Here's How To Tone Down The Bitterness Of Bitter Melon

While the gnarly, green fruit might appear bristly, the pungent flavor of bitter melon can be tamed. Giving the fruit a good soak can banish the bitterness and make it more palatable. Although the fruit will never completely lose its bitter note, these methods reduce the pucker so that it can be more easily incorporated into a dish.

Reducing bitterness in bitter melon is usually achieved in one of three ways: soaking it in saltwater, just plain salting it, or blanching it. Our tongues respond to salt in such a way that our perception of bitterness decreases and the sweetness (even of savory foods) is enhanced. Anyone who has put salt on watermelon or added salt to a chocolate dessert has tasted this in action. If salt is used, however, it is vital to rinse or otherwise remove the salt before using bitter melon in a recipe. Otherwise, the flavor is a salted melon, which is not the preferred result.

The blanching method, on the other hand, actually changes the produce's cell structure. As the skin softens, the flavor characteristics mellow, and the harsher taste molecules diffuse into the water. Although the extreme pucker of the bitter melon can be overpowering, these prep methods can transform its punch into more of a nudge. 

Whether called bitter melon, bitter gourd, or bitter squash, the inherent bitterness is and will always be part of the produce. While soaking, salting or blanching can help tame the astringency, properly preparing the ingredient beforehand is equally as helpful.

After cutting through the bumpy, texture-rich green skin, the bitter melon's white core, seeds, and pith hold much of the pungent flavor. By carefully scraping out the melon's center, the sour notes will be less apparent. It is vital to remove as much of the inner white components as possible. The concept is similar to how the seeds of a pepper contain more capsaicin, which are removed when cooks want to reduce spice levels in a recipe. With just the skin remaining, the bitter melon can be sliced into small pieces and incorporated into various recipes. 

Popular dishes include stir fry, soup, or even a salad. The thin, green ingredient brings a slightly crunchy texture as well as a contrast to the other flavors in the recipe. 

In many cases, recipes can benefit from bitter melon and its bold taste. Finding a way to balance a recipe's overall flavor with this ingredient makes people appreciate its unique qualities. While not as simple as adding a dash of seasoning to the pot, it can be a way to create layers to a complex dish. Generally, a well-composed dish contains bitter, salty, sour, sweet, and umami. If the bitter melon is one component, the other ingredients should be as bold to stand up to the melon's pungency. 

For example, an easy stir fry is a popular dish because it can hit all the flavor notes. An unctuous pork with a sugary snap pea and a splash of soy sauce can bring all the ingredients together for a balanced bite. The concept can apply to any dish, no matter the regional inspiration. In the end, bitter melon is not a hard flavor to swallow when its flavor has balance within a dish. Even if the appearance might be a little ugly, the flavor may not be as harsh as it looks.