Indian Long Green Bitter Melon Seeds

Momordica charantia

Grown on Ophidian Farms - always organic!

Bitter melon originated from the South Indian state of Kerala and was introduced into China in the 14th century. It is widely used in the cuisines of East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. This Indian variety is considered by many to be the most medicinal of all Bitter Melons, but others in the Far East dispute this.

Indian bitter melon is small to medium in size, averaging 10-25 centimeters in length, and is oblong in shape with tapered, pointed ends. The thick, bumpy, and waxy skin is rough and is covered in small spikes and knobs. When young, the melon is green and firm, but as it ages, it transitions to yellow-orange and becomes soft and soggy. The white, thin flesh is aqueous and crunchy surrounding a small cavity filled with seeds and pith. When cooked, Indian bitter melon is tender and has a sharp, bitter flavor.

Indian bitter melon, botanically classified as Momordica charantia, grows on a prolific climbing vine that can reach over five meters in length and is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family along with cucumbers and watermelon. Also known as the Bitter cucumber, Bitter squash, Balsam-Pear, and Bitter gourd in English, Karela in Hindi, Peria in Malay, and Ampalaya in Tagalog, Indian bitter melons are the edible pods of vines that grow in tropical and subtropical regions across the world. Favored for their medicinal properties, Indian bitter melons have been used for centuries in traditional eastern medicine and have also become a common culinary ingredient in Asia markets.

Botanical Names: Momordica charantia
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Common Names: Bitter Melon, Bitter Gourd, Bitter cucumber, Bitter squash, Balsam-Pear, Karela in Hindi, Peria in Malay, Ampalaya in Tagalog
Life Cycle: Annual
Plant Type: Herbaceous vine

Requirements: Bitter melon is easy to grow.  Simply treat them exactly as you would Cucumbers.  They germinate fairly easy, but need to be kept moist for germination.  If they dry out, germination rates fall dramatically.  They need to be protected from cold temperatures, and will need a trellis or some support as they are vining climbers.  From our experience they seem to be resistant to the pests which normally plague cucumbers and squash in our gardens.  Bitter melons can be harvested for food any time up to the point when they start to change color from green to orange.  At that point they can be harvested instead for seed-saving.  There are many ways of preparing Bitter melons as food, but we prefer to ferment them.  The extremely bitter taste is difficult for many westerners to get used to, but is also one of the important parts of its medicinal value.  The taste does become easier to deal with over time and repeated nibbling.  Only the outside green flesh is used, the inner pith and seeds are discarded.

Medicinal Properties

Bitter melon has been used in various Asian and African herbal medicine systems for a long time. In Turkey, it has been used as a folk remedy for a variety of ailments, particularly stomach complaints. In traditional medicine of India, different parts of the plant are used as claimed treatments for diabetes (particularly Polypeptide-p, an insulin analogue), and as a stomachic, laxative, antibilious, emetic, anthelmintic agent, for the treatment of cough, respiratory diseases, skin diseases, wounds, ulcer, gout, and rheumatism.

Momordica charantia has a number of purported uses including cancer prevention, treatment of diabetes, fever, HIV and AIDS, and infections. While it has shown some potential clinical activity in laboratory experiments, "further studies are required to recommend its use". In 2012, the germplasm and chemical constituents, such as momordicin within several varieties of the gourd, were being studied.

With regard to the use of Momordica charantia for diabetes, several animal studies and small-scale human studies have demonstrated a hypoglycemic effect of concentrated bitter melon extracts. In addition, a 2014 review shows evidence that Momordica charantia, when consumed in raw or juice form, can be efficacious in lowering blood glucose levels.

In Jamaica, tea brewed from cerasee leaves is a popular remedy for stomach and abdominal ailments. The plant grows wild in many areas, and the tea is made with freshly gathered leaves. The dried leaves in tea bags are also sold commercially and readily available for sale in stores.

Reported side effects include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, hypoglycemia, urinary incontinence, and chest pain. Symptoms are generally mild, do not require treatment, and resolve with rest.  Bitter melon is contraindicated in pregnant women because it can induce bleeding, contractions, and miscarriage.

Approximately 10 seeds / gram

Auction is for 1 packet = 1 gram = around 10 seeds

Germination rate = 86 %

Harvested fresh in fall of 2021, for sale through 2022!

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