This loofa measures approximately 7-8 inches.
Good to know:
- Luffa sponges sold in Quebec come largely from Asia and the Middle East.
- Although they are sometimes certified organic, they are often treated in such a way as to avoid the importation of undesirable organisms.
- They are compacted and delivered by container. They travel a very long way before they arrive in your house!
The short story:
- Vegetable sponges come from a plant in the cucurbitaceae family, luffa or loofah.
- It’s a subtropical plant. Ideally, it grows in greenhouses in our latitudes. Grown in a greenhouse, it reaches full maturity and thus yields a greater number of fruits.
- The plant produces squash about 50 cm long on average.
- At maturity, the flesh inside the fruit dries to leave only the fiber. The squashes are then peeled and washed with care, then comes the arduous step of getting the seeds out of the fruit. Then they will be dried in the sun and ready to be used.
Interview: Wash in the dishwasher or washer. Do not dry them. When their useful life is over, compost.