Melon, Bitter (Bitter Melon) (Momordica charantia) seeds

$3.95$13.10

Family:  Gourd (Cucurbitaceae)

Perennial in Zones 10 to 12, grown as an annual in temperate climates, 50 to 60 days to harvest.

(Ku gua) Perennial vine native to Africa, currently pantropical.  This is a choice green-skinned cultivar. Traditional usage (TWM, TCM): bitter digestive, antidiabetic.  Vines are vigorous, fruits are very large (we weighed our first one in this season at 1.2 lbs).  The plants prefer full sun, warm days and nights, and a trellis.  Insect-pollinated. A single vine can easily cover 10 square feet.   Soak seeds overnight before planting.  Pour very warm water in a pint jar and drop the seeds in there, allow to soak overnight, then plant the next day.  Helps immensely.  Sow the seeds about 1/2 inch deep in good potting soil in the greenhouse or a nice, composted hill of garden soil in the spring or summer garden and keep moist and very warm until germination, which takes about a week. Thin or transplant to 3 plants per hill and space hills 6 feet apart.

Packet contains 10 seeds
10 g contains ~50 seeds
Open Pollinated, Untreated, NO GMO’s

 

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  1. Question

    Christen

    What part of the bitter melon plant is medicinal? I read somewhere you can tincture the fresh leaves. Is that correct?

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      Hi Christen, thanks for contacting. most herbalists will recommend the use of the immature fruits not the leaves. please see page 330 in “Growing Plant Medicine Vol 1” for a complete rundown. richo

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  2. Question

    Tonia

    If I buy seeds now(nov) will they be good to plant in summer? Also, what best, in the soil or container?

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      Hi Tonia, The new seeds for 2021 are IN so you can buy them anytime. One thing, we recommend purchasing early, as the seeds may run out later in the year, and things get crazy, too. I do think its best to start them early in a container and transplant out after soil is completely warmed up. I’ll be starting mine in April. Richo

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  3. One person found this helpful
    Laura

    Laura (verified owner)

    Grew these for the first time this year for a special customer, it could have used a taller trellis than I used which was 3ft high. We had a cool wet spring so I suspect not nearly warm enough, the fruits were small about 6 inches. I found if I left them to go bigger, they turned yellow and popped open. Do all the fruits pop open with the red gelatinous seed coats when overripe? I also had a brownish scale on the outside of some, almost looked like it was aging. There is a demand for this, but not sure my growing conditions will favor it. I am on the edge of 6a and 6b.

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    • One person found this helpful
      Richo Cech

      Admin Richo Cech

      Thanks for your good comments. When growing summer annuals, zone is not particularly pertinent, it is days to maturity that you want to watch. Apparently your summer was plenty warm and long enough if the fruits were ripening on the vine. Normally these are harvested in the green stage, before they go soft and yellow, before they split open to reveal the shocking red interior. 6-inch fruits are normal, not small. A tall trellis is definitely useful, or bend a piece of stock fencing into a tunnel and the fruits will hang down inside, which is convenient. Cheers!

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  4. 2 out of 2 people found this helpful
    Richo Cech

    Admin Richo Cech

    we use when they are green. We take out the seeds, slice very thin, soak in salted water for one hr or so to take out some bitterness. It’s the fried style with minced garlic onion and chilli powder, dried shrimp powder and some salt. Shrimp powder balances the bitter taste I also use mushroom powder.

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    • One person found this helpful

      d j

      I also use them green, and actually prefer them under 6 inches when I can find them. I make a Filipino dish called ginisang ampalaya with onion, garlic, yard-long bean, tomato, kabocha, okra, and fish sauce – patis or baguoong.. (You can also add shrimp, eggs to scramble, or just leave it semi-vegetarian.) I’ve figured out over the years that getting the youngest most green fruits, carefully scraping off ALL the white pith, slicing very thinly, soaking sliced fruits in cold water prior to cooking, and not overcooking are the secrets to more palatable ampalaya (bitter melon).

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    • david ellis

      Richo, i purchased some seed from you for growing this upcoming 2019 season. I also have your book Making Plant Medicine but notice bitter melon is not discussed to my knowledge in the book. I want to tincture the bitter melon could you recommend Dry vs fresh and a solvent ratio? I was thinking fresh herb at 1:2 (75A:25W) but can i include the seeds? Thanks for the reply Dave

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    • One person found this helpful
      Richo Cech

      Admin Richo Cech

      Hi David,
      That sounds like a good formula for the fresh. Best to use the green fruit and not the red inside mush or the seeds. Seeds valuable for replanting. This is commonly dried and concocted and water seems to pull out the properties.

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    • One person found this helpful

      Marion

      A very classic Okinawan dish is to slice length-wise in half, then slice thin – maybe 1/4″ slices to fry/braise with tofu and egg (a little salt or shoyu for seasoning). This veg is called goya (go-ya-) in Okinawan. These look beautiful – looking forward to growing some!

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      Hi Marion, Thank you for sharing that recipe–it is really great to hear about how the various herbs/veggies are used in distinct cultures. r

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    • Mercy

      Could you get a bitter melon from a colder climate? Japan or Northern China? I wonder if these would be more tolerant of the cold in May/June in zone 6. Thanks for your other answer yesterday. We got the black seed!

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      Hi Mercy,
      I just have the one kind of bitter melon–it is a quick summer annual and should be fine for any garden in the temperate north. Its late september here and ours are finished fruiting for the year. I would recommend starting these early in the greenhouse and transplanting out after the soil warms up. Richo

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    • Kimberly Sheehan

      Hi, we are interested in the bitter melon seeds but are trying to stay with organic seeds. Are there any options?

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      YEs, i respect this, please request bitter melon lot 11817 in the order comments field at checkout. that will get you the fresh organic seeds we harvested last summer. richo

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    • Brittany

      Do you have to eat them green or are the good when fully ripe as well?

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      hi brittany, you can eat them when they’re ripe, they just aren’t as bitter that way, more of a food, less of a medicine. r

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    • Han (verified owner)

      Should I heat the water overnight? If so, at body temp? Higher?
      Seeds are soaking now, water was about 130F when I put it in.
      These were great last season! But I planted later and forgot to soak…think it delayed them, so following your advice this time.
      Thanks in advance!

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      put in 130 degree water and soak overnight as the water cools and plant the next day

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