Why are cucumbers bitter? It’s due to a common mistake made by gardeners

You know how it goes. You want to take a bite out of a cucumber you just picked from your garden. You’re really looking forward to it and expect a literal explosion of pleasure from your homegrown produce. But instead of a juicy flavor, you’re met with extreme bitterness and are forced to spit out the bite because it’s simply impossible to eat. The bitterness of cucumbers is the result of one of the mistakes that traditionally occurs when growing cucumbers. We’ll reveal what it is in the following paragraphs.

Plant stress is behind the bitterness

A substance called cucurbitacin is responsible for the increased bitterness. In fact, the well-known Slovak professor Hričovský also posted about this on social media. This substance is meant to protect cucumbers from those who might want to eat them—that is, from animals and, of course, humans. The highest levels of cucurbitacin are produced when the plant is under stress. This stress can be caused in several ways.

Photo: Radek Stepan

When do cucumber plants experience stress?

It is precisely in July that cucumbers are most susceptible to stress, and this month usually determines the size of the harvest and the quality of the cucumbers. The most common causes of stress in cucumbers are nutritional deficiencies, irregular watering, or temperature fluctuations. Of course, various pests such as spider mites and the like also contribute to this stress.

Tip: Buying cucumbers for pickling. Tips for beginners.

Cucurbitacin isn’t found throughout the entire cucumber

It’s most commonly found at the edges. Traditionally, the tips of cucumbers tend to be bitter—simply put, near the stem. It’s also found in the skin. You can easily remove the skin, just like the tips.

Bitter substances spread everywhere when cut with a knife

People often make the mistake of trimming the entire cucumber with a single knife. First, they cut off the bitter parts, and then use the same knife to slice the cucumbers into rounds. Naturally, the bitterness ends up in places where it wasn’t originally present.

Proper watering and fertilization: A cure for stress

That’s right. During hot weather, cucumbers need to be watered daily, directly at the roots, not on the leaves. They should be fertilized every 10 days with fermented chicken manure or nettle tea. Mulching cucumbers is also beneficial on hot days.

Sources: Author, Meta, https://hub.suttons.co.uk/blog/vegetable-growing/how-to-avoid-bitter-cucumbers

Photo: Radek Stepan