Dried Whole Luffa Look for the Light-weight Yellow Luffa Luffa turn yellow when they get ripe; that is your clue, not their size.  They don’t all grow huge before they get ripe.  As they turn yellow, they begin to dry out and they loose water weight.  When they are ready to harvest, they will be very light weight compared to when they were green, and the stem will start to show black or dark brown rot.   The luffa will sound hollow when you tap it.  Wait until all these signs are present. If you are patient, and wait for the luffa to be ready, then harvesting the sponges and the seeds is very easy.  If you are not patient, and if you don’t wait till the luffa is ready you will not have much to show for your work.  When you pick your luffa, either take a good sharp knife, or be prepared to be strong and clever.  The luffa stem won’t willingly come off the fruit, but you can twist it off the vine at the vine end.  Be sure to be careful that you don’t break the vine when you do this or the other luffa on the vine will all rot instead of ripen. The next reason for the knife...  See the photo to the left.  Simply cut the stem off, then cut a slit in the skin from the top to the bottom of the luffa.  I like to cut two slits, but once you get some practice, one slit will probably do.  If the luffa is ripe, the sponge will come out in your hand easily.  The bottom of the luffa sponge is open and the seeds will try to fall out, so hold it blossom end up, and down when you take the skin off. Next, I soak my luffa sponges, seeds and all, immersed in a bucket in a solution of 1/2 cup chlorine laundry bleach and 2 gallons of water for 2-4 hours.  This solution is good for several dozen luffa, or until you can’t smell the bleach any more (its all used up.)  You don’t have to do this, but it makes sure that nothing starts rotting, and that my luffa keep their beautiful ivory color.  After soaking I lay the luffa sponges out on racks or hang then on a line to dry.  If you lay them on a rack, they must be turned a couple of times each day until they are completely dry.  The seeds start to shake out the bottom almost immediately.  The last seeds will fall out when the luffa is really completely dry.   Put the seeds out on paper to dry completely, and stir them frequently.  When they are dry, the filmy outer covering flakes off.  I put them in a bin with tall sides and blow across them gently (out of doors) to blow out the chaff.  Store your seeds in a cool, dark, dry place until you are ready to plant them. If I need slices or chunks, I use a serrated knife to slice my luffa after it is dry. Made with Xara Click on any picture to see it enlarged Photos by Marnie Hutcheson  © Marnie Hutcheson & Shady Grove Preserver 2010 SGP Home Garden Luffa