Luffa / Gourd

Our farm-fresh luffa / gourd is grown without synthetic pesticides in Lineville, Alabama and harvested at peak flavor. A fresh, local favorite for the Alabama table. Sold fresh through local Alabama delivery, farm pickup, and our farmers-market stand.

• Grown in: Lineville, Alabama (no synthetic pesticides)
• Freshness: Harvested at peak and sold fresh
• Availability: Seasonal - local Alabama delivery & pickup
• Storage: Refrigerate and enjoy fresh
• Why it's good: Nutrient-dense and picked at peak freshness

• Storage: Young eating gourds go in the crisper in a bag. Mature gourds for sponges should air-dry in a warm, airy spot - never in the fridge
• Shelf life: Four to seven days for young gourds. A mature gourd dried down to a sponge keeps indefinitely
• Washing: Rinse and peel young gourds before cooking. For a sponge, wait until the shell is brown and rattles, then soak it and peel the skin away.
• Using: Under about eight inches, cook it like summer squash - it is mild and absorbs whatever it is cooked with. Past that it turns fibrous and its future is as a sponge, not food.

Is this the same thing as a loofah sponge?
Yes - the same plant and the same fruit at a different age. Picked young it is a tender vegetable. Left on the vine to mature and dry, the flesh disappears and what remains is the fibrous skeleton people scrub with.

How do I know if mine is for eating or for scrubbing?
Size and feel. Under eight inches and still soft to a fingernail, it is food. Longer than that, or firm and starting to feel light for its size, and the fibers have already set - it will be stringy no matter how you cook it.

What does it taste like?
Very mild, close to zucchini with a hint of cucumber. It has almost no flavor of its own, which is the point - it soaks up broth, garlic, chili and oil. It also releases a lot of water, so cook it hotter and faster than you think.

How do I turn one into a sponge?
Leave it on the vine until the skin goes brown and papery and the gourd rattles when you shake it. Soak it in water for a day, peel the shell off, shake the seeds out, then rinse and dry it fully in the sun.