The Full Bitter Melon Experience! - Growing, Harvesting, and Tasting from My Garden

[@TheKiwiGrower]

Hey guys, thanks for watching! To see me grow some more cool fruits, check out this video here :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6aUdZWGgZ2qsNE Hope you're all doing well. -Kalem

[@MitchK_]

Hope you're doing well too, Kalem! Thanks for sharing and posting all the cool facts about the Bitter Melon and the similarities other plants have with it! I love learning all these fascinating things plants can do🌱 🌍

[@Madhankumar-ev8hr]

The nightmare of my life, I hate eating it but my brother likes it

[@runar4993]

Do you know kiwanos? I had a few plants and these grew so incredibly fast in Belgium

[@andrewgoodbody2121]

S great to see you on tictok too, been following you since before you got all buff 😂

[@siedaferdous8072]

Please do QnA video

[@jenniferk6697]

You have to be the most organized person ever to keep track of all your growing from seed projects that take months and years.

[@gruseph]

He is a npc I don't think he is real. Bro was the first chatgpt

[@daveking-sandbox9263]

I use theses all the time in my salads. They are great for keeping your insulin levels down, Great for type two diabetics 🙂

[@ChiefofSinnersThoughIBe]

Diabetics have a problem producing/absorbing insulin and typically need more than produced by their body.

[@SuperSasky]

In the Caribbean the leaves are often boiled and drunk to help with diabetes control and other wise

[@amano6979]

I eat them when I lost my appetite. yes they're bitter but any foods you eat after that taste good. but that also depend on how you prepare them, if you not used to how it taste you can expect nuisance for a half day😅

[@michelle76678]

So true i make juice from it@@SuperSasky

[@HmunmawiiVanchhawng]

and Neem leaves as well

[@tonyskitchenreal]

I'm always so hyped when i see a new Upload of you Kalem! We all know that means quality time! Thank you for your effort and all the time you are spending to make those videos. ☀️🌴

[@shantim7740]

I loved this so much, bitter melons (called karela in hindi) are something we had when I was growing up in India but I didn't like them as a kid! I love when I find them in beggie markets in NZ, my main way of cooking them is with lots of tomatoes and garlic, sauted untils it's soft and almost... caramelisted. Sometimes I'd add a bit of golden syrup or date syrup to add some sweetness to the dish

[@iwant2c2]

I am located in southeast Texas and I grow bitter melon every summer. Once the ambient temperature is above 50 F at night the seeds can be sown directly into the soil. I soak the seeds at least 12 hours in water prior to sowing directly into the soil in a location with full sun. They germinate in about 5 days. They grow vigorously during the Texas summer.

[@coenvore1675]

Some of the best videos on the platform!

[@davidhoyt9835]

I found this interesting and fun. Thanks! I was introduced to the bitter melon (the Chinese variety) several years ago by both a Malaysian friend and a Taiwanese colleague. I love it! I usually stir fry the melon with oyster sauce and some onion. It's a great side dish to other Asian foods. Bitter melon is also good in scrambled eggs. I like bitter taste; much like Italian broccoli rabe. I grew it easily in Connecticut (USA) but now that I live in south Florida (USA) it's even easier and it really thrives in our sandy, alkaline "soil" (like beach sand, truly). I have long followed your channel here and enjoy your informative and entertaining production. Thanks, mate!

[@jackdaniels4547]

the sheep in the bamboo forest shot in the background was nice ❤️

[@naumikaur7459]

Very interesting, love these and also managed to grow them last 2 years in the UK. I do find that almost all the recipes I am used to ( tasted growing up) have some intense flavours masking the bitterness to some extent. My absolute favourite is everything u had in your recipe plus sautéed onion and tomatoes. Start with oil onion garlic ginger ,add onion and when it’s brown add tomatoes . When the6 go soft add Bitter melon and cook till soft. Thank u for this amazing video.

[@wanubijohari1]

Thanks for a very detailed video. Growing up in Guyana, SouthAmerica this plant was staple in most gardens because our parents used the leaves to make bitters to detox us children at the start of every school year, and we hated it, but as an adult it is one of my favorites to prepare with salted fish.

[@rodneylane7640]

That was professional, informative and highly entertaining... In fact up to your usual standard. Its obvious from how well these are put together just how much effort goes into making these videos. Thanks for the great content and looking forward to the next one.

[@TheKiwiGrower]

Cheers Rodney!

[@happymusics]

I grew to really like these bitter melons after adulthood because it reminded me of childhood. These go great with pre-stir fried beef which is added in to the cooked bitter melon w/ garlic & black beans. Make a light sauce at the end with water , soy sauce & corn starch to mix in all the flavors.

[@sayedsheik4722]

Hi Kalem, Than you so much for the amazing and educational videos over the years! 🙂Haven't seen any new videos the past few months, hope you have some great content to share. Hope you and everyone else there are well.

[@annhans3535]

Always learning so much from you. Bitter melons are one of my fav veggies. I normally slice them and soak them with salt to get some of the bitterness out. The dark green ones are really bitter. Squeeze the extra liquid out and wash the slices out and squeeze some more. Leave to dry overnight to dry it out in open air. Salute in onions, garlic and pepper and lots of tomatoes. Salute really well. The green ones might need some water added to steam them well. Eat with rice. It takes time to get used to eating it but after a while you will like it. And in the Caribbean we put small tiny shrimp in it and fry it up. It's even more delicious that way. Never had it when it turned yellow.

[@TheKiwiGrower]

Thanks for the tips!

[@sarah_farm]

My grandmother grew up in the countryside of the state of Virgi,. She and my great-grandmother used to make pig feet in the oven. It's awesome to see how others on the other side of the globe in a different culture make them. And it's an honor to have you visit our channel, we can discuss more about our experiences in harvesting and building farms.

[@XLittleXRed]

So interesting, and good to know they can be grown here in NZ! I enjoyed eating them in Okinawa, saw a few other people mention their dish goya champuru, it's a very nice way to eat bitter melon I found :) Another very interesting ingredient you can try in Okinawa is sea grapes!

[@hopefullyhigh]

Kind of off topic but also central to your whole channel, I have a guava seedling thats probably 3 weeks old at this point. I know its just a plant but the long germination time and high humidity to start it kind of intimidated me at first but your channel really helped show me how much wasnt just possible but easily attainable. Thank you for sharing and inspiring me, i can't wait to eat my own freshly harvested guavas 😋

[@TheKiwiGrower]

Thant's awesome, hope it keeps growing well! :)

[@cassandras2068]

Clicked on this cos I hate bitter melon and wanted to see if you enjoyed them lol. Really liked learning about the different plant bracts 👍

[@ashpjangde]

One recipe I suggest. Slit the bitter gourd to make it like a pouch, fill pickle spices in it then knot thin threads to it. Fry till it become almost black. It really tastes good.

[@TheKiwiGrower]

Thanks for the idea! :)

[@WILLIAMNG1026]

You can deep-fry the bitter melon and then cook with the salty egg York ! Super delicious ❤

[@gopalsamant2099]

In a stir fry we generally add some jaggery to it and another optional addition can be roasted peanut powder. It compliments the bitterness well. Also you can cut it into circular discs and make crispy chips in a air fryer or oven.

[@johnnyv303]

Imagine growing up and always having it for dinner, def explains the reasoning behind my bitter personality now! 😂

[@EvannaLily123]

Two weeks ago I saw this fruit/vegetable (the green one) in an oriental supermarket and there was no sign or anything telling you what it was etc. Now I stumbled across your channel and this video in particular and know what it is. So I just wanted to say thank you😊 Greetings from Europe🌍

[@eddiethinhvuong1607]

I'm from Vietnam, and I absolutely adore bittermelon. There are two types that I know, the normal one and the "forest" one. The latter is much much bitter, and it's also my favourite. Stir-fried bittermelon with beaten eggs Bittermelon stuffed pork soup Fridged raw bittermelon with shredded pork Are all go for dish, experiement them if you will. They are all super delicious 😁 Edit: Your type in the video is what we call forest bittermelon

[@mummymaxine]

❤😊

[@JoinInDiscussion]

Hi, Bitter Gauard is very good for diabetes. I rub salt on these and leave it for few hours to take the extra bitterness out before cooking. You can also air fry them instead of stir frying.

[@DonisP.]

This looks like Asosi in Haïti. The leaves are used in a tincture. Also infused with homemade moonshine to battle all sorts of ailments.

[@peterpain6625]

Those look really interesting. Really want to try them now. But i suppose you need so scrape deeper into the inner. Like getting all the white stuff out? Imagining them with some Onion added to the Garlic and chilli for a rounder taste. Thanks for sharing!

[@palestine2795]

Just got to work. Cannot wait to watch this on my break. Looking forward to it now even more now.

[@ozam35]

You are Amazing You are fantastic You are strong You are the best

[@LuqmanAbdullahMohammed3005]

🇹🇹 TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 🇹🇹 we call that carillie... You can stir fry it but what we do is cut it up nice and thin and salt it and put it out in the sun to dry a bit so that the bitterness can be reduced before cooking .. it can be cooked with some salted fish or any meat of choice ...

[@amysteggles]

Thanks for the inspiring content!

[@TheKiwiGrower]

Thanks so much for the support Amy, I really appreciate it! :)

[@mouayandrews8515]

I love bittermelon. I eat the leaves too.

[@asm5987]

Wonrderful !!! It is great to grow fruits and vegetables in New Zealand , in the north of France it is more difficult.... Best Regards !

[@deanndenny27]

I am from Guyana, South America

[@cobnick]

It’s so nice to finally see a new video from you!

[@CarlosAlejandro.-ke6gr]

Im building my house and next to my house there is an overgrown plot of land, i literally can't stop this weird cucumber plant to grow around the steel rebar of my house columns. Its crazy how fast it grows back.

[@7tonton]

Add bitten egg during cooking then eat with steamed rice. Yum!

[@glenaspeslagh6114]

Thank you for this video. I will try growing this plant myself; you’ve inspired me

[@huyt285]

One of my favorites vegetable to eat, whether it’s stirred fried or in soup.

[@seanjamescameron]

They certainly looks fascinating.

[@altafhasen4739]

The are my favorite if cooked right. The best way to salt treat the half moons is to leave them salted for a few hours and then repeat the process making sure to squeeze them dry. Then after frying them add a good amount of chopped tomatoes and fry the mixture until tomatoes become a paste and bitter melons start to get a little golden brown. Best enjoyed on a sandwich or with a flatbread. You can also cook this recipe with minced meat in it,

[@lynnvasquez4425]

I love bitter gourd. I always plant all year here in my garden in Brazil

[@caldwellsash]

My grandmother used to make salve and liniments from balsam.

[@thaik7474]

If you can,please show us how you treat the pragues in yours trees. I have this problem and i'm losing so many trees because of them. Sending love from Brazil 💛💚

[@raveraxx]

It's pretty common here in India. Love your videos

[@derGlücksfuchs14]

Being filipino, this is one of my favorite vegetables. I also like stirfrying it with eggs, tomatoes, ground meats or even canned tuna..

[@moni_som]

Karela /bitter gaurd is our family favourite vegetable ...my parents were shocked when they realised we their kids love it .most of the kid hate because of its bitter taste ....but we love it

[@perkyowl3792]

Mate you never disappoint

[@simplysimple7628]

One of my favorites. My kids like them too. Very good for you. We love them in any pork dish. I saute some pork with lots of garlic, onion and eggplant. I like to blanch the bittermelon in a separate pot of boiling water for about ten minutes or until tender. Drain the water, and add it to the pan of pork and eggplants. I’d even go as far as saying that this simple dish is my top 3 all time foods👍🏼😋😋 So ono with hot rice. Also the young shoots of the vines can be eaten also. Add to soups. Love them🙏🏼

[@victoryinhim9689]

Love to see a new video 😊😊😊

[@adarshguptak]

My Mom's trick: Boil chopped bitter gourd in water with little turmeric powder, raw sugar or jaggery, and tamarind (lemon juice). Boil for 3-5 minutes, discard water, and saute boiled bitter gourd pieces in little oil following sauteeing of finely chopped onions, salt, chilli powder, garnish with coriander powder and little raw sugar (jaggery or brown sugar). Very tasty with rice and tomato dal.

[@MuddasirShah]

As a kid I used to stay hungry when mum cooked these. Now they’re my favourite. Here’s my mum’s recepie. Try it and you’ll love it absolutely. 1. Cut into thin pieces (exactly as you did) 2. Sprinkle salt and then rinse 3. Slightly fry them, take them out from oil like french fries 4. Cut onion, fry that in fresh oil until the turn golden brown. I repeat don’t use the same oil from step 3. 5. Now add the half friend gourd to the onions. Sprinkle salt to taste. Add chicken if you’re not a vegetarian. (Slightly fry chicken before with little salt) 6. Add 2 green chillies don’t cut them. 7. Let them cook and then serve with roti 🫓 Amazing taste, after ladyfinger this is my second fav dish ❤

[@nildaotero2933]

Very interesting video. We have a way smaller (cundeamor) version in Puerto Rico. I remember sucking on the sweet seeds of the ripe fruit as a child.

[@ANAJASADVENTURESLIFEINUK]

I love this vegetable and I grow also in my greenhouse, the leaves you can make salad also.

[@randallnguyen7405]

I recommend making a popular vietnamese dish: Bitter melon soup. It's really good.

[@fernandoferdinand4866]

Supersubstantial and healthy food. My dad used to grow those in our garden and would naked us kids eat it either raw as a salad or sautéed with either pork, chicken, beef, or shrimp...yum!!..❤🌟🇨🇦🙏👍

[@Alaysia-bi6rl]

Upload more love your videos

[@CreateMyOwnOpportunities]

Hey Kaylem, kio ora from Tassie. Great video. 👍🏽 I subscribe, bro

[@insaf_]

Very well put together.

[@NaNaM1026]

I feel like you just squeezed out all the benefits of this vegetable. If you stir fry (without all the salt and squeezing of juice) with bean sprouts and tofu it’s delicious.

[@spriteespritee1237]

I watch your videos just to hear that nice Kiwi accent😂.Love it☺️

[@KingPootato]

I live in Bangladesh and we call it korola here its bitter but yummy 😋.

[@rebiecamara8670]

You're so cute growing bitter melon which alot don't know about but famous to Asian. You can add eggs on it. It's nice and delicious.

[@pelenaka]

Thank you for this video. 1st Summer growing Okinawan Bitter Melon 8n American Zone 3/4. It's been a wet & smog filled (Canadian Wildfires) garden season. I have so far harvested 2 Melons. I'm planning on dehydrating then pondering for use in smoothies. Hopefully it's as good as I heard for Diabetes. I had no idea I can use leaves & roots.

[@FizzyFang]

I love these types of videos

[@rosinazaidiart7500]

Such a lovely video will be griwing these in the UK

[@nasreenfatima4085]

My most favorite vegetable

[@Fingerboarderz23]

Nice video

[@mabuhayPinay]

Subbed! I like how much info you provide, now I know about brachts & arils. The trellis you made was awesome - I will modify it according to the materials I have & space availability. One thing to note: if you let a fruit turn yellow, it has generated mature seeds inside and has already signalled to the plant that it is the end of the growing season. This yellow fruit explodes to expose the seeds which will drop to the ground by gravity or wind (hence, you have volunteer plants next season). This signalling unfortunately tells the plant not to produce more fruit (and it is irreversible). It's the same phenomenon for cucumbers. Cukes have to be picked young so the plant can keep making fruit -- a survival mechanism. Now at the end of the growing period, allow the bitter melon to turn yellow so you can collect the seeds -- but enjoy the red arils first!

[@matthewjamestaylor]

I love your videos. Thanks for sharing. Cheers.

[@JulianJP21]

Year by year always great...... very thanks Man 👍💪 i hope to see more videos like a past year!!

[@rockstarthegamer8202]

Your plants are good

[@JenniferA886]

Nice vid… 👍👍👍

[@PeterEntwistle]

They are really cool-looking Kalem, I'm sure there are some good recipes out there for it. I noticed you have some banana plants growing in the background, I would love to see a video about them 😉

[@amyliang4383]

I don't like bitter melon when I was young. However, when it keeps appearing on the dinner table coz the adults like them, I get used to the bitter taste and love it now. Its a very common vege in China. We can stuff, fry, soup and stew them.

[@nawal2956]

Make curry with potato it tastes so good ❤

[@serenityq26]

Love bitter foods

[@L0neNin]

Cool

[@generrosity]

Nice knot work 👌 always good vids

[@deanndenny27]

In my country we cook it with meat, chicken or beef. You season your meat very well, add a little oil in the pan and cook until the meat is tender and golden then cut the bitter melon just like you did (the same way with covering the melon with the salt for 15 to 25 minutes) then throw the melon over the cooked meat and lower the heat, cover the pot, and season it to taste. We eat it with rice or boiled provisions. It is tasty and it also clean your blood and kidneys.

[@nasreenfatima4085]

Appreciate your efforts

[@hongbeaven4020]

I usually cut it in cylindrical round and stuff them with ground pork or chicken and spices, cook them in chicken broth, yumm

[@munterboy1744]

My dad cooks this it's nice, he frys it till it's caramelized with onions

[@TundeEszlari]

You are a very good KZbinr. ❤

[@pattyallen1994]

Hello I really liked your video. I am going to plant the white Japanese bitter melon so I was so excited to see you had from seed going on. Do you think little animals are interested in these cuz last time I grew cantaloupe and something got my very first one. I was so bummed. If you have any suggestions thank you in advance

[@zanderphons]

You should grow melons to that would be cool to see.

[@abdullahqureshi7165]

we stir fry them with minced beef and eat it with roti ( bread ) it combines the sour and saltiness of beef with bitterness of melons, gives a very delicious taste

[@JmattAlmigthy]

The story of mankind concludes in the backyard as freedivers preparing to travel the world. The garden is the classroom of the morning sunrise.

[@JL_Loki]

In south east Asia, we also use the young leaves for our vegetable soup. To lessen the bitterness when sauteed, we squeeze out the water by adding salt then rinse it after.

[@oceanman9937]

You should try growing blackthorn next

[@chrisbuchanan6304]

Cool video, Ill watch it later!😮

[@Anandini50]

Hello couple thing you can add after the veg is cooked to take away the bitterness lemon juice and little bit of suger/ stevia.

[@PatC.]

Some of the bitterness is in the peel, so peel them, then salt them in a strainer so the bitter juice falls below into a bowl for one hour. Then rinse off the salt and stir fry in oil with garlic, soy sauce, cayenne powder or hot pepper chips.... those flavorings mitigate some of the bitterness and it ends up tasty! I'm white, not Asian so I never ate this until a few years ago at age 65. And I normally do not like sour/bitter flavors but somehow I like this, ha. I grow the smoother, bigger, light green ones.

[@Betty-qd8st]

I wonder if I could use that structure for tomatoes?

[@suhasnaik3748]

add onions and saute and towards the end of the cooking some fresh grated coconut tastes yunny.!!!

[@asiatou4533]

In Suriname we call it Sopropo and is one of our favorite vegetables. If you want our recipe look then for Sopropo on youtube, cause we cook it with other herbs

[@MonsterSnowmobile]

They're called Bitter Cucumbers in Swedish. I have just gotten mine to sprout. It's a variety called 'Naja'

[@lambsaucethejedi1596]

Hey! I was curious if you could try growing/eating Akebia Quintana, AKA Chocolate vine. Cheers from Hungary!

[@backtonature433]

Here in the Philippines,doctors advised to eat bitter gourd in every meal if you had diabetes😉💚🌱💚