Wax gourd is called wax gourd, which doesn't mean that it is ripe in winter. But because when the melon is ripe, the surface of the melon skin will be covered with a layer of white powder, which is very similar to the frost in winter. Therefore, wax gourd is also called "white melon". In the heat of summer and autumn, it has a cool meaning and looks very pleasing to the eye, so people are still used to naming it "wax gourd". Instead of calling it "summer melon". Otherwise, how many people like the habit of sleeping with wax gourd in summer, because it is cool.

Little knowledge of wax gourd

Wax gourd (scientific name: Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.) is an annual creeping or framed herb of Cucurbitaceae, with yellow-brown bristles and villous stems, furrowed petioles, thick bristles and villous, monoecious, solitary flowers, long cylindrical or nearly spherical fruits, large, bristles and hoarfrost, and oval seeds.

Wax gourd is mainly distributed in other tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, and cultivated in all parts of China. There are wild people in southern Yunnan (Xishuangbanna) in China, and the fruit is far smaller. Eastern Australia and Madagascar are also distributed.

Wax gourd fruit can be used as a vegetable, but also as a variety of candies. Peels and seeds are used medicinally, and have anti-inflammatory, diuretic and repercussive effects.

Who can't eat wax gourd?

Winter melon is cold, spleen and stomach qi deficiency, diarrhea loose stool, and people with stomach cold and pain should not eat cold winter melon; During women's menstrual cramps and cold dysmenorrhea, people should not eat raw wax gourd.

Xiangke food:

1, crucian carp: Although the combination of wax gourd and crucian carp can promote lactation, it will increase the urine output of the parturient, and the parturient should decide whether to eat after considering his own physical condition.

2, vinegar: cooking and melon cooking, the nutrients in melon will be destroyed by vinegar, reducing the nutritional value. It is recommended that you don't put vinegar when cooking melon, as long as the dishes are light in taste.

How to preserve wax gourd after cutting?

Keep in the shade

If you can't finish eating the wax gourd after cutting, you can put the remaining wax gourd in a ventilated and cool place, which can also save 1-2 days, but it is best to eat it on the same day.

Refrigerator preservation

The unused wax gourd can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the fresh-keeping layer of the refrigerator. The storage time of this method is about 2-3 days.

Preserve with plastic wrap

After the wax gourd is cut, bits and pieces of mucus will appear on the cut surface. At this time, you can stick it with a piece of plastic wrap larger than the cut surface or clean white paper with the same size as the cut surface, and touch it with your hands to keep it fresh for 3-5 days.

Soak rice in water for preservation.

Peel the wax gourd, remove the seeds, cut it into palm-sized pieces, then cut each piece three times horizontally and vertically without breaking the bottom, soak it in rice washing water for 24 hours, then change it into cold water and add a little salt to continue soaking. This can be stored for 2-3 days.

How to preserve the whole melon?

If it is a melon that has not been cut, it can be stored for several months at room temperature. But eating fresh wax gourd has better taste and nutrition.