Posted in Annual, Edible Landscape, Fertile Soil, Full Sun, Non-native: Human Edible Parts, Non-native: Medicinal, Part Shade, Subtropical Hot-humid Summer, Vine, Water: Moist to Average

Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia)

   

Widely cultivated as a food plant across the world, this plant certainly has a place in Duane’s World Garden. Bitter is a taste for which humans have a particular DNA gene. Yep! You’ve got it or you don’t. This plant can tell you without a DNA test whether you have it. I love bitter melon.

Pole Gardening: An isolated piling with wire fencing placed around and all the way up.
I discovered pole gardening quite by accident. Put a couple of vine plants at the base and let it go all the way up and starts coming down on itself. Works best with vines that grow to 20ish feet. A 100′ vine would go up, down and everywhere else.
Ripe fruit, green fruit (Generally Preferred for Cooking), deeply lobed leaves leaves. vine with tendrils, yellow blossoms.
Ripe / Leaves / Tendrils / Blossoms / Green (Generally Preferred for Cooking)

The attractive deeply lobed leaves are reported through world cultures to be used as a medicinal tea for diabetes. The orange ripeness signals to me that there are sweetish red seed coverings inside to be snacked upon. The green fruit of this plant is what is generally thought of as the crop. It is salted to remove the bitterness (for me it is not necessary). The green fruit can be pickled, fried, steamed probably other ways of cooking as well. For me, when I am in the garden, I take it and nibble across the bumpy skin like it is an ear of corn — uncooked. Yep, even the cultures that have grown up with this vegetable think I’ve gone bitter melon crazy. I’ve got the bitter gene!

The parts of the bitter melon (Momordica charantia) are displayed. The bitter fruit is a beautiful orange when ripe. The seeds and seed coat are covered in a wet sweet red fleshy sack. Also displayed are the deeply lobed leaves and curly tendrils attached to the vine.
For such a bitter vegetable, the red seed coatings are almost sweet.
The parts of the bitter melon (Momordica charantia) are displayed. The bitter fruit is a beautiful orange when ripe. The seeds and seed coat are covered in a wet sweet red fleshy sack. Also displayed are the deeply lobed leaves and curly tendrils attached to the vine.
I even wonder if there is a snack use for the seeds inside the seed coat? Caution: research is needed.
On the vine, the ripened fruit opens up and drops its seeds.
On the vine, the ripened fruit opens up and drops its seeds.

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Author: Duane Tant