Can Bitter Melon Still Be Eaten Once It Turns Yellow? The Benefits of Drinking It as an Infusion and How to Make It Less Bitter
Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) tends to divide people into two camps: either they love it, or they worry about its bitter taste and refuse to try it. Its fruit is sweet-bitter in flavor and is mainly used as a vegetable, though it can also be candied; the ripe flesh and aril are edible too. So can bitter melon still be eaten once it turns yellow? What are the benefits of drinking bitter melon as an infusion? How do you cook bitter melon so it is not bitter?
1. Can bitter melon still be eaten once it turns yellow?
Yellowed bitter melon should not be eaten; left too long, it ripens and releases water.
Some foods that are no longer fresh have already lost their nutritional elements and cannot supply our bodies with nutrients, and the taste is not very good either, so it is best not to eat them. We also should not casually pair foods together when cooking, in case our lack of knowledge about foods leads to food poisoning.
2. What are the benefits of drinking bitter melon as an infusion?
First: promotes appetite and aids digestion
Research has found that regularly drinking an infusion of sliced bitter melon has a very good effect in aiding digestion, so appetite also gradually improves; in addition, it has a very good therapeutic effect on various gastrointestinal diseases, constipation and internal and external hemorrhoids.
Second: lowers blood sugar
Modern scientists have extracted from bitter melon some orally taken insulin drugs; once these substances enter the body they can very effectively lower blood sugar levels, which is tremendous news for many people with diabetes.
Third: beauty and skin care
It is said that after an infusion of sliced bitter melon enters the body it can promote wound healing and skin regeneration, and can also very effectively increase the vitality of the skin cortex; it also has a very good therapeutic effect on some spots and acne. Drinking an infusion of sliced bitter melon over the long term makes the skin more and more delicate, with a very good beauty effect.
Fourth: protects against radiation
Radiation is very harmful to us, especially for white-collar workers who have to face a computer for long periods. So how can we protect against radiation? Veteran practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine tell us that we can take one cup of bitter melon water every day, and in this way the radiation-protection effect
Fifth: benefits the liver and promotes urination
Scientists have found through research that after drinking an infusion of sliced bitter melon it can effectively protect our liver and spleen-stomach, and can also effectively lower the three highs, namely high blood pressure, high blood lipids and high blood sugar, which is very good for the body. In addition, its effect of benefiting the kidneys and promoting urination is also very good.
3. How do you cook bitter melon so it is not bitter?
1. Stir-fry over high heat. Using a fierce high-heat stir-fry makes the juices in the bitter melon evaporate quickly, reducing the bitterness.
2. Draw out the water with salt. Drawing out the juices of the bitter melon and squeezing it dry before cooking is also a good way to effectively deal with the bitterness.
3. Remove bitterness by chilling. After slicing the bitter melon, soak it in ice water for a while and then take it out; when eating you can serve it with ice cubes, like eating fish sashimi, for a distinctive flavor.
4. Remove bitterness with high temperature. After slicing the bitter melon, blanch it briefly in boiling water and then cook it, which can also reduce the bitterness.