Fresh, organic bitter melons are available in September from Mair Farm-Taki at Columbia City and University District Seattle farmers markets. The bitter melon or bitter gourd is thought by many to be the bitterest vegetable. Yet, bitter melons are prized ingredients in India and throughout Southeast Asia. In the U.S., bitter melon is most often found in Asian restaurants and grocery stores.
What is it related to? Bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.) is a type of gourd in the cucumber family, Cucurbitaceae and a cousin to melons, squashes and cucumbers, which they resemble. Bitter melon is also known as balsam pear, ampalaya, ku gua or foo gwa in Chinese cuisine, karela in India, goya in Japan and various other names throughout the world.
When is it available? The peak season for bitter melons in Seattle farmers markets is September.
What does it look like? The bitter melon looks like a cucumber, being a long (5-12 inches) and slender (2-3 inches) white to medium green vegetable (botanically it is a fruit like the tomato that is eaten as a vegetable). Bitter melon varieties have smooth to ridged to very warty skin. While white and green fruits are prized for their bitter flavor, as they ripen bitter melons turn yellow to orange, decreasing the bitter qualities.
What portions do I eat? The seeds and fibrous or spongy core are removed and discarded, similar to the preparation of cucumbers or pumpkins. The edible portion is the remaining flesh and skin.
What does it taste like? Bitter melons taste like cucumbers and green peppers, being crunchy and watery; however the flavor of bitter melon is much more powerful with an extremely bitter finish that is sometimes compared to Guiness Stout.
What's the best way to store it? Fresh bitter melon is best stored in a paper in the vegetable bin or a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
How is it prepared? Cut the melon immediately before use and remove the seeds and fibrous core . To reduce the bitterness, you may wish to boil halves or slices in salted water for 2 to 3 minutes, drain and then use in recipes. Another way to reduce bitterness is to salt the seeded fruits generously, let it rest for 10 minutes, and then rinse and drain or pat dry. This salting technique is the same one often used in the preliminary preparation of eggplant. Finally, soaking bitter melon in vinegar has the same effect as on onions slices, by reducing pungent qualities.
How is it served? Bitter melon is popular stuffed, stir-fried and added to soups. Bitter melons are often stuffed with spiced meat, then baked or steamed and served with spicy curry or rich coconut sauce. Bitter melon combines well with other strong flavors or ingredients such as garlic, chili peppers and vinegar or pickled preparations. Bitter melon is also prepared in beverages and desserts, and acts as a palate cleanser and aid to digestion. To prepare a beverage, seed and slice the melon, puree with water, strain and add lime juice and sugar to taste.
What are some substitutes for it? In place of fresh bitter melon in recipes, try winter melon (another popular Asian vegetable) or look for canned bitter melon. Try substituting bitter melon in recipes calling for green peppers, cucumbers, okra, or zucchini or other summer squash.
Recipes to get you started
- Heaven-and-Earth Tempura Cakes from Epicurious
- Bitter Melon Pickle from DiabeticNetwork
- Quick Bitter Melon Pickle from Okinawa Reflections (blog)
- Bitter Melon Soup from Allrecipes.com
- Bitter Melon Omelet from Indonesia Eats (blog)
- Steamed Stuffed Bitter Melon from Food.com
- Pinakbet (stir-fry with pork and vegetables) from Food Network
- Bitter Melon Recipes submitted to The National Bitter Melon Council
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