Bitter cucumber - What to know and how to fix it

Cucumbers are delicious and versatile: the juicy green slices are a great addition to salads, sandwiches, and dips. A slice of cucumber sprinkled with salt can also be a tasty snack. But what if the cucumber tastes bitter? Is it safe to eat and can you fix it?

What can you do if your cucumber tastes bitter? With careful preparation, a slightly bitter cucumber is safe to eat, and you can use different techniques, such as adding seasonings to hide the bitter taste. However, if your cucumber tastes too bitter, it’s safer to discard it and use a different one.

If your cucumber tastes sour when you first bite into a slice, don’t give up! We’ve got everything you need to know about bitter cucumbers, including when it’s safe to eat them and the best ways to fix bitter cucumbers.

Why are cucumbers bitter?

Cucumbers are members of a family of vegetables called the Cucurbitaceae. This same family is that of many other vegetables with which we are familiar: zucchini, squash, zucchini, watermelon and cantaloupe.

All vegetables in this family contain a small amount of a substance called cucurbitacin, which has a very bitter taste and is quite toxic.

Although we like to eat all these vegetables, the purpose of cucurbitacin is to prevent them from being eaten. Many years ago, cucurbitacin levels would have been much higher, to prevent herbivores from eating these lovely juicy greens.

We can only imagine how horrible and bitter a cucumber would have tasted when the first human tried to eat it: yuck! Over the years, humans have reduced the amount of cucurbitacin in these vegetables, making them safe to eat.

This was done through a careful selection of the seeds, choosing those of the fruits with the least bitter taste. We’ve also built up a tolerance to cucurbitacin over the centuries, so a small amount doesn’t make us sick when we consume it.

As a warning, be very careful with raw zucchini if it tastes bitter. It can have very serious side effects if consumed and should not be treated in the same way as a bitter cucumber. As for the zucchini, if in doubt, throw it out!

It can be very disappointing to try a cucumber and find it bitter. It can also be a concern: how do we know if the cucumber is safe to eat? And can we safely eat it?

Before we can figure all this out, we need to know why cucumbers are bitter in the first place. Let’s see the main reasons why your cucumber may be bitter.

growing conditions

Although we have carefully selected the cucumber seeds to reduce the amount of cucurbitacin in the fruits, the plant itself still retains small amounts of this toxic substance.

It is normally concentrated in the roots and leaves of the plant, and most of our cucumber fruits are not affected. And yes, a cucumber is really a fruit!

However, when things go wrong and the plant becomes stressed, the amount of cucurbitacin in the cucumber fruit increases.

Things that can cause stress to a cucumber plant include extreme weather, poor nutrient levels, lack of sunlight, or inconsistent watering.

But once the plant produces a bitter cucumber, this does not mean that they are all the same. Once conditions return to normal, the plant will start producing lovely, crisp cucumbers again.

Variety

If you’ve ever been to a farmer’s market, you’ll know that cucumbers come in many different shapes, sizes, and even colors.

Although the ones in stores are usually all the same, there are actually many different varieties of cucumber plants. Some varieties are naturally more bitter, while others have no bitterness at all.

These are the most common types of cucumber varieties:

• English or Hot House Cucumbers: Often considered traditional cucumbers, they are long and green with a smooth, thin skin. They usually have very little bitterness.
• Slicing Cucumbers - These are usually the most common in stores, have a thicker, dark green skin and can be quite bitter.
• Persian Cucumbers – These are smaller than English or American cucumbers and have slightly rough skin. They should not taste bitter.
• Lemon Cucumbers – These round, yellow cucumbers are becoming increasingly popular for their delicious flavor. They shouldn’t taste bitter, and they don’t taste like lemon either!

taste receptors

Some people find even the slightest hint of bitterness downright off-putting, and there’s a good reason for that!

Scientists have discovered that there is a genetic difference between people’s taste receptors on the tongue. 25% of people have inherited bitter taste receptors that are incredibly sensitive: these people will find even the slightest hint of cucurbitacin with a strong bitter taste unpleasant.

This is a throwback to the time when many bitter foods were poisonous, to protect our ancestors from seeking out poisonous foods. So the next time someone says your cucumber tastes awful, it might be down to their genes!

Is it safe to eat bitter cucumbers?

So we’ve learned that the cucurbitacin that gives cucumbers their bitter taste is quite toxic. And it is logical that we should not eat toxic things, right?

Well, if a whole cucumber is bitter, you definitely shouldn’t eat it. In fact, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to eat it, even if you try to disguise the bitterness. And this is a good thing, since cucurbitacin toxicity is no fun.

Reactions to cucurbitacin include gastrointestinal disturbances with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. So, if you come across any members of the Cucurbit family - cucumber, squash, zucchini, squash, melon, etc. - that taste bitter - you better stop eating them immediately.

However, you may be able to salvage your sour cucumber, as long as the whole fruit hasn’t been affected. There are several methods to do this, but the safest is to remove the bitter parts. Let’s see how it’s done.

How to remove the bitter parts of cucumber

When the bitter toxins from cucurbitacin make their way into the cucumber, they are initially concentrated in a few areas. This makes it easier for us to trim the cucumber and remove the bitter taste.

It can also help us find out if the cucumber is bitter throughout its entirety, or only in certain areas.

Bitter compounds enter the cucumber through the stem, so they will be more concentrated at the stem end of the cucumber. They extend just below the skin, so in a slightly sour cucumber the flesh should not be affected.

To trim your bitter cucumber, first take a slice from the center of the cucumber and taste it. Can you detect a bitter taste? If you’re lucky, it should taste good, in which case you can remove the stem end of the cucumber and carry on as usual.

If you can still detect a hint of bitterness in the center, you’ll need to peel the cucumber. Remove all the skin and a thin bottom layer, leaving only the pulp of the cucumber. Taste a piece of the pulp: is there any bitter taste left?

If the answer is no, you’ve got it! Use the pulp of the cucumber in the same way that you would use a whole cucumber.

You just have to tell your family that you are serving the cucumber in the same way that English restaurants prepare it for afternoon tea sandwiches.

Unfortunately, if the flesh of your cucumber still tastes very bitter after you peel it, you’ll need to throw it away. If it only tastes slightly bitter, you may be able to disguise it, but remember that cucurbitacin is really toxic, so be careful not to eat too much of it!

How to tell if a cucumber is too bitter

Unfortunately, there’s no way to know if a cucumber is too bitter until you taste it.

Since cucurbitacin enters through the stem, it’s a good idea to always test a slice from the stem end before cutting a cucumber for a salad or snack. If this slice tastes good, the rest of the cucumber will be perfect too!

Home-grown cucumbers are more likely to be bitter, so be careful if you grow them yourself or friends proudly introduce you to their home-grown produce.

Don’t discount home-grown cucumbers, though, as they often taste far superior to store-bought varieties when grown correctly.

When buying a cucumber, choose a variety that is less likely to be bitter, such as English cucumbers. However, even this does not guarantee that your cucumber will not be bitter!

How to fix bitter cucumbers

If your cucumber is incredibly bitter, the safest thing to do is discard it rather than try to fix it.

However, most of us have a level of tolerance to small amounts of cucurbitacin, so if you only have a slight hint of bitterness in your cucumber, then it should be fine to eat.

For all of the suggested methods, it is advisable to remove the stem end of the cucumber and peel it first. This eliminates the areas with the highest concentration of cucurbitacin.

1. Add sugar

A touch of sweetness is sometimes all it takes to hide the bitterness of the cucumbers. However, many dishes that contain cucumber do not work well with a sweet flavor, so be careful not to add too much.

If you are using the cucumber in a yogurt sauce, a pinch of sugar on top of the cucumber can work perfectly to disguise the bitterness.

Adding a sweeter fruit, like watermelon, to a salad can also be a good way to hide a slightly bitter cucumber.

2. Add salt

Salt is the miracle worker of the food world. It can be used to enhance some flavors and disguise others, so if used in the right amounts, it will reduce the bitterness and enhance the sweetness of the cucumbers.

To add salt to your cucumbers, sprinkle a light amount over the cut fruit and leave it for about 10 minutes. The water will start to come out of the cucumber, so allow it to drain before adding the cucumber to your salad or sandwich.

If you are adding the cucumber to a dish that is already salty, it does not need to be salted first. The salty taste of the dish will perfectly hide the bitterness of the cucumber.

3. Use a vinaigrette

The vinegar base of a vinaigrette dressing can be a great way to hide the bitterness of the cucumber.

The sour taste of the vinegar will compete with the bitter taste, which is why the vinaigrette is used to dress bitter green salads! If you use a sweet vinaigrette, the sugar will also help hide the bitterness of the cucumber.

Related questions

How do you fix mushy cucumbers?

Do you have a cucumber in your salad drawer that looks a little droopy and sad? Don’t panic, we can fix it!

It can be really disappointing to see how quickly cucumbers soften after you buy them at the store.

These gorgeous salad greens (okay, we know they’re actually a fruit) are delicious when fresh: crisp, juicy, and bursting with flavor. But after a few days, they start to get mushy and mushy, and not as appetizing.

If you take a cucumber out of the fridge and it looks like it’s past its prime, check for mold or slimy parts. This will mean that it has started to rot and should be thrown away.

Everything is OK until now? Then the time has come to rescue your cucumber. This is surprisingly quick and easy to do.

Cut the soft cucumber into slices or chunks, depending on how you want to serve it. Put them in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with a large pinch of salt. Dip the cucumber in the salt and let it rest for 30 minutes.

The salt will draw the excess moisture out of the cucumber, and after half an hour the cucumber should be much firmer and crisper. Rinse the cucumber to remove excess salt and pat it dry with a towel. Voilá: your squishy cucumber has revived!

How do cucumbers stay crisp?

It is very disappointing when you bring a fresh cucumber home from the store and the next day it is droopy and mushy. There’s a secret to keeping cucumbers crisp and fresh, and it has to do with how you store them when you get home.

If you’re storing a whole cucumber, the trick is to keep it at the right temperature and avoid excess moisture. Wrap the cucumber in a paper towel and place it in a plastic bag, but do not seal it; this will help excess moisture to escape from the bag.

Always store them in the fridge, but make sure it’s not too cold - cucumbers will wilt in temperatures below 50°F.

Towards the front of the central shelf of the refrigerator is usually the most suitable place. Keep it away from bananas, tomatoes, and melons, as they all release a gas that speeds up cucumber ripening.

Once the cucumber is cut, the exposed end will cause the cucumber to soften and go mushy much more quickly.

Covering the end with plastic wrap will slow down this process, but the cut cucumber will need to be eaten within a couple of days to be at its best.

Got some cucumber slices left over from lunch or a buffet? You can store them in an airtight container, placed on a damp sheet of kitchen paper. This will help the cucumber slices retain moisture and keep them crisp and fresh.