Luckily, there are some tips for growing your own cucumbers successfully:
Why do cucumbers taste bitter?
There are many reasons why, each depending on the conditions that they were grown in. If you water unevenly or cool weather is present when growing them, it causes bitterness.
Also plant spacing and fertilization can affect how much the cukes become bitter as well!
How to grow great cucumbers?
There are several studies which state that Burpee Pickler produces four times as much bitter fruit as National Pickling.
So, plant cucumbers which produce less bitterness to reduce the stress on your grower’s taste buds! In order to do so, make sure they have warm soil and enough warmth and sun since organic products tend to be more intense if not given proper care during cultivation season.
Lastly, excess or uneven watering can cause a distorted natural product; it is important for you to water them sufficiently with a steady supply of water in an even manner each day.
With mulching you can keep the soil moist and prevent uneven growth. If there are any nutrient deficiencies, fertilize your plants with ample amounts to avoid potential bitterness in their taste.
You can do a simple test on your soil which will tell you what it needs so that everything grows well for years to come!
Peel off the cucumber bitterness
Cucumbers are bitter because they contain high concentrations of a compound called cucurbitacin which is known to be toxic.
The peels, the stem ends and the light green region just under it have higher concentrations than others parts so these can help reduce bitterness if you peel them off before eating or cooking with your cucumber.
It won’t remove all traces but will definitely make it less unpleasant!
The first step is to start at the bloom end of the cucumber.
Slice off one portion of peel, preventing around an inch from the stem end.
Wash your blade before cutting up the cuke into strips until it’s totally peeled. Then wash your blade again!