Bitter Melon (Pinyin, Pare, Paakharkaai, Kaakarakaya, Karela) – 5 Seeds
$3.50
is available on purchases between $10 and $2,000
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Bitter Melon / Bitter Gourd (Pinyin, Pare, Paakharkaai, Kaakarakaya, Karela) – 5 Seeds
They are very easy to grow & easy to maintain. The plant can produce heaps of small sized bitter melon for months.
Bitter melon is often used in Chinese cooking for its bitter flavor, typically in stir-fries (often with pork and douchi), soups, and also as tea. It has also been used in place of hops as the bittering ingredient in some Chinese beers. It is very popular throughout South Asia. In Northern India, it is often prepared with potatoes and served with yogurt on the side to offset the bitterness, or used in sabji. In North Indian cuisine it is stuffed with spices and then cooked in oil.*.
Best time to sow seeds after frost. Seeds need min 20°C to germinate. Soak the seeds in water for a few hours before planting and sow them in 10mm deep in a sunny, well-drained position. Germinates between 10-14 days. Sow them 35-50cm apart. Enjoy your harvest approx 70 days from transplanting.
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Due to quarantine restrictions, seeds can’t be sent to Tasmania.
Bitter gourds are very low in calories but dense with precious nutrients. It is an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, and B3, C, magnesium, folic acid, zinc, phosphorus, manganese, and has high dietary fiber. It is rich in iron, contains twice the beta-carotene of broccoli, twice the calcium of spinach, and twice the potassium of a banana.
Bitter melon contains a unique phyto-constituent that has been confirmed to have a hypoglycemic effect called charantin. There is also another insulin-like compound known as polypeptide P which have been suggested as insulin replacement in some diabetic patients.
