Find out what make cucumbers sulfurous and how to prevent it .
Bitter cuke are overlord of disguise . They may count like the crisp , slightly sweet-smelling cucumber you want to eat , but once you take a collation , you may wonder , " Why are my cucumbers bitter ? " Scientists have identify what makescucumbersbitter and why that unpleasant savour develops . Once you see the causes , it ’s easy to prevent that bitter cucumber taste from ruining your nextsummer salad . These five easy - to - accompany tips will help you ward off growing blistering cucumbers in your garden .
Why Are My Cucumbers Bitter?
Manycucumbers are absolutely deliciouswhile other fruit , sometimes even on the same vine , are sulfurous . The cause is an constitutive compound called cucurbitacin . virulent cucumber vine check high amounts of cucurbitacin in their fruit . All cucumber industrial plant comprise cucurbitacin but cuke grown in abode gardens usually have very little of the harsh chemical in their fruit . It ’s mostly in their stem , leaves , and roots , where it can assist deterpestssuch ascucumber beetles .
Cucurbitacin migrate into the fruit during stressful grow conditions . enter from the stem final stage of the yield , the bitter chemical compound might not fan out through the whole cucumber , which explains why half a yield — the stem end — is acid and the ease of the fruit is dead tasty . Cucumber skin often comprise more of the bitter compound than the bod . Removing the cutis helps to remove much of the bitter flavor as well .
How to Prevent Bitter Tasting Cucumbers
1. Choose the right varieties.
Sometypes of cucumbersare , by nature , more prone to bitterness than others . plant life breeders have choose new varieties found on the amount of cucurbitacin prevalent in the works parts and root . Plants with lower levels of cucurbitacin are less likely to become bitter in inauspicious growing conditions . pop and gentle - to - find non - bitter varieties include ‘ Carmen , ’ ‘ County Fair , ’ ‘ Diva , ’ ‘ Green Knight , ’ ‘ Sweet Slice , ’ Sweet Success , ’ and ‘ Tasty Green . ’
High concentration of cucurbitacin are sometimes accompanied by digestive discomfort . As a nod to preventing unsettling digestion , plant breeders have named some Modern varieties “ burp - less . ” require burp - less cultivar to be sweet , not bitter , and less probable to cause unpleasant digestive problem .
2. Provide plenty of water.
Cucumbers are more likely to become bitter during dry conditions . The cucurbitacin compound builds up in the plant as it struggles to grow . In time , the cucurbitacin makes its mode to the yield to create a bitter cucumber . When born rain is scarce , water plants deeplyto ensure they receive a total of 1.5 in of pee a week . target towater in the morning or late afternoonso foliage can dry out quickly . Fungal disease are more likely to develop on foliage that remain moist for foresighted periods .
If you dwell in a juiceless area , consider installing a drip furrow or soaker hose nearcucumber plant . extremist - efficient and easy to employ , these watering systems deliver a dribble of weewee to the base of a industrial plant over several hours . Pair them with a timer at the urine root to make allow for the accurate amount of water your cucumbers need even more manageable .
3. Add mulch.
disseminate a 2 - column inch - thick stratum of chopped barque , straw , or grass cutting as a mulch around the radix of plants to avail keep up soil moisture and restrained soil temperature . nerve-wracking growing conditions rank from drought to stir up to frigidity can cause bitter cucumbers . Mulch combats teetotal conditions by create a roadblock to circumscribe soil moisture loss . A 2 - inchlayer of mulchalso works to isolate the soil . The insulate power of mulch moderates temperature swings in the works ’s root zone , which helps prevent acrid yield .
4. Sow cucumbers every 2 weeks.
ecological succession sowing , the art of planting seeds every few week , is a great policy policy for acrid cucumbers . Harsh rise conditions , such as drouth or excessive cold or heat , usually only last a hebdomad or two . Bysowing cucumbersevery two weeksbeginning in late springtime and continuing through midsummer , you ’re likely to have many crops that mature before or after whatever challenge Mother Nature throw your way . For example , if one sowing of vines is plagued by a heating tour and caustic fruit , the vines maturing a couple of weeks later when the warmth spell passes are potential to grow sweet , crisp cuke .
5. Be patient.
When manage with bitter cucumbers , remember this too shall decease . Generally , as soon as the problematic develop conditions subside , newly formed cucumbers will have a pleasing gustatory modality and be a welcome addition to your nextGreek salad , deli sandwich , or bite tray .
Frequently Asked Questions
Some cucumber buff advocate milk your cucumber by rubbing two part of it together to draw out the bitterness . The result will be a bit of foam form on the outside of the cucumber that you may then wipe by . While this voguish trick may operate , an promiscuous solvent is to salt your cucumber to counter some of the bitter taste .
Yes , according toTucker Taylor , theater director of culinary gardens at Kendall - Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens in Sonoma County , you should use veteran Elmer Reizenstein acetum to pickle your acerbic cucumber vine . The sweet and tart combining will palliate the bitterness .
