How to remove the bitterness of bitter melon? How to stir-fry bitter melon to make it delicious and not bitter

Does blanching bitter melon remove its bitterness? Actually, it is not the case. The bitter melon after blanching does not completely remove its bitterness, but it tastes less bitter. The bitterness is mixed with umami, so it is not so difficult to swallow. The bitterness of bitter melon cannot be completely removed. Bitter melon is rich in protein, carbohydrates, crude fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, niacin, carotene, calcium, iron and other ingredients. It is very nutritious. The taste of bitter melon is sweet and bitter. It can be better integrated into the eggs when paired with fried eggs. It is a common home-cooked dish.

Contents of this article

1. Do you need to blanch bitter melon before stir-frying it?

2. How to remove the bitterness of bitter melon

3. How to make bitter melon delicious and not bitter

4. Best food pairing for bitter melon

Do you need to blanch bitter melon before stir-frying?

Bitter melon needs to be blanched before frying. Bitter melon has a high oxalic acid content, about 100 grams of bitter melon contains 459 mg of oxalic acid. These oxalic acids combine with calcium in the body to form calcium oxalate, which is harmful to the human body. If these oxalic acids are not removed, they will have a very bitter taste, so you need to blanch the bitter melon before frying it.

The bitter gourd after blanching does not completely lose its bitterness, but it tastes less bitter. The bitterness will be mixed with a hint of umami, so it will not be so difficult to swallow.

Blanching can remove harmful oxalic acid, but it will also cause some precious bitter melon to be lost, which will reduce the health benefits of bitter melon, so we must control the blanching time.

Bitter melon is native to East India and is widely cultivated in tropical to temperate regions of the world. It is commonly cultivated in both north and south China. The fruit of bitter melon has a sweet and bitter taste. It is mainly grown as a vegetable, but can also be candied. The mature flesh and aril are also edible.

How to remove the bitterness of bitter melon

The bitterness of bitter melon cannot be completely removed, but it can be removed by blanching, salting, etc. The bitterness of bitter melon is caused by two substances. One is cucurbitacin, which is unique to melon plants and mainly exists in the melon in the form of glycosides. The other substance is wild cucumber juice enzyme. If these two substances exist at the same time, the melon will taste bitter.

Bitter melon, a plant of the genus Momordica in the Cucurbitaceae family, is native to East India and is widely cultivated in tropical to temperate regions of the world, and is commonly cultivated in both north and south China.

Bitter melon is not very demanding on land and can be grown in all kinds of soil, but its root system is relatively developed, with many lateral roots and a wide root group. It is tolerant to fertilizer but not barrenness, and it likes moisture but avoids waterlogging.

Bitter melon is rich in protein, carbohydrates, crude fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, niacin, carotene, calcium, iron and other ingredients.

How to make bitter melon delicious and not bitter

If you want bitter melon to be less bitter, you need to completely remove the pulp when removing it. Before frying bitter melon, you need to soak the bitter melon in salt water for more than ten minutes, then squeeze and rinse it to remove most of the bitterness. You can also blanch the bitter melon before frying it, and then fry it with eggs to neutralize the taste of the bitter melon, so that it tastes good and is not bitter.

Bitter melon originated in the tropics and requires a relatively high temperature. It is heat-resistant but not cold-resistant. The higher the temperature, the more conducive it is to the growth and development of bitter melon plants, resulting in early fruiting and high yields.

Bitter melon is a short-day crop that likes light but cannot tolerate shade. Bitter melon needs strong light during its flowering and fruiting period. Adequate light is conducive to photosynthesis, accumulating more organic nutrients, increasing fruit setting rate, yield and quality.

Bitter melon likes moisture but is afraid of rain and waterlogging. It requires high relative humidity of air and soil during its growth period. When drainage is poor, root rot and seedling death are very likely to occur, resulting in poor plant growth.

Best food pairings for bitter melon

The best food to pair with bitter melon is generally food that tastes good together, including but not limited to: green peppers, eggplants, eggs, etc. It is recommended that when choosing food to pair with bitter melon, try to choose some more "versatile" food, so that the unique freshness of bitter melon can be better integrated.

Among the combinations of bitter melon and meat, the most common one is pork. Pork itself can produce a lot of fat when fried, and it tastes refreshing when paired with the freshness and fragrance of bitter melon. It is a common home-cooked dish in the south.

Bitter melon tastes sweet with a hint of bitterness. Pairing it with fried eggs can better blend the flavor into the eggs. It is a common home-cooked dish.