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How to Harvest Home Grown Luffa Welcome to the luffa.info loofah sponge harvest page! Here are photos with step by step descriptions of luffa sponge gourds from the home garden being picked, peeled, and cleaned for use. When to pick your loofah is the big question. If the skin feels loose like it will come off easily, then it's ready. That is the short answer. The luffa seed pods can hang on the vine until they are crisp and dry but you do not need to wait until the skin gets crisp. It may be easier to peel them when they are fully dry and most good ones will still be good after hanging that long. However, the loofahs tend to get darker the longer they hang. If it rains much it is more likely to develop rot or dark spots. If any part turns black from decay then it should be peeled before the whole thing rots. Brown is OK but black is not. For the fiber to be fully developed, you don't want to pick it too soon either. Once the green color has started leaving and the weight has decreased, the fiber quits growing. Lift to feel the difference. It should be lighter and the skin should be loose. Anytime after that they can be picked and peeled. If you time it just right the skin will fall off easily. If they have been hit by frost they have quit developing and should be peeled soon before they begin to decay. If the vines have died off before reaching full maturity there may still be some good fiber, but green hard skin may be much harder to peel. An easy way to test the development of the fiber is by slightly crushing and/or throwing the luffa pod hard at the ground. If there is fiber worth peeling, it will hold together. If it breaks apart, then it wasn't developed enough. |
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| The first step is to select a loofah that is ready to be peeled. Luffa pods lose the dark green color and become lighter in weight when ready. Some varieties go from green to dark brown. Some types turn a yellow or light brown color. The photos show two different varieties. Sometimes just being a lighter green signals ripeness. The skin feels loose and thinner when they are ready to pick. If it feels like it can be peeled easily then it is ready. |   |
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| The loofah sponges can be removed by twisting until the vine breaks. If the vine is still alive it may be desirable to neatly cut the sponges off in order to minimize damage to the vine. |  |
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| Slamming the luffa pod against a hard surface will knock the skin and seeds loose. Slightly crushing the sponges can also loosen the skin. This is especially helpful for peeling less mature loofah with hard green skin. The skin will normally fall off easily if the loofah is fully mature. |  |
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| The bottom tip of the luffa pod can be broken off and many seeds can be shaken out before peeling. Seeds should be allowed to dry before storing so they don't get moldy. Luffa seeds have a thin clear layer on the outside that comes off after drying. Gently rub and blow off the seed coating. As soon as the seeds have dried, store in a cool place. Refrigerate or freeze in airtight containers for long term storage. |  |
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| Use your thumbs to find a loose spot along a seam. Push in to create a tear and pull apart the skin. Tear up the seam. If the loofah is fully ripe it will come off easily. If not, then some slamming, crushing, and digging with fingernails may be needed. If peeling large numbers of loofahs it may be a good idea to wear gloves. The skin on your hands can become overly exfoliated and sore after peeling many. |  |
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Peel the skin back off one end, usually the top, and pull off the other end. Do whatever works best for you. After peeling several you'll get a feel for the best method. Try to get all the skin off as little pieces left behind tend to turn brown. |
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| Apply water pressure from a hose sprayer to remove most of the sap color. It washes out many seeds also. Washing with soapy water in a bucket and then spraying is another option. Squeeze and shake out excess water. If your luffa fiber is very dark, or has many dark spots, soaking in a bucket of water with some chlorine bleach will remove most stains. It doesn't take much bleach, maybe one cup for 3 to 5 gallons of water. Don't bleach any longer than needed. Rinse well. Most loofahs are good with no bleaching. This one was sprayed with water only and then dried. |  |
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The final result is a loofah drying in the sun. Allow to dry completely. Rotate as needed. The sunlight will slightly lighten and change the color. Leaving in the sunlight for longer periods will change the texture of the loofah, it gets rougher feeling. Make sure it is completely dry before storing or mold may grow on any remaining sap. Store dry loofahs in a bag or box where dust won't settle on them. They can be kept for years as long as they stay dry and dust free.
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