Does Bottle Gourd Go Bad?

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Bottle gourd is a vegetable enrich with fiber and minerals essential for us. It is also rich in iron and protein.

Bottle gourd itself is a natural laxative. It keeps the digestive system healthy. This vegetable is almost 92 percent of the water. It helps to improve digestion.

During summer, it keeps the level of heat in our body maintained. Bottle gourd keeps us hydrated. It is a light green colored vegetable. Yes, it does go bad. Bottle gourd has a shelf life of two weeks if stored properly. We can regard it as one of the healthiest vegetables.

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How to store bottle gourd?

Bottle gourd needs to store properly. If stored with care, it stays good for two to three weeks. If you have brought bottle gourd from the market and now you are worried about its storage. We are glad you found this article. Following are points demonstrated for your ease to store bottle gourd accurately.

Moisture-free areas

No matter what vegetable you are storing, you have to keep it away from moisture. Too much humidity proves bad for vegetable’s health. Similarly, you should keep the bottle gourd away from water.

Moisture decreases the shelf life of bottle gourd—moisture results in spore formation or mold formation. Moisture cause microorganisms to grow in food. Make sure to put the bottle gourd away from moisture.

Bacteria thrive on moisture, so if you want your vegetable to stay good, the first step to take is to save it from water.

At room temperature

If talking about suitable temperatures for storing your vegetables, room temperature is the best option. Store your vegetables in cool and dry places. Place the vegetables away from heat. It would help if you kept the bottle gourd under cool temperature.

Refrigeration

One of the proper ways to store any vegetable is o keep it under refrigeration conditions. Once sliced or chopped, put them in glass containers. Make sure that the glass or the steel containers are covered with cling film.

Save them in those containers and refrigerate them. Refrigeration enhances the shelf life of vegetables. Good refrigeration way can increase its shelf life up to two to three weeks.

Can we freeze bottle gourd?

Yes, freezing your bottle gourds would work too. For freezing, adopt the proper method. First, go with peeling its skin once it is all peeled cut bottle gourd in shapes. Scald them in boiling water for 5 minutes and drain the water fully.

Such a method is known as flash freezing. Flash freezing is good for freezing your vegetables. If you want to freeze bottle gourd, follow this method’s instruction for a better outcome on thawing. Always flash freeze and then store your bottle gourd.

If you direct throwing it in the freezer for freezing, the sliced or chopped pieces of bottle gourd will stick together. Sometimes you are too lazy to scald the veggies and just put them in the freezer.

It is not an issue, but we are scared it will gain some spongy texture later. Put bottle gourd in zip lock freezer bag before putting it into the freezer.

How long does bottle gourd last?

The educated estimate of the bottle gourd’s shelf life is given as two to three weeks.

No food lasts for long if not provided with a suitable environment. It would be best if you consumed bottle gourd outside the refrigerator within few days. Bottle gourd stays fresh for few days out. It is better to refrigerate it.

Accurate storing of vegetables can increase their shelf life. All the best way and methods for keeping your bottle gourd are mentioned in this article.

Bottle gourd tends to absorb water from the environment, so it needs to be placed in moisture-free areas.

Moisture is a high threat to the shelf life of not only bottle gourd but all the vegetables. Our body requires the intake of fresh vegetables.

Vegetables are an important need of our body. Good care of vegetables is recommended to keep them long-lasting. We must consume bottle gourd within the estimated time given of its shelf life.

How to tell if bottle gourd is bad?

Bottle gourd is a healthy vegetable and must be eaten when it is fresh. Unluckily, if you forgot that you had a bottle gourd in your refrigerator and now wondering is it still safe to consume.

Few of the common signs which indicate the spoilage of bottle gourd are written below.

It feels not firm and smooth to you or observing it seems as changed in color. It would aid if you did not eat it then, and it is good to discard it.
Some types of bruises on the surface or skin of bottle gourd indicates its spoilage. Soft spots on the skin of the bottle gourd mean it has turned bad.
If your bottle gourd tastes off, discard it.