How to Grow a Loofah Sponge Plant

Loofah or Luffa sponge, the spelling is about as interesting as the sponge itself. Did you know you could grow your own Loofah sponges? I had no clue until my son-n-law's son; my step grandson gave homegrown Organic Loofah sponges for Christmas gifts. He gave us organic seeds so the last couple of years we have grown our own. This is how to grow a loofah sponge plant.

• Loofah/Luffa Seeds
• Grow lights
• Potting soil
• Garden space

ORDER SEEDS:

If your aren't lucky enough to have someone have given you Loofah/Luffa seeds you'll need to order some. I'm not sure you can get them locally but I have found them in our catalogs.

KNOWING WHAT TO ORDER:

OK you have your seed catalogs out and you cannot find sponges listed in the index. Loofah/luffa are actually considered a gourd. Now, that you know this bit of information try looking it up again.

START SEEDS INSIDE:

1. Plant the seeds in the early springtime. It is best to start your seeds in a mix of moist peat and perlite.
2. Cover the pot and plant with a plastic bag secured by a rubber band to prevent the moisture from escaping.
3. Place in indirect sunlight or under a fluorescent light.Always use a pot with a hole.
4. Repot in its regular mix after it has been growing for a while.

WHERE TO PLANT:

Loofah/luffa require 50-75°F, They do best in full sunlight coming from the South/East/West. So when planning your garden or flower garden, leave the right space available for them.  Loofah sponges do better planted where they can climb, lifting the fruit off the ground.

*1 part garden soil, 1 part coarse sand or perlite, 1 part moist peat is the mix you want to use to start your plants.

Tip:

Depending on where in the world you live, will help determine the success of growing loofah sponges. They need a long warm growing season.

Gluten Free Rhubarb Banana Bread

This gluten free rhubarb banana bread recipe was created out of the need to not only have something gluten free, but use the ripe bananas on the counter. I however wanted to make rhubarb bread so there in the dilemma started. 

I searched and searched for a gluten free rhubarb bread that didn't demand a special blend of gluten free flour and came up empty handed. I like the comfort of the all purpose gluten free flour from Bob Red Mills. In baking my quick breads it does a wonderful job.

Keeping in mind my hubby is not picky, he just wanted some sweet bread to take to work, therefore I took a chance of combining the 2 flavors and it worked.

Ingredients to make Gluten Free Rhubarb Banana Bread:

• 2 cups raw sugar
• 6 very ripe bananas
• 2 cups rhubarb; finely chopped 
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups gluten free all purpose flour; I prefer Bob Red Mills All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1-2 tsp pumpkin spice; too much will over power the banana flavor
• 3 loaf pans

Instructions on how to make Gluten Free Rhubarb Banana Bread:

1. Move your oven rack so it is in the center. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If your oven does not have a timer, 15 minutes will suffice.
2. Sift dry ingredients; salt, baking soda and flour, 3 times and set aside for later.
3. Using ripe bananas, mix in the sugar, rhubarb, eggs, xanthan gum and pumpkin spice. Beat it well.
4. Add in flour mix little by little and mix well.
5. Pour into 3 greased loaf pans and bake in the preheated 350-degree oven for 60-65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Slice it up warm and enjoy!

Gluten Free Banana Bread_No Added Sugar Recipe

Eating gluten free is tough enough, however, having the herbalist tell me I really needed to give up sugar was even harder.  My gluten free banana bread is seriously delicious and contains no gluten. Start reading labels, there is a lot of sugar added to gluten free foods; therefore, I tried using cane sugar or raw sugar and now no sugar added.

According to Dr Axe; "Pineapple is a delicious tasting, nutrient-dense tropical fruit that provides a ton of health benefits, yet it’s still low in overall calories. It is used widely around the world as a natural remedy to treat everything from indigestion to being used as a natural allergy cure."

Hearing Dr Axe on Facebook, I decided to try pineapple in place of the sugar. My honest opinion; it is good, however, the texture of this banana bread verses a sugary banana bread, is a lot different. It was looser, even though the batter itself was quite creamy and a normal texture. Therefore next time I might do 1/2 crushed pineapple and 1/2 cane sugar. 


I do have family members with even a tougher diets than mine, where no sugar desserts are required or no desserts can be consumed, therefore; this weekend I will take and share.

 Ingredients to make Gluten Free Banana Bread_No Added Sugar:

• 1 can of crushed pineapple;drained
• 1 cup olive oil
• 6 very ripe bananas mashed
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 2 1/2-3 cups all purpose Bob Red Mills Flour; preferred
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 glass loaf pans



Read all Dr Axe says about pineapple

Instructions on how to make Gluten Free Banana Bread_No Added Sugar:

1. Move your oven rack so it is in the center. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If your oven does not have a timer, 15 minutes will suffice.
2. Mash the ripe bananas, crushed pineapple, olive oil and eggs. Beat it well.
3. Add in the baking soda, salt, xantham gum and gluten free all purpose flour mix little by little and mix well. Start with 2 1/2 cups of flour, however, with the pineapple you may need a tad more to have it the correct consistency.
4. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake in the preheated 350-degree oven for 55-65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Slice it up warm and enjoy!