Why are some cucumbers so bitter although they are not supposed to be..?!
Why are some cucumbers so bitter although they are not supposed to be..?
Answers:
cucumbers are just like people... if they get enough love and care they are sweet--- if not... they are bitter.
wrong soil my friend.
What makes cucumbers bitter?
CORVALLIS - What makes cucumbers bitter? Gardeners puzzle over this every summer.
The bitter taste of cucumbers comes from a natural organic compound called cucurbitacin, explained Oregon State University vegetable breeder Jim Myers. This substance is prevalent in relatively high concentrations in wild cucumbers, causing them to be highly bitter.
Cucurbitacin occurs in varying amounts mainly in the vegetative parts of the plant like leaves, stems and roots both in wild and cultivated cucumbers. On occasion and to a lesser degree, it spreads to the fruiting structure. It does not accumulate evenly within each cuke and it can vary in concentration from one fruit to another.
So when you are harvesting your slicing cucumbers, take note: the bitter compound is likely to be more concentrated in the stem end than in the blossom end of the cucumber fruit. It is also more prevalent in the peel and in the light green area just beneath the peel. It is less likely to be found in the deeper interior of the fruit.
James M. Stephens, vegetable crops professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has come up with a method of peeling a cucumber to avoid serving bitter-tasting cukes:
Start peeling at the blossom end of the fruit. Slice away one strip of the green peel toward the stem end and stop about one inch from the stem.
Wash off the knife blade, then repeat peeling from blossom to stem end until the fruit is peeled.
Rinse the knife again and cut up the cucumber as needed.
Why are cucumbers of the same variety more bitter than others? Vegetable scientists have several theories. One theory is that cucumbers picked from vines growing under some type of stress, such as lack of water, are often somewhat bitter. Another is that misshapen fruits are more likely to be bitter than the well-shaped fruits. And there are more complaints about bitter cucumbers grown during cool periods than during warm times.
Some scientists think that varying levels of fertilizers, plant spacing and irrigation frequency may also affect bitterness.
Bitterness seems to vary with the type of cucumber grown. But you can expect some degree of bitterness from time to time in most any variety of cucumber commonly grown.
first of all, there is no such thing as they are not suppose to be bitter. some of them are just bitter.
simply cut one of the cucumber's end (about 5cm in length) and use that portion to rub the exposed end (the one with the cut). as you continue rubbing the cut-end a creamy looking substance will start appear. rub until the no more of such cream is coming out.
do this before you eat or cook the cucumber. it will no longer be bitter.
Hey... ITs a seasonal diet and u cant trust any one for this coz its up to god when it wod make tht cucumber bitter or a sweet one....
If u consume it in its season, it wod be more healthier for u tht u do it without a season..
cheers
enjoy cucumber
it is the growing conditions
depends on the type of seed u buy.