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We went grocery shopping on Sunday afternoon to the Asian supermarket just beside our place for a quick trip. While we were there by the produce section, I saw winter melons (冬瓜) available in the market for sale. I was so excited as it was the first time to see such whole big and fresh young winter melons (not water melons) available for sale in the market. Usually the market sell them in cut pieces and Bel would buy it to cook with pork ribs as a savory soup. I was thinking to make the Double Boiled Sweet Winter Melon Dessert(冬瓜盅) with the whole fresh winter melon because Bel said she never really had one before. So I picked up a huge and nice one,  about 12 pounds and went home smiling!

The winter melon dessert is a sweet dessert different than the savory type. Most importantly, winter melon or white gourd is a vegetable to cool off your internal body heat. After days of hot food, we wanted something cooling especially when getting into the hot summer days. I only put rock sugar and red dates to cook it, you can always put dried longan, lotus, lily bulbs and other ingredients for this sweet dessert.

Since we did not have a steamer, so we used a deep big pot to double boil the winter melon. I actually let the winter melon just cooked by itself for more than 4 hours (12 pounds), checking now and then for its doneness. Right after dinner, timing is just right for sweet dessert. Cooking time depends on the size of the melon, so I suggested you can cut the timing by picking a smaller medium size melon, cooking takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Try to poke or scope the flesh to check for doneness, when the flesh turns soft it is done.

Scope out the flesh and sweet water, serve it warm in a bowl. Best to refridge it overnight for a cooling sweet dessert.

Ingredients

1 Chinese winter melon
1 bag Rock Sugar
Some Red Dates
Water

Cooking Method:

1. Wash and scrub the outside of the Winter Melon.
2. Cut off the top (the end with the stalk) about 2″ thick, this is the cover of the winter melon when steaming.
3. Scope out the seeds of the melon and leaving a hollow center in the melon.
4. Put in the rock sugar and red dates, add water to fill the melon.
5. Put the melon into a big metal bowl as a base to hold the melon upright. Cover with the melon top.
6. Place the melon inside a deep big pot, fill the pot with water. (I filled water up to to 2/3 of the height of the melon because the melon is too big to fasten cooking time). Or you can place it in a  steamer.
7. Double boil or steam the whole melon in medium heat for 2 hours, or more depends on the size of the melon.
8. Check now and then on the flesh. When done the melon should be soft and tender. Scope out the flesh and water, serve in a bowl. Best even to serve cold.