luffa harvest!

Wondering how that whole luffa experiment went down? In a word, SUCCESS!
We watched as the luffa gourds grew and grew, eventually drying out to a yellowish-brown. They then received the shake test, listening for loose seeds. When I didn't hear much rattling, the luffa hung out in a sunny kitchen window to dry out more thoroughly.
Finally, feeling the time was right, I picked and peeled the skin, revealing a lacy sponge within and loads of seeds!The luffa has proven itself in the kitchen, serving to scrape clean our dinner plates and pots. I can already sense that it will outlive the crap sponges from the store.

Look at the intricate weave in there--this is Mother Nature at her finest.It does feel a big rough for human skin, but maybe that's exfoliating?

Even if the luffa couldn't hold its own as a sponge, Chia appreciates the homegrown kitty toys. The fine fibers get stuck in her claws, she bats like crazy, and seeds are shaken out all over.

I'm happiest when I'm making a mess

As this first luffa "harvest" was mostly experimental, there are not quite enough to take to market. yet. In the meantime, I will have to generate some creative packaging ideas. Here's my first one, a surefire hit:

Jar O' Luffa