Common Joy

If you’re growing your own luffa, you might be surprised to learn that it’s edible before it becomes the sponge you know and love.

Young luffa can be harvested and cooked much like squash or zucchini. Once it matures, the inside becomes more fibrous and eventually turns into the natural sponge.

So when can you eat it, what should you look for, and how can you cook with it? Let us break it down.

We caught up with our buddy Lindsey Barrow of Lowcountry Street Grocery, GroceryRx and Community Supported Grocery.

He’s doing a whole lot of good for local food, local growers and the Charleston community, and we’re lucky Common Joy gets to be a small part of it.

Take a listen to learn more about this triple threat.

One really cool thing about luffa? You can downcycle it.

When your luffa is ready to retire from the shower, it doesn’t have to be done just yet. Give it a second life cleaning up your pup, scrubbing outdoor furniture, tackling dirty shoes, gardening gear or whatever else needs a good scrub.

Use it, reuse it, then compost it when it’s truly reached the end of the road.

How do you give your old luffa a second life?

Luffa is flourishing, thriving, and in it’s own lane.

One of our favorite things about Common Joy? Seeing our luffa out in the wild alongside so many other great local goods.

We stopped by Veggie Bin in downtown Charleston, a true neighborhood gem packed with fresh produce, specialty foods, snacks, sauces, pantry staples and plenty of South Carolina-made finds.

We loved getting to know more about The Veggie Bin and the people behind a shop. Enjoy!

TikTok questions & we’ve got answers pt 4.

“What are your tricks to get luffa to grow through?”

We heard ya’ll should be taking some extra time to wash your veggies 👀 might as well use a luffa while you’re at it.

TikTok questions & we’ve got answers pt. 3.

“Would it be good to grow in East Texas?”

We love partnering with like-minded people who believe the things we bring into our homes can leave a better wake behind.

WAKE REFILL is built around the idea that our choices are connected to the people, communities and environment around us. Their work invites us to think more carefully about what we consume, where it comes from and the impact it has long after we use it.

That mission feels right at home with Common Joy. We’re proud to have our locally grown, plant-based luffa on their shelves and to work alongside a business helping Charleston live a little more thoughtfully.

Welcome to our new series: Alt Uses for Luffa.

We all know luffa is great for washing dishes and scrubbing up in the shower, but it can handle plenty of other cleaning jobs around the house too.

We use ours on walls, countertops and even leather stools. What are you cleaning with your luffa?