Luffa. I Picked and Peeled Some.

I picked a few old looking Luffas, put them in the shed for a few days but got impatient and peeled one.  Just to see how hard it would be and what it looked like inside.  I peeled it and left it sitting on an outside table for a couple of days.  This is it.   A bit mangy looking isn't it?   But as I have never done one before and have only seen dried and clean/bleached ones once at a market stall I have no idea if this is what they will all look like.  Or if this is what they should look like...


I'm thinking they should have been picked sooner but don't know.








I did manage to shake out some of the seeds though there are still more in there.  The Luffa did end up a bit broken though...Hmmm, maybe I did it wrong...
No matter, I have more so can practice 'til I get it right.

I peeled another of the picked ones to see how that looked.  It looks OK but how do I get the seeds out without breaking it apart.

The end of the Luffa looks a bit like a small trapdoor and it does open up easily so you can see all the seeds and inner workings.

I opened this end and then peeled the outside skin/shell off.  It peels off easily and the inside feels squishy and damp. 

 I'm going to leave it for a few days to see if it dries enough for the seeds to fall out.

Next week I will pick a couple of the greener looking ones that are on the vine to see if I can get a better understanding of when they should be picked.  The ones on the vine now all look the same but some of them do feel lighter.  Is picking earlier better, letting them dry out a bit on the vine, waiting for the vine to die off...It will be fun trying different ways.

I have read different blogs and even watched people on Youtube do it.  This looked easier than some of them but as I am yet to try other ways it might take a few seasons to find what suits me best.