20 GMT -6
Ok, I am not happy with the germination rate of my bittermelon. However, I have enough to work with. Outside of the fence there are 3 spots where I planted seeds and there are 5 seedlings. The seedlings are now 6 inches tall after about a month. They start out slow. I have 2 pots inside the fence where I planted 16 seeds and only 1 has germinated. I ended up finding a volunteer in the yard and also one of the other seedlings I had from a different spot and transplanted them in one of the pots. The germination rate of bittermelon can be problematic. The seeds I used where fresh. I have read different strategy's for germinating the seed. Nicking it. Pouring boiling water on the seeds. Soaking the seed in water. And, others. I haven't tried all the suggested approaches. What I do is plant lots of seeds. And, I will dig up a volunteer if I have to also, which I did do. Bittermelon doesn't like to be transplanted. We want to direct seed bittermelon right where we want it to grow. If we can. I am going to have a big harvest this time around I think. Unless the goats find my plants. I don't think bittermelon is bitter or strong tasting enough to thwart thier appetite. My uncaring neighbor allows his 12 goats to roam the barrio. My fear is that eventually they will find my vines. Including my beloved bean vines as well. I just have to deal with it and try to keep calm. Once the vines get big, they will draw attention from the hungry goats. Bittermelons get real big. Today there was a big pile of plumeria or frangi-pangi outside and the goats found that and were feasting on it. I never thought they would eat it. Plumeria has this foul creamy juice in the leaves and branches. It didn't bother the goats one bit. I think goats will eat just about any plant.
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Post by glen on Oct 13, 2017 16:48:16 GMT -6
I have one plant in a 10 gallon pot that is now really taking off. It is about 18 inches tall now and has several nice branches that are ready to also start climbing. I have a feeling that this vine is going to be the King of the fence. If it is I can look forward to a really huuuuggge harvest. Bittermelon can grow as far as it has room to sprawl and the vine gets real thick near the ground where it starts out. I have seen them 4 or 5 inches in diameter and that is not a fish story either. They like nitrogen believe it or not. If they get it they will grow big. Last year I had one vine that took over this fruit tree. It grow way up the tree. I had to use a ladder to try and get all the fruits. I couldn't reach them even on a ladder using a metal rake to try and pull them down. The tree was so full of fruits on some days that it was just not worth bothering with them. After all, how many fruits do I need. They would just ripen and the seeds would scatter all over the yard and I would cut the seedlings down with the weed wacker. The vine stayed productive for a long time, until the tree fell down. We had so much rain during that time of year that the tree just fell. I cut the tree apart, cleaned up and the vine had to be destroyed. But, it wasn't done. The vines stay alive until something kills them. Which in this case was me. I hated to kill this vine as I had never seen so much bittermelon in my life. Some of the fruits were way over a lb. Many were close to a lb. And, hundreds were a half lb. I drank bittermelon juice every day.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Oct 22, 2017 18:47:58 GMT -6
Glen,
I finally stir-fried one of those big ole, fat, foot long, green bitter melons. I de-seeded it and fried it in butter with salt, pepper, and garlic for ten minutes. Next time, I think I'll try adding some chopped Roselle leaves to the mix. I think the sour Roselle would go well with the bitter taste. Onions might be good too.
I'll have to wait and see if it does anything good to me. My stomach was not feeling the best this evening, that's part of why I tried it. Maybe it'll help my guts feel better?
I don't know if it was just my imagination, but it seemed to unstuff my nose some as well. If it does half as much good for a guy as people claim, then, the benefits will way outweigh the bitterness.
I have a little miniature Shitzu dog, named "Chester" who follows me everywhere I go. He lives and breathes just to watch my every move. He was sitting and begging me to throw him a scrap the whole time I was cooking the bitter melon. When it was done, I slipped him a very small piece, not thinking he would eat it...
He lapped it up and begged for more. I only gave him one more piece, not knowing if it was good for dogs. Who knows why, but apparently, he loves fried bitter melon!
I'll have to read up on it to see if it's good for dogs to eat. If so, Chester will be very happy about that.
I can see how fried okra would pair well with bitter melon. Tonight, I tried it with smoked pork roast.
Thanks, Glen, for introducing us to new things.
easy picture upload
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