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The luffa gourd is a vegetable of many names, including the washrag gourd, the dishrag gourd, and running okra. A member of the cucurbitacae family, the luffa gourd is closely related to the cucumber. They grow 1-2 feet long and are best for eating when 1-2 inches in diameter.
When young, luffa are used in soups or stews or cooked like summer squash. Luffa are more commonly known, however, for the use of their fiber network. When separated from the rest of the squash, the fiber network can be dried and then used as an exfoliating sponge. Luffa fiber also makes excellent packing material, filters, and crafts.
One clever and organically-friendly use of luffa sponges is as a replacement for vegetable peelers. They gently scrape away the peels of vegetables such as carrots without removing too much beyond the skin, as often happens with metal peelers. They are therefore not only a vegetable of many names but also one of many uses!
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