When are fresh lilies available? Why are they bitter?
In daily life, many people particularly enjoy eating fresh lilies, because lilies are a very good traditional Chinese medicine and also a nutritious food, with the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying. So when are fresh lilies available? Why are they bitter?
When are fresh lilies available
Lilies bud in early June, begin flowering in early July, reach full bloom in mid-July, and finish flowering in late July, with the fruiting period from July to October. Fresh lilies are abundantly available on the market from October to November each year, and after that they are all fresh lilies from cold storage. However, lilies can only be dug once autumn arrives and the ground begins to freeze, but not too late, otherwise once frozen they are difficult to dig.
Why are fresh lilies bitter
The main reason is still the difference in water content.
The lilies we normally buy should not have an off smell once opened. When it comes to choosing dried lilies, there are two misconceptions among the public: thinking that the whiter the better, and the bigger the better. In fact, this is wrong. She said that the color of dried lilies should be white, or slightly pale yellow or pale brownish yellow.
In addition, dried lilies should be hard and brittle, and the broken surface should be horny-like and relatively smooth. Dried lilies that are overly white may have been bleached with sulfur, and using them medicinally can have side effects. Medicinally speaking, smaller scales are better than larger ones.
She explained that dried lilies bleached with sulfur easily absorb moisture, and when boiled they give off a sour taste, so one should be careful when buying them. Fresh lilies can be used to prepare all kinds of dishes, such as “stir-fried beef with lily” and “stir-fried celery with lily”, with a mild taste and refreshing texture, making them truly excellent stir-fried seasonal vegetables. People in Guangzhou also use lilies with mung beans, Chinese yam and so on to make soup as a summer cooling and nourishing soup. I estimate that the lily you bought is a bitter lily, because I have bought 2 kinds of lilies at the market, one is bitter and cheap; the other is sweet, and its price is much higher than the bitter one, especially when fresh.
For fresh lilies sold loose in supermarkets, pay special attention: a lily made up of many small lily heads, with a little red or completely white on top, is a bitter lily. Sweet lilies generally have only one head, and are thicker and sturdier than bitter lilies, with a color like white jade, very beautiful, and are vacuum-packed and refrigerated; I cannot remember the brand clearly. This kind of sweet lily is sweet no matter how you cook it. At the same time, I suggest that next time before buying, take a piece and taste it first; if it is bitter, do not buy it, and if it is sweet, buy a little more.