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Home > Yes, a luffa is a squash

Yes, a luffa is a squash

October 25th, 2013 at 10:20 pm

When I tell people I'm growing luffa sponges, most of them look at me like I'm crazy. You'd be surprised how many people think they are ocean creatures, rather than squash!

Anyway, I had to harvest mine today because it actually snowed here yesterday. I grew a lot, now the question is can I dry them correctly so they are usable sponges.

Well, we'll see if those youtube videos are any good. Here is what we harvested, and what they look like now. By the way, the pile is nearly three feet tall.

And, we harvested a handful of peanuts. It was cool to see what they look like on the plant!



Posted in Uncategorized | 11 Comments »

11 Responses to “Yes, a luffa is a squash”

  1. creditcardfree Says:
    October 25th, 2013 at 10:33 pm 1382736804
    1382736804

    Wow! I think I thought they were from the sea, but clearly your pictures show they are not. Cool.

  2. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    October 25th, 2013 at 10:35 pm 1382736903
    1382736903

    Cool! Have you tried eating them when they are tiny? I never have.

  3. ThriftoRama Says:
    October 25th, 2013 at 10:52 pm 1382737936
    1382737936

    They don't smell particularly appetizing!

  4. ceejay74 Says:
    October 25th, 2013 at 11:17 pm 1382739451
    1382739451

    I always assumed they were sea plants or critters, I guess because of sponges, and because they look so alien. Learn something new every day!

  5. scfr Says:
    October 26th, 2013 at 03:10 pm 1382796654
    1382796654

    I had no idea! Thanks for the info. Are you going to sell what you don't need for your family? Give as gifts?

  6. ThriftoRama Says:
    October 26th, 2013 at 04:38 pm 1382801922
    1382801922

    The hope is that if they work out, we can use them as part of a larger homemade items gift basket, but we'll see if they work out.

  7. baselle Says:
    October 27th, 2013 at 03:15 am 1382843702
    1382843702

    I knew that! Your 'after' luffa picture looks great. Remember that what's left is a really tight weave of cellulose and lignin so as long as you've cleaned out the rest, your luffas should be nearly indestructable.

  8. ThriftoRama Says:
    October 27th, 2013 at 02:25 pm 1382883911
    1382883911

    U dunked and scrubbed them in a bucket of soapy water. Hopefully that got most of the stuff off. We'll see.

  9. baselle Says:
    October 28th, 2013 at 04:11 am 1382933486
    1382933486

    I think some recipes have one dunk the luffas in either chlorine bleach or hydrogen peroxide to get them that white/creamy white.

  10. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    October 28th, 2013 at 05:38 pm 1382981934
    1382981934

    Yes, I have bleached mine and it also softens the fibers. So if you want some less scratchy ones, bleach will do it. Bleach also helps loosen the attachment of those papery bits left from the "shell." Did you cut them open to shake out the seeds?

  11. ThriftoRama Says:
    October 28th, 2013 at 07:05 pm 1382987113
    1382987113

    Thanks for the tips, guys! The seeds are gone. They have been washed and dried, and I will try bleaching. I've heard it takes little bleach to get the job done.

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