How to remove bitterness from cucumbers and why it appears in the first place

How to remove bitterness from cucumbers

Bitter cucurbitacin is soluble in water, excreted in juice and concentrated mainly in the peel of the fruit. Therefore, there are several ways to remove bitterness.

Cut off the peel

Before preparing the salad, taste the cucumbers. If you feel an unpleasant bitterness, peel the fruit and use it for its intended purpose.

Removing bitterness by rubbing

Do you want to save your vitamins? Then try another way.

Trim off the ends and cut the fruit lengthwise. Rub the cuts of both halves against each other until the white foam stops coming out, then rinse the pieces under running water.

Recipe with salt

Cut the cucumber into small pieces and sprinkle with salt. Leave for about 30 minutes. The bitterness will go away along with the released juice. Rinse the slices in water and prepare the salad.

On a note! Salt the bitter cucumbers. There is absolutely no unpleasant aftertaste in this snack.

What to do when pickling

The best way to remove bitterness from large quantities of vegetables destined for pickles, - soak them in water:

1. Wash the cucumbers thoroughly.
2. In a suitable container, fill the fruits with cold water.
3. Once every 3 hours, drain the water and add fresh water.
4. After 6-7 hours, try the cucumbers. If you like the taste, start canning.
5. If the bitterness remains, change the water 2-3 more times.

If it was not possible to completely rid the vegetables of bitterness, you can marinate them with spices.This will add flavor to the canned vegetables and mask any remaining bitterness.

Spicy cucumbers

For 1 kg of cucumbers you need:

• water - 1.5 l;
• sugar - 2 tbsp. l.;
• salt - 3 tbsp. l.;
• 9% table vinegar - 100 ml;
• red onion - 1 pc.;
• black peppercorns - 10 pcs.;
• green bell pepper - 1 pc.;
• garlic - 2 cloves;
• horseradish leaves - 2 pcs.;
• black currant leaves - 5 pcs.;
• dill umbrellas - 3 pcs.;
• bay leaf - to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Cut off the ends of washed cucumbers.
2. Peel the sweet pepper from seeds and finely chop.
3. Cut the garlic into rings and the onion into half rings.
4. Place washed leaves and dill on the bottom of the jar.
5. Place the cucumbers tightly and add chopped peppers, onions and garlic.
6. Boil water, pour cucumbers into a jar and leave for 5 minutes.
7. Drain the water into the prepared pan, add black pepper, salt, sugar and vinegar.
8. Boil the marinade and fill the jars to the top, roll up the lids, turn them over and cover with a blanket until they cool.

Spicy cucumbers

For 1 kg of fruit you need:

• water - 1.5 l;
• sugar - 5 tbsp. l.;
• salt - 3 tbsp. l.;
• 9% table vinegar - 100 ml;
• allspice peas - 4 pcs.;
• hot pepper - 0.5 pods;
• mustard seeds - 0.5 tsp;
• garlic - 2 cloves;
• black currant leaves - 5 pcs.;
• bay leaf - 2 pcs.

Cooking method:

1. Cut off the ends of washed cucumbers.
2. Finely chop the garlic and hot pepper.
3. Place washed leaves, mustard, allspice, chopped garlic and hot pepper on the bottom of the jar.
4. Pack the cucumbers tightly.
5. Boil water, pour cucumbers into a jar and leave for 20 minutes.
6. Drain the water into a saucepan, add salt and sugar.
7. Boil the marinade and pour over the vegetables, pour vinegar on top.
8. Roll up the lids, turn them over and cover with a blanket until cool.

Does the bitterness go away from cucumbers when preserved?

When exposed to high temperatures, cucurbitacin is destroyed. Marinating or salting in hot brine removes the bitterness from cucumbers.

So don’t rush to throw away unpleasant-tasting fresh vegetables; you can use them to make a flavorful winter snack.

How to grow a sweet cucumber without bitterness

Provide the plants with comfortable conditions, and they will thank you with an abundance of sweet, aromatic fruits.

Preventing bitterness

Several recommendations will help you grow delicious cucumbers in your garden:

• plant plants in loose, fertile soil;
• do not thicken the plantings, the optimal scheme is no more than 4 bushes per 1 m2;
• bright sunlight is contraindicated for cucumbers; in a glass greenhouse, white the windows with chalk, cover the film with colored non-woven material; in open ground, natural shading will be provided by planting next to corn or sunflowers;
• water the cucumbers only with warm water;
• do not allow the soil to dry out to a depth of more than 5 cm;
• do not get carried away with nitrogen fertilizers; it is enough to apply 3 fertilizings per season - a week after planting seedlings or emergence of seedlings, during flowering and when ovaries appear en masse;
• the optimal temperature for cucumbers is up to 27 ºС during the day and 18-20 ºС at night;
• Harvest regularly - if there are old cucumbers on the bush, the ovaries slow down their growth, which contributes to the accumulation of cucurbitacin;
• choose hybrids that are not prone to bitterness.

Which cucumber hybrids are not bitter?

Breeders are working tirelessly to improve the properties of plants, and gardeners now have access to cucumber hybrids that are resistant to unfavorable conditions and do not have bitterness in the fruit.

It is worth paying attention to the following crops:

• hybrid Gerasim F1 for salad and canning purposes;
• early hybrid Garlyanda F1 that does not require pollination;
• productive early maturing hybrid Doc F1;
• Egoza F1 hybrid for universal use;
• hybrid for open ground Masha F1.

Conclusion

Cucumbers develop a bitter taste in hot, dry weather and due to errors in agricultural technology. Follow the watering and fertilizing regime, plant hybrids that are not prone to bitterness to avoid the problem.

However, do not rush to throw away grown or purchased bitter fruits. You can get rid of the unpleasant taste by peeling or rubbing cucumber slices against each other. Before canning, experienced housewives recommend soaking bitter fruits in cold water for 6-12 hours. Adding spices to pickles will eliminate the bitter taste of cucumbers.