Some growers might think about when is bitter gourd ripe, what they can do about the fruit? The bitter gourd (bitter melon) is usually consume green. There are many dishes to cook with the bitter gourd that actually taste so good. The fruits of bitter gourd are bitter in taste but some people finds away to lessen the taste. Even the fruits are not sweet still its really good to eat them because they are nutritious. But what to do when the bitter gourd are already ripe?
When Is Bitter Gourd Ripe?
The growing of bitter gourd takes about 65-70 days. It takes a few months before the plants bear fruits. Starting from sowing the seeds, the plants will slowly grows and crawl. The vines of bitter gourd are a little bit thin compare to other vegetable vines. But it will grow wider as times goes by and eventually started to flowers and produce fruits.
When the flowers fall to the ground, the fruits will grow for around 8 to 10 days and becomes bigger. You can harvest them when they have enough length and size. If you want to consume them pick them when they are still green in color. Leaving them on the vines for few days will make them ripe. The bitter gourd fruits ripen fast so you need to monitor them. Harvest the bitter gourd fruits every two to three days.
A fully grown mature bitter gourd fruits can ripen for around 5 to 10 days. It will change its color from green to yellow. The ripe bitter gourd can still be consume and their are some dishes that you can try. The ripe fruits will change its color to yellow to a little bit orange and the inside of the fruit will have some red pulp and inside of those pulps the seeds can be found. The fruit will crack or split in the following days to come, during that time you can harvest the seeds. Knowing about when is bitter gourd ripe will give some informations on how long to wait to get those seeds.
How To Tell If Bitter Melon Is Ripe?
You can easily tell that the bitter melon is ripe when the fruit is color yellow. It’s common for the fruits to see it yellow when it ripen. There are many fruits in the world and they become yellow when mature just like mango and banana. The color of the fruit is one of the most common bases to tell if the bitter gourd is already ripe. Its usually being harvested when green in color and only rare times when its yellow.
The fruits will start to break after few days. They are very soft in texture and easy to split. There are many seeds can be found inside the fruit that are something surrounds with red coat. The bitter gourd have many uses whether its green or ripe. It can be consume ripe or green.
The green bitter gourd is more bitter than ripe one. The ripe fruit decreases its taste and some people likes to consume it when yellow. The yellow fruit will have soft texture and very easy to chew. If you are growing bitter gourd and there are lots of fruits, there are times that some of those fruits ripen. You can still consume them or maybe wait until they fully ripe to get and save seeds for the next planting season. Its great to know when is bitter gourd ripe especially for new growers.
Can You Eat Ripe Bitter Melon?
Yes, you can eat ripe bitter melon. The ripe fruit taste not so bitter compare to green one. They are also very soft to eat and chew. You can enjoy eating the cook dish. If you loves cooking you can try to make new experiment dish using the ripe bitter melon.
Can Over Ripe Bitter Gourd Be Eaten?
Yes, the over ripe bitter gourd can still be eaten. They will be softer and less bitter in taste. It’s still fun to consume even though they are fully ripe. They are not usually eaten raw instead they are being cook on the fire and consume. Some vegetables and meat can be mix to improve its taste.
But if you are not fun of eating ripe bitter gourd, you can just wait for those fruits to ripen fully and get those seeds inside. You can get few seeds inside which you can use for the next growing period. Those seeds can be use to grow more plants and they are viable and have the capability of germinating.
Executive Summary:
The bitter gourd ripens for around 5 to 10 days after the fruit reaches its maturity. The most common bases if the bitter gourd fruit is ripe, is when the fruit peel becomes color yellow. The ripe and over ripe bitter gourd can still be eaten.
