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Biter Melon Aril Tastes like Cherry Candy?

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Galatians522:
I was reading Baker Creek's seed catalogue and it says that the ripe aril on their Jyunpaku bitter melon from Okinowa is sweet and tastes like cherry candy. Can anyone verify if this is true and if there is enough flesh to bother with? If it is, I may have to grow some just to try it. Note: for anyone who does not know, the aril is edible but the seeds are poisonous.

Eggo:
I have not grown that variety, I do plan to grow it this season though. However, I've grown a few different bittermelon strains in the past and all produce sweet arils. I would describe the flavor as very slight berry flavor with no acidity so yes a waterdown candy sweetness. There's no offensive undertone to the flavor at all but nothing that would wow you... like a bland sweetness. The texture though is one that people may love or hate. It is gelatinous and reminds me of jelly or some random ingredients you find in a boba drink. I enjoyed the texture but can see it could not be for everyone.  There probably is not enough of the flesh around the arils to make it worthwhile, for me it was more of a byproduct of saving the seeds. Actually easier to eat the aril flesh than to clean it when seed saving. But nothing where i would have that says hey i'm craving some sweet bittermelon arils today, ahah. Now, maybe this Jyunpaku variety will change my mind :)

slopat:
I'll have to try growing this one too, it'll probably be a challenge as the nights cool down most of the time and last year I finally found a variety that finally produced and sized up decently. Not quite sure what to make of this but most of the bittermelon I've seen becomes sweet as they turn overripe orange yellow.  Even my cat used to lick them. So I never knew that term "arils" nor that it was edible so thanks for that. Flesh sliced thin and stir fry with either beef, pork, or chicken in black bean sauce is what I'm used to. Leaves for tea is soso. But arils?

Now I just had a flashback of cubed overripe orange bittermelon steamed with shrimp paste and Chicharrones!

CarolinaZone:

--- Quote from: Galatians522 on February 26, 2023, 08:14:03 PM ---I was reading Baker Creek's seed catalogue and it says that the ripe aril on their Jyunpaku bitter melon from Okinowa is sweet and tastes like cherry candy. Can anyone verify if this is true and if there is enough flesh to bother with? If it is, I may have to grow some just to try it. Note: for anyone who does not know, the aril is edible but the seeds are poisonous.

--- End quote ---
There's no bitter melon that is not bitter. Less bitter...maybe. Not bitter, never.

JCorte:
Galatians522,  I have grown that specific variety you're asking about from Baker Creek.  It does not taste like cherry candy to me.  When the melon turns yellow the arils are red and become sweet, but doesn't taste good enough for me to grow for the arils.  I grew it two years in a row, first in Laguna Beach then second in Fallbrook.  I wanted to see if quality improved with the warmer temps at the farm, but they tasted the same both years. 

Janet

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