A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum Vegetable Gardening BITTER CUCUMBERS??

All cucurbits produce a group of chemicals called cucurbitacins, which cause the vegetables to taste bitter, and the higher the concentration of cucurbitacin the more bitter the vegetable will taste. In commercially cultivated cucumbers and zucchini, they are normally in such low concentrations that they cannot be tasted. These chemicals provide other attributes to the cucurbits, such as the musky scent of cantaloupe.

Mild bitterness is fairly common in cucumbers resulting from higher levels of cucurbitacin triggered by environmental stress, like high temperatures, wide temperature swings or too little water. Uneven watering practices (too wet followed by too dry), low soil fertility and low soil pH are also possible stress factors. Over mature or improperly stored cucurbits may also develop a mild bitterness, which is often not severe enough to prevent gardeners from eating them.