Why Roasted Pumpkin Can Be Bitter How to remove bitterness from zucchini: useful tips
Pumpkin is considered, perhaps, one of the most healthy and fortified vegetables. Where did the pumpkin come from?
To this day, scientists cannot agree on the homeland of the pumpkin. Some of them believe that this China became the first place of cultivation of this crop, since there are indications of its presence at the imperial court, others consider America to be the place of cultivation of pumpkins.
But, no matter how unexpected it may sound, there is another version. As it became known, in ancient Greece and Rome, people made vessels for wine and water from pumpkins. It turns out that Europe knew the pumpkin even before Columbus?
Unfortunately, no one can answer this question for sure, but the beneficial properties of pumpkin have been known for a long time and are widely used not only for preparing delicious meat dishes, cereals, jams, but also as a natural remedy.
Beneficial features
Pumpkin is famous for its vitamin reserves, such as B, C, PP, E, as well as vitamin T, the complex of these vitamins has a beneficial effect on the process of accelerating metabolism. In addition to the high content of essential vitamins in pumpkin, it also contains trace elements (fiber, fluoride, zinc and iron).
It is especially beneficial for people suffering from diarrhea, as it promotes the elimination of excess fluid and helps in neutralizing toxins in the body.
Recently, pumpkin has been used in the treatment of tuberculosis. It slows down the progression of the disease. In the course of research, scientists have invented a drug from the components of pumpkin.
Pumpkin is also used in the treatment of chronic constipation and heart disease. It has a good diuretic, choleretic and laxative effect.
Pumpkin is often used by people with vegetative-vascular dystonia, as it prevents the development of hypertension and other diseases of the cardiovascular system. Pumpkin juice, like many orange vegetables and fruits, is a natural immunomodulator.
Pumpkin seeds are not only a delicacy, but also a remedy for acne in adolescents with problem skin.
During pregnancy, many of the women suffering from toxicosis eat raw pumpkin.
Harmful properties
Despite all the useful properties, it should be used with caution by people with gastric ulcer, gastritis with low acidity and diabetes mellitus.
Causes of the bitterness of the pulp
Quite often we are faced with the problem of pumpkin pulp bitterness. Basically, the bitterness in pumpkin appears in dry hot weather, so there is a need for additional watering, and the result will be the enjoyment of bright and juicy fruits.
With prolonged storage, by the spring, bitterness may appear in the pulp of the pumpkin due to the germination of seeds in it. The variety must be suitable for storage and storage conditions must be suitable.
Plant-based insulin protects us from obesity, diabetes and breast cancer.Ripe orange fruits are used for food as vegetables, and in folk medicine they treat diseases (colds, headaches, inflammations, hemorrhoids, digestive disorders and diabetes). There is scientific evidence for the effectiveness of herbal insulin.
Its taste is bitter, but the fruits of its application are truly sweet! Bitter gourd, also known as bitter melon, bitter cucumber, balsamic pear or apple, is Momordica charantia, an annual liana that grows up to 180 cm long.
Chemical composition
All parts of it, but especially the fruits, contain a substance chemically identical to human insulin. Animal studies have shown that an insulin analogue from bitter gourd can lower blood sugar in sufferers.
Helpful for obesity
Another property is to lower the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, which can protect against heart disease and weight gain. In the experiment, rats were fed a fatty meal, but those who were given bitter gourd gained weight much more slowly.
Boosts immunity
Bitter gourd increases the level of interferon, a substance responsible for the reliability of the immune defense, as well as antioxidants such as glutathione and superoxide dismutase, which protect us from breast and stomach cancer.
Dosage
Although bitter gourd does not cure diabetes, it lowers sugar levels, so herbalists recommend it to prevent and support Diabetics. The standard daily dose is 1000-2000 mg. With regular use of bitter gourd, you need to constantly monitor your blood sugar levels and keep your doctor informed - you may need to reduce the dose of insulin and other medications.
About the bitter gourd
Bitter gourd is popular in Asia and little known in the West. It is rich in iron, beta-carotene, calcium, potassium and fiber.
Reduce bitterness you can, if you choose more yellow fruits and blanch them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, cutting in half.
Worth serving as a vegetable dish, combined with spicy foods such as garlic, chili or curry. Can be stuffed with spiced meat.
Plant-based insulin protects us from obesity, diabetes and breast cancer. Ripe orange fruits are used for food as vegetables, and in folk medicine they treat diseases (colds, headaches, inflammations, hemorrhoids, digestive disorders and diabetes). There is scientific evidence for the effectiveness of herbal insulin.
Its taste is bitter, but the fruits of its application are truly sweet! Bitter gourd, also known as bitter melon, bitter cucumber, balsamic pear or apple, is Momordica charantia, an annual liana that grows up to 180 cm long.
Chemical composition
All parts of it, but especially the fruits, contain a substance chemically identical to human insulin. Animal studies have shown that an insulin analogue from bitter gourd can lower blood sugar in sufferers.
Helpful for obesity
Another property is to lower the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, which can protect against heart disease and weight gain. In the experiment, rats were fed a fatty meal, but those who were given bitter gourd gained weight much more slowly.
Boosts immunity
Bitter gourd increases the level of interferon, a substance responsible for the reliability of the immune defense, as well as antioxidants such as glutathione and superoxide dismutase, which protect us from breast and stomach cancer.
Dosage
Although bitter gourd does not cure diabetes, it lowers sugar levels, so herbalists recommend it to prevent and support diabetics. The standard daily dose is 1000-2000 mg. With regular use of bitter gourd, you need to constantly monitor your blood sugar levels and keep your doctor informed - you may need to reduce the dose of insulin and other medications.
About the bitter gourd
Bitter gourd is popular in Asia and little known in the West. It is rich in iron, beta-carotene, calcium, potassium and fiber.
Reduce bitterness you can, if you choose more yellow fruits and blanch them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, cutting in half.
Photo: Pumpkin variety "Almond" does not tolerate late harvesting from the garden
One of the readers of the mega dacha site is interested in why pumpkins and zucchini become bitter after storage? Here's what she told me. “The zucchini left for winter consumption, which I keep excellently every year, threw out almost everything last winter: they became bitter, like poison, and the seeds inside were all sprouted. I once had the same thing with an almond pumpkin. What did I do wrong? Perhaps the matter is in mineral fertilizers or pesticides? "
Neither fertilizers nor pesticides are to blame here. The type of pumpkin plants is to blame: both squash and common pumpkin, to which the Almond variety belongs, are a type of hard-bore pumpkins. It is they who are distinguished by their early maturity, therefore, they cannot be overexposed in the garden. The end of August for the southeastern regions, I think, is the deadline for harvesting both zucchini and your pumpkin variety. If they are not removed in time, then such a nuisance may well occur, as happened to you.
The seeds, being in the favorable conditions of the maternal womb, began to wake up prematurely and germinate: the variety is early ripening, which means that the seed dormancy period is short. As a result of seed germination, various processes began - physiological, biochemical, etc. Probably, it was they who caused a change in the taste of the fruit pulp.
Hence the conclusion: hard pumpkins must be harvested on time and not be confused with other types of pumpkins (large-fruited and nutmeg).
Ordinary pumpkins that are overripe or spoiled from long-term storage can also taste bitter. Bitter pumpkin boosts immunity, increases antioxidants, lowers blood sugar. It also lowers blood cholesterol levels, which can protect against heart disease and weight gain. To remove bitterness, pumpkin needs to be washed well and doused with boiling water + part of the bitterness will go away during cooking. Why is pumpkin bitter in spring? Probably it all depends on the variety and whether she received enough water.
One of the main reasons the pumpkin starts to taste bitter is that it has been stored for a very long time. The result of long storage was that the pumpkin seeds began to germinate, and this gave the bitterness. You can cut off more surface when cleaning it, this can help.
Momordica harantia (bitter cucumber, Chinese bitter gourd)
Momordica harantia (bitter cucumber, Chinese bitter gourd) is a pumpkin vegetable crop, an annual herbaceous vine, a species of the genus Momordica of the Pumpkin family. The epithet "bitter" momordica received harantia due to the fact that its fruits are bitter; before cooking, they are soaked to remove the bitterness.
Bitter cucumber is native to the Asian tropics. Now it is grown in areas with a warm climate, mainly in South and Southeast Asia, in the Caribbean. The crop grows best in hot and humid lowlands. This vegetable is popular in warm regions of Asia, and few people know in Russia.
Momordica harantia is a rather large plant, the liana reaches four meters in length, the pentahedral stems have antennae; leaves are round or reniform, five or nine lobed, 3 to 12 cm in diameter; flowers are unisexual with five yellow petals.
Fruit sizes vary between 8-40 cm in length (medium-sized fruits are 10 cm in length and 4 cm in diameter); fruits with a rough surface, wrinkled, warty. The shape of the pumpkin fruit is oval, fusiform. Unripe green fruits with dense, juicy, crunchy pale green pulp have a bitter taste. As they ripen, the fruits acquire a bright yellow or orange color, becoming even more bitter. The whitish spongy pulp of the fruit contains seeds 4-15 mm in size; mature seeds are red-brown. Unripe fruits are removed 2 months after sowing the seeds. Bitter cucumber is poorly stored without refrigeration - only a few days; in the refrigerator, the vegetable can be stored for up to 3 weeks.
Like other pumpkin vegetables, momordica charantia is very nutritious. The fruit contains many vitamins (C, E, F, group B), beta-carotene (more than broccoli), a large amount of iron, calcium (2 times more than spinach), potassium (more than banana), manganese, sodium, phosphorus, zinc, fiber, flavonoids, amino acids, alkaloids. Bitter cucumber is one of the few plants that contains harantin, a substance that lowers blood sugar levels.
The fruits of momordica charantia contain per 100 grams: 0.9 grams of protein, 0.2 grams of fat, 4 grams of carbohydrates.
The calorie content of the fruits of Momordica Charantia is 19 kcal.
Culinary uses are the fruits of Momordica Charantia, as well as young greens. Young shoots, flowers are eaten stewed.
More often unripe fruits are used in cooking. Unripe fruits are soaked in salted water for several hours before stewing or boiling to remove bitterness. Young fruits can be preserved in marinade. In unripe fruits, seeds are removed before cooking.
Momordiki charantia fruit can be eaten even when it turns yellow. However, it becomes more bitter and also needs to be soaked. When ripe, the seeds become sweet and can be eaten.
Like other vegetables, momordica charantia has beneficial medicinal properties. Eating this vegetable in food improves the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, increases appetite. The uniqueness of bitter cucumber is that it contains substances that lower blood sugar levels. Therefore, in folk medicine, this vegetable is used to treat type 2 diabetes. If you regularly eat momordica harantia, then the body will be easier to cope with bacteria and viruses, the vegetable helps to enhance visual acuity, improves blood formation, helps to clear the vascular wall of cholesterol, suppresses microorganisms that cause inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system.
Chinese bitter gourd has found application in medicine and as a remedy for arthritis, rheumatism, skin diseases, and insect bites. For these purposes, the juice of the plant is used externally.
Despite all the benefits of Chinese bitter gourd, there are limitations to including it in the diet. Momordiku charantia should not be used by pregnant women (an abortive effect may occur), breastfeeding mothers. With extreme caution, Momordica Charantia should be eaten for people suffering from heartburn and stomach and duodenal ulcers (the vegetable can exacerbate these ailments). In baby food, it is better to give preference to an ordinary pumpkin.
Chinese bitter gourd
Chinese bitter gourd, another name for momordica, is a herbaceous vine plant that belongs to the pumpkin family, since the Chinese bitter gourd is very thermophilic, its homeland is Asia. The stem can grow up to four meters long. It has antennae and longitudinal stripes. The leaves are round, slightly like hearts. At the base of the leaves, flowers are located, which are yellow. The fruits of the Chinese bitter gourd are wrinkled and rough, green at the beginning of ripening. When the fruits are fully ripe, the color changes to orange or yellow. The shape of the Chinese gourd is mostly oval. If the fruit is not yet ripe, then its pulp is bitter, dense and light green in color, the seeds of this plant are also bitter. When the fruit is fully ripe, the seeds turn bright brown and sweet, ready to eat, and the pulp is also used as food. A ripe, but not overripe pumpkin has yellow flesh. If the harvest of Chinese pumpkin is not harvested in time, the fruits will overripe and become bitter, and will also lose nutritional value.
Semi-finished Chinese Bitter Gourd
For harvesting, Chinese bitter gourd should be selected unripe. To remove the bitter taste from it, it is poured with water for a while. The fruits are canned, stewed and boiled. In Asian countries, they eat everything: flowers, leaves, stems and fruits.
Healing qualities of bitter gourd
This fruit has beneficial nutritional properties. Its structure contains calcium, potassium, iron and beta-carotene. The pulp of this plant helps digestion and raises the appetite. It is used to treat diabetes, HIV and malaria. If pancreatic cancer is diagnosed, then Momordica juice helps. Since there are many active substances in the composition, it is able to fight against viruses of the genitourinary system. But you can not use pumpkin juice raw, as it contains poison. After special treatment, it can be used to treat skin diseases, asthma, rheumatism, arthritis and worms.
How to Grow and Preserve Chinese Bitter Gourd
Growing Chinese bitter gourd is only possible in hot and humid climates. Propagated using seeds. Before planting, the seeds must be soaked for a day, then planted in an area open to the sun, in a wet nutrient mixture, to a depth of two centimeters. When the plant rises, it needs support. In the process of growth, weak processes should be removed so that no more than three remain. Young shoots should be watered frequently with water. Twice a month it is necessary to feed it with mineral or organic compounds. Eating it is possible for a week and a half fruits. They are stored for three days in the room and twenty days in the refrigerator. In autumn, the pumpkin must be dug up with the ground and left until March - April in a dark place. When the snow melts, you need to plant it again in the ground on the site.
Restrictions on the use of Chinese pumpkin
The use of Chinese bitter gourd in food contributes to the recurrence of ulcers and can provoke heartburn. The use of a large number of ripe seeds can cause anemia in children. Cases have been recorded when, after consuming this fruit, uterine bleeding opened in women carrying a child. And this may threaten with termination of pregnancy. It is contraindicated for people with individual intolerance. This plant is quite peculiar, it is used mainly in Asian countries.
Since Chinese Bitter Gourd is poisonous when raw, you need to be very careful. If, nevertheless, poisoning has occurred, then its symptoms will be as follows:
- High salivation.
- Redness of the face.
- Visual impairment.
- Stomach pain.
- Nausea.
- Vomiting.
- Stomach upset.
- Weakness.
Methods for Cooking and Serving Chinese Bitter Gourd
This plant is eaten mainly in ready-made form. Its bitterness is removed with water, salt water and spices are needed. Then dried in the sun. There is another way to remove the bitterness, you can boil it in boiling salt water for fifteen minutes or in cream for half an hour. Due to the many alkaloids in the seeds, they must be removed before cooking. You should also peel the fruit.
The methods of processing this fruit are different, it can be stewed, baked, fried. Chinese bitter gourd is used as a side dish or as a separate dish, and can be paired with poultry or meat. In the cuisine of many Asian countries, Chinese bitter gourd is in perfect harmony with eggplant, garlic, eggs, tofu cheese, onions, tomatoes, shrimps. To choose a Chinese bitter gourd for culinary masterpieces, you must take unripe fruits. They are the ones that taste less bitter. The surface of the selected fruit should be dark green in color, without damage.
You will find even more information about other interesting and useful plants on the pages of our website:
Why is pumpkin bitter? Why is pumpkin bitter?
Bitterness is given to pumpkin by the triterpenoids cucurbitacins, which are always present in the fruits of the pumpkin family. Ordinary pumpkins that are overripe or spoiled from long-term storage can also taste bitter. Bitter pumpkin boosts immunity, increases antioxidants, lowers blood sugar. It also lowers blood cholesterol levels, which can protect against heart disease and weight gain. To remove bitterness, pumpkin must be well washed and doused with boiling water + part of the bitterness will go away during cooking. Why is pumpkin bitter in spring? Probably it all depends on the variety and whether she received enough water.
Strange as it may seem, but such a taste manifestation is characteristic of pumpkins, which, despite all this, despite the bitter taste sensations, are even healthier than their sweet brothers.
The reason is the overestimated amount in the composition of substances: tretepinoids, which give this bitterness.
The pumpkin pulp begins to taste bitter after long-term storage, as seeds begin to sprout. Therefore, pumpkin seeds must be removed immediately after harvest, and the pulp must be mashed and marinated. Hard-bodied gourds can taste bitter if planted next to ornamental gourds, as they become heavily pollinated.
The pumpkin could be bitter initially as it grew. This usually happens due to excessively hot weather, and as a result of drought, without the necessary watering. For the same reason, there are also bitter zucchini and cucumbers. Therefore, in such weather, it is better to water pumpkins, she will thank you with large and tasty fruits.
Pumpkin can also become bitter due to long storage, by the spring. The variety must be suitable for storage and storage conditions must be suitable. Otherwise, seeds will begin to sprout in the pumpkin and it will become bitter. Of course, I don't really want to eat such a pumpkin, but they say that it helps against a number of diseases.
One of the main reasons the pumpkin starts to taste bitter is that it has been stored for a very long time. The result of long storage was that the pumpkin seeds began to germinate, and this gave the bitterness. You can cut off more surface when cleaning, this may help.
Chinese bitter gourd
Chinese bitter gourd (momordica) is a popular vegetable in Asia. The site mir-ovosey.ru invites you to get acquainted with this peculiar culture.
Description of Chinese bitter gourd
Chinese bitter gourd (momordica harantia, bitter cucumber, karela) is a herbaceous vine belonging to the Pumpkin family.
The homeland of this species is tropical Asia. The plant is grown in regions with warm climates (in Southeast and South Asia, the Caribbean, China).
The stems of the plant have longitudinal stripes. They are equipped with antennae, and the length of the aerial part can reach four meters.
The leaves are round-heart-shaped, dissected into several lobes. Unisexual yellow flowers are located in the axils of the leaves.
Rough, wrinkled fruits are initially green in color. When ripe, they turn orange or bright yellow. The shape may differ (fruits are cylindrical, fusiform, oval).
The pulp of unripe fruits has a pale green color, dense structure and a bitter taste. The seeds are of different shapes (ovoid or nearly rectangular). At first, they are bitter, but as they ripen, they become sweet (mature seeds are colored red-brown).
In unripe fruits, a watery crunchy flesh is used (unripe whitish seeds are extracted). In ripe (but not overripe) fruits, the pulp is also edible (it becomes yellowish). Overripe fruits become soft and lose their nutritional value (they taste very bitter).
Methods for harvesting Chinese bitter gourd
Most often, unripe green fruits of Chinese bitter gourd are used (they are soaked before cooking to remove bitterness). The fruits are stewed, boiled and canned.
In the Chinese bitter gourd, not only fruits are edible, but also shoots, leaves and flowers (they are stewed and eaten).
The chemical composition and useful properties of Chinese bitter gourd
Chinese bitter gourd is very nutritious. The chemical composition contains iron, potassium, calcium, beta-carotene.
The bitter pulp stimulates digestion and improves appetite. Momordica is used to treat malaria, HIV, type 2 diabetes.
Fruit juice is capable of destroying cancer cells in pancreatic cancer. Due to the presence of active substances, it effectively fights viruses and bacteria in case of damage to the genitourinary system.
The sap of the plant itself is poisonous in its raw form. When properly processed, it is used to treat asthma, rheumatism, arthritis, skin diseases. Also, this tool is used to get rid of helminthic invasions.
Growing and storing Chinese bitter gourd
Chinese bitter gourd is grown in regions with subtropical and tropical climates. Liana grows best in humid lowlands. The plant propagates by seeds.
In temperate climates, bitter gourd can be cultivated (optimum temperature for plant growth and development: 20 ° C and above). An area open to the sun is allocated for planting.
Before sowing, the seeds are soaked for a day. Then they are planted in a moist nutrient mixture consisting of humus, leafy earth, peat and sand. Depth of immersion of seeds: 1.5-2 cm. Seedlings are sprayed with warm water. Liana requires support (you can use a grid).
As they grow, the stepsons are removed, leaving no more than three shoots. Bitter gourd is watered regularly. The plant is fed every two weeks with organic or mineral fertilizers.
The ten-day fruit is used for eating. They can be stored for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator and up to 3 days indoors.
For the winter, the vine is dug up and left in a cool, shaded room. In the spring, the plant is again planted in the ground.
Contraindications to eating Chinese bitter gourd
Chinese bitter gourd contributes to the exacerbation of peptic ulcer and heartburn. Overuse of mature seeds leads to the development of anemia in children (signs of poisoning may also appear). In rare cases, pumpkin can cause bleeding and increase the tone of the uterus in pregnant women (this is fraught with miscarriage). Individual intolerance may also occur.
Chinese bitter gourd is a peculiar plant. Unlike Asia, it is not yet very popular in our region.
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Bitter gourd is a new remedy
Plant-based insulin protects us from obesity, diabetes and breast cancer. Ripe orange fruits are used for food as vegetables, and in folk medicine they treat diseases (colds, headaches, inflammations, hemorrhoids, digestive disorders and diabetes). There is scientific evidence for the effectiveness of herbal insulin.
Its taste is bitter, but the fruits of its application are truly sweet! Bitter gourd, also known as bitter melon, bitter cucumber, balsamic pear or apple, is Momordica charantia, an annual liana that grows up to 180 cm long.
Chemical composition
All parts of it, but especially the fruits, contain a substance chemically identical to human insulin. Animal studies have shown that an insulin analogue from bitter gourd can lower blood sugar in sufferers.
Helpful for obesity
Another property is to lower the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, which can protect against heart disease and weight gain. In the experiment, rats were fed a fatty meal, but those who were given bitter gourd gained weight much more slowly.
Boosts immunity
Bitter gourd increases the level of interferon, a substance responsible for the reliability of the immune defense, as well as antioxidants such as glutathione and superoxide dismutase, which protect us from breast and stomach cancer.
Dosage
Although bitter gourd does not cure diabetes, it lowers sugar levels, so herbalists recommend it to prevent and support Diabetics. The standard daily dose is mg. With regular use of bitter gourd, you need to constantly monitor your blood sugar levels and keep your doctor informed - you may need to reduce the dose of insulin and other medications.
About the bitter gourd
Bitter gourd is popular in Asia and little known in the West. It is rich in iron, beta-carotene, calcium, potassium and fiber.
Reduce bitterness you can, if you choose more yellow fruits and blanch them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, cutting in half.
Worth serving as a vegetable dish, combined with spicy foods such as garlic, chili or curry. Can be stuffed with spiced meat.
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