Gardeners - what makes cucumbers bitter?

I sliced some cucumbers for a snack - they are so crispy and crunchy and make a good snack to nibble on during the day without even dipping in something.  But I just bit into a bitter one - now I don't know which slices came from the bitter cuke so I guess I will have to toss these in the compost and start all over and taste each cucumber before I add the slices to my bowl.

 

They all look the same - just an occasional bitter tasting one that will turn your mouth inside out!!  Wonder what causes this?

 

 

Jane that's a great question - I found a good article too.

Why are Cucumbers bitter

My Dad's were bitter last year. I think he planted the burpless. Usually does.

 

I planted the sugar crisp snack size last year, and he loved those. I made the mistake of not planting them this year.  I was afraid of the sugar content for him, then he told me theywere ok, and I couldn't find the seeds.

 

I planted the Spacemaster, Burpees. I haven't tried them, been giving them away. LOL

 

But, Dad made some in vinegar for the picnic, and they were good. He said they were good, didn't say they were bitter.

 

I planted some others, too,  MarketMore? but, haven't gotten any yet. And some other Burpees.

 

 

Interesting, sstezel, I need to water mine, it seems, and mulch some I forgot to.

 

I found this there too, and wondering about Dad's burpless last year.

 

" Although burpless varieties are bred to produce fewer cucurbitacins, they don't have the gene that would make them bitterfree, so they could produce more cucurbitacins if growing conditions become unfavorable. "

i can't remember if it was calcium or lime we added to our soil when the cukes were bitter. i'll have to ask dh.

i planted lemon cucumbers..i have one cuke on my vine..i'm not sure when i should pick it..how big does it have to get..

Mockingbird, i planted 3 different kinds. I have the packs still, for two of them. The other one, might be with the cucumbers. I think it got destroyed, though. That is the spacemaster. I have been picking them at about 5in. THey get fat.

 

The Marketmore 76 pack says:

 

Pick regularly when 6" to 8" long. and before fruit color begins to turn yellow. Continue to pick so plant will keep producing.

 

The Burpee Double Feature Hybrid says:

 

It is ideal for pickling when up to 4 1/2 inches long, and slicing fresh when fruits reach 5" to 7" inches long.   Keep fruits picked to encourage continous production.

 

 

Cat - I plant Marketmores every year.  I really like them.  I pick them when they are sorta small, because I like them that way.

 

We've always fertilized our cukes and tomatoes with milk.  Maybe it's the calcium but they are always really good.  We use powdered milk mixed with water according to the package.

Oh, Mockingbird, i didn't know what lemon cucumbers were , till googled. 'This might help, it shows a pic of them

 

http://earlysnowdrop.blogspot.com/2006/07/three-lemon-cucumbers.html

 

Is that something that grows just in your area? THose look nice!

sstezel, I'm not sure if my Marketmores are getting enough sun. THey are kind of spindly. They are climbing well, though. Some really small ones one them, so, maybe they will do well.

 

I'm already picking the burpee ones, so, hopefully these will be for later. I'd like to plant some late ones, but, getting up there now.

Hi, Jane. A friend told me several years ago that when a cucumber is bitter to cut off the stem end about 1 inch, and then rub the cut side all over the outside of the rest of the cucumber before peeling or slicing it. I don't know why, but it seems to help. I give it a good scrubbing with that cut off end and it really makes a difference. I have only noticed the bitterness in homegrown cucumbers and not those I buy at the grocery store.

Would you all beat me with sticks if I said maybe the cucumbers are bitter because they were unlucky in love?