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

天边一片白云
楼主 (文学城)

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

Thanks for reading

7
7grizzly
Well-written and a smooth read.
爱听歌的奥黛丽
like winter melon:)
暖冬cool夏
写得好!很流畅的英文,也很清楚!fine hairs that give it a frosty apperance-好
盈盈一笑间
Your vegetable garden is bountiful, and you're a great cook.

盈盈一笑间
+100086 !
移花接木
碗里的冬瓜比肉贵多了
天边一片白云
Thank you for your encouragement.
天边一片白云
丽丽好。刚听了你唱的《春逝》主题歌。那么甜美,深情。
天边一片白云
谢谢。向你学习。
天边一片白云
Thank you, Yingying. Just for fun.
天边一片白云
haha. 物以稀为贵。
盈盈一笑间
丽丽的《春逝》,真是超级美。反正让我一听钟情。哈哈
卫宁
美食!冬天吃冬瓜宴!:))
爱听歌的奥黛丽
谢谢一片云和盈盈:))