[A Farmer and A Cook’s 2023] Winter Melons

Winter Melon is also called ash gourd, wax gourd, white gourd, and winter gourd. It has oblong shape and dark green, waxy skin with white flesh and seeds. 

The name of "Winter Melon"  likely comes from the fact that, while grown during the summer and autumn, it can be stored for up to three to four months and eaten during the winter. 

Winter melon grows on a vine. As it grows, it is covered with silvery, fine hairs that give it a frosty apperance.  Once ripe, the fruit’s fuzzy exterior changes into a powdery whitish  coating which is why winter melons are sometimes called " ash gourd" and "wax gourd".

Winter melon plants grow better in warm regions and prefer full sun. It requires  at least 100 days to become matured.  So it is not easy to plant winter melong in our area. One year, we had two winter melon plants, none of them beared any any fruit.  In another years, just some pre_matured fruits were produced, which were smaller than an american football. After a few years's try and failure, we finally got two ripped winter melon fruits this year.

Winter Melon has a mild and slightly sweet taste, which allows it to take on the flavors it's being cooked with. There are different ways to cook winter melon - simmer, steam, stir-fry, braise, etc

Braised Winter Melon

Winter Melon Soup with Pork Ribs

Others

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