Although the bitter melon dish has a bitter taste that clears away heat and detoxifies, many people stay away from it because of its bitter taste. When we fried a large plate of bitter melon at night and couldn't finish it the next day, we couldn't help but wonder: Can this bitter melon be eaten? This question can be described as a soul torture in the bitter melon world. Today we will find out.

In fact, as a vegetable, the shelf life of bitter melon is closely related to the way it is stored. If the fried bitter melon is left at room temperature, it will easily breed bacteria and deteriorate. Therefore, whether the bitter melon fried at night can be eaten the next day mainly depends on how it is stored.

If we put the fried bitter melon in a covered container and put it in the refrigerator, its shelf life can be extended to 2-3 days. Under refrigeration conditions, the reproduction rate of bacteria will be greatly slowed down, thereby delaying the deterioration process of bitter melon. However, it should be noted that the taste of bitter melon will change slightly after refrigeration, and the bitterness may be weakened.

For those who don’t have a refrigerator, a safer way is to reheat the fried bitter melon. The purpose of heating is to kill possible bacteria and ensure the safety of bitter melon. There are many ways to reheat, such as heating in a microwave oven, reheating in a wok, etc. Just heat until the inside is fully heated.

It is worth mentioning that for fried bitter melon that is not sure whether it has gone bad, we can judge it through the following aspects:

Observation: Deteriorated bitter melon often produces peculiar smell and color Darkening, mucus appearing on the surface, etc.

Smell it: spoiled bitter melon will have an obvious sour smell or other peculiar smell.

Taste it: If the bitter melon tastes sour or has an off-flavor, it has gone bad and should no longer be eaten.

Whether the bitter melon fried at night can be eaten the next day depends on how it is stored. If stored properly, such as refrigerated or reheated, it can continue to be consumed. However, if it is not stored properly and there are signs of deterioration, do not eat it to avoid causing gastrointestinal discomfort. Next time you fry bitter gourd, remember to use it in moderation to avoid waste~