The value of winter melon breeding

Wax gourd is the most ideal vegetable for our hot summer days. It has the effect of cooling down. Let’s learn about wax gourd together.

Gourd

Wax gourd is commonly known as hairy melon. It is an annual climbing herb of the Cucurbitaceae family and a variant of winter melon. The shape of the fruit of wax gourd ranges from short cylindrical to long cylindrical, and the color of the peel ranges from dark green, green to yellow-green. Wax gourd is considered to be a nutritious and delicious melon. Both old and young melons are suitable for stir-frying, boiling or making soup. The young melon has a smooth and light texture, and is best used in cooking. In Hong Kong, young wax gourds with fresh petals that have not dried are even considered high-end vegetables.

Wax gourd is native to southern my country and is one of my country's specialty vegetables. It has a long history of cultivation in various parts of Lingnan and a large cultivation area. In Hainan, wax gourd has been cultivated for many years. Among melon vegetables, wax gourd has a low sodium and fat content, and eating it often can help lose weight. In addition, wax gourd also has the effects of clearing heat, clearing summer heat, detoxifying, diuresis, and reducing swelling. It is an ideal vegetable for hot summer.

Benefits of Winter Melon

1. Wax gourd has a good effect of clearing away heat and relieving summer heat. Eating more wax gourd in summer can not only quench thirst and relieve summer heat, but also prevent people from getting carbuncle.

2. Winter melon is a diuretic and contains very little sodium, so it is an excellent product for reducing edema caused by chronic nephritis, malnutrition, and pregnant women.

3. Wax gourd is cold in nature, can nourish the stomach, clear away stomach fire, reduce appetite, and promote the conversion of starch and sugar in the body into heat energy instead of fat. Therefore, wax gourd is an ideal vegetable for obese people.

4. Wax gourd has anti-aging effects. Long-term consumption can keep the skin as white as jade, moisturized and smooth, and can maintain a healthy body.

Storage instructions

1. Young melons are not resistant to storage and can only be kept for 3 to 5 days in a damp, cool and ventilated place. Mature melons are resistant to storage because they have reached physiological maturity.

2. If the skin of the wax gourd is intact and intact, it can be placed in a cool and ventilated place with straw or wood under it. If the wax gourd is cut, clean white paper or plastic film should be placed tightly on the cut surface and then placed in a dark, dry and ventilated place.

Cooking knowledge

Young melons have a smooth, light texture. Both old and young melons can be stir-fried, boiled or made into soup, but young melons are preferred.

Dietary precautions

Main ingredients: 1 dried octopus (about 2 taels, or 80 grams), 12 taels each of pork elbow and wax gourd (about 480 grams), 6 red dates, and 1 slice of ginger.

Method: 1. Soak the octopus until soft, blanch it in cold water; remove the pits from the red dates.

2. Peel the wax gourd and wash it.

3. Wash the pork belly, cook in boiling water for 5 minutes, and rinse with cold water.

4. Bring an appropriate amount of water to a boil, add the pork belly, octopus, red dates and ginger and bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 3 hours and add salt to taste.

Boiled zucchini with dried oysters and scallops

Ingredients: 1 wax gourd, 3-4 taels of pork bones, 5 dried oysters, 4 dried scallops, a small piece of ginger

Method: 1. Peel the wax gourd and cut into large pieces.

2. Soak the scallops and dried oysters in a bowl of water half a day in advance. Do not pour out the soaking water, save it for later use.

3. Pour oil into the pot and bring it to a boil. First, stir-fry the pork bones and dried oysters, then add about three bowls of water (use the water used to soak the scallops), bring to a boil over high heat, then turn to low heat and cook for about 20 minutes. When the soup becomes thick, add the chopped melon and shredded scallops, turn to high heat again and then turn to low heat. Wait until the wax gourd is soft and add salt to taste.

Efficacy: Dried scallops are very nutritious, containing protein, calcium phosphate, vitamin A, vitamin B, and vitamin D. This dish can nourish yin, nourish the liver and kidneys, and benefit the essence. If you replace dried oysters with clams, the kidney-tonifying effect will be best.

Home remedies for curing diseases

To remove heat: Wash the lychee shells and cook them together with wax gourd, then drink the soup.

Nutrients contained (per 100g)

Energy 12 kcal

Protein 0.6 g

Fat 0.1 g

Carbohydrates 3.4 g

Dietary fiber 1.2 g

Thiamine 0.02 mg

Riboflavin 0.05 mg

Niacin 0.4 mg

Vitamin C 39 mg

Vitamin E 0.27 mg

Calcium 4 mg

Phosphorus 13 mg

Potassium 40 mg

Sodium 0.2 mg

Magnesium 7 mg

Iron 0.1 mg

Zinc 0.08 mg

Selenium 0.26 micrograms

Copper 0.02 mg

Manganese 0.1 mg