Health benefits and harms of bitter cucumbers

It's time to harvest, your cucumbers have turned a rich green color. You pick them, but they turn out to be bitter! What a shame. But don't rush to get upset. Bitter cucumbers have a number of beneficial properties and are widely used in cooking and cosmetology.

From the article you will learn why cucumbers are bitter, what are the benefits and harms of bitter cucumbers, what are the features of their composition and how to use them for culinary, medicinal and cosmetic purposes.

Is it possible to eat bitter cucumbers?

Can! They do not contain any toxic substances. The most unpleasant thing you can encounter is bitterness itself.

Bitter fruits are not harmful to health, but can spoil a salad dressed with mayonnaise. It is better to choose vegetable oil as a dressing. This way the bitterness will be less noticeable.

It is important to know why bitterness occurs and whether there is a way to combat this phenomenon.

Why does bitterness occur?

There are several reasons for bitterness:

• insufficient watering;
• excessive watering;
• uneven watering;
• watering with cold water;
• drought, extreme heat;
• direct aggressive sunlight;
• lack of sunlight;
• abundance of weeds;
• proximity to tall garden trees;
• unsuitable soil, for example clay;
• lack of fertilizers.

All these factors provoke bitterness in cucumbers. Watering the vegetable should be even. It is dangerous to either overdry or overwater the plant.

Remove weeds in a timely manner and avoid direct sunlight.

Important! There are varieties of cucumbers whose packages indicate that cucumbers are not bitter. But novice gardeners should know that bitterness in vegetables does not depend on the variety. Its presence or absence depends on the care of the plant.

Differences in composition

Cucumbers contain many useful microelements. But their deficiency affects taste perception.

The bitter taste is primarily caused by a lack of potassium in the fruit. Nitrogen metabolism is disrupted. Externally, this is evidenced by too small leaves of the plant.

Lack of sulfur will also spoil the taste of cucumbers. Yellow veins appear on the leaves.

The bitterness in cucumbers is caused by a deficiency of iron, boron and molybdenum. That is, vegetables without bitterness have plenty of these microelements.

But bitter cucumbers contain a substance called cucurbitacin. A it is not present in fruits without bitterness. It appears in vegetables if they are not properly cared for. Sudden temperature changes make the plant “nervous”, which is how this chemical compound appears.

Reference. Cucurbitacin originates in the stalk of the vegetable. If the cucumber is young, there is a chance that its middle is not bitter at all. Cut off the “butt” and wash the vegetable.

The benefits and harms of bitter cucumbers

It is interesting how the composition affects the human body. It would seem that the vegetable consists of almost nothing but water - where do the beneficial properties come from?

But no, cucumbers contain:

• vitamin PP – useful for stress and nervous disorders;
• vitamin C – for strengthening the immune system;
• vitamin B1, B2, B5, B6, B9 – for the organs of vision, normal functioning of the nervous system, to preserve youth, beauty and health;
• Vitamin E is an excellent antioxidant. Allows you to maintain youth. In bitter fruits its content is several times higher than in ordinary ones.The vitamin is also useful for those who experience mental overload. For example, students writing their final work, school graduates taking entrance exams;
• iodine;
• molybdenum;
• phosphorus;
• sulfur – there is very little of it in bitter fruits;
• potassium;
• calcium;
• iron;
• copper;
• manganese;
• fluorine;
• sodium.

It’s almost like a periodic table! And all this is found in those vegetables that are often thrown into the trash because of their bitter taste. Experienced and experienced gardeners know that everything can be used.

Medicinal properties

What are the benefits of bitter vegetables:

1. Analgesic effect. The bitter vegetable can relieve pain in the head, abdomen and back. There is a noticeable beneficial effect on the female body during menstruation.
2. Against radiation. If you live in an area with high levels of radiation, such vegetables will help avoid negative effects on the body. Eat them as often as possible.
3. Choleretic property. Regular cucumbers also have this property, but it is most pronounced in bitter ones.
4. Benefits for the gastrointestinal tract. Bitter cucumber is good for both the stomach and small intestines. However, they should not be eaten during an exacerbation of gastritis. If you don’t have such a problem, then the vegetable will improve your digestion.
5. A positive effect on the heart and blood vessels has been revealed.
6. From burns, abrasions and wounds. For such purposes, the cucumber is dried without peeling, crushed, and then used as a powder.
7. Useful for diabetes.
8. Antitumor property. Bitter vegetables slow down the division of cancer cells. To prevent the appearance of various tumors, bitter cucumbers are a good remedy. At the same time, you need to eat them whole, preferably without salt and oil.

So, the range of beneficial effects is quite wide. For summer colds, it is also useful to eat slightly bitter vegetables. They have anti-inflammatory properties and prevent bacteria from multiplying.

As for harm, no negative effects were noticed. Overeating can lead to diarrhea, frequent urination, bloating and aching stomach pain. You should not eat more than three vegetables at a time.

Note! Avoid overgrown cucumbers. Beneficial properties were noticed only in those vegetables whose length does not exceed 10 cm. Then, with each millimeter, the degree of usefulness decreases.

Contraindications

Not everyone can eat this harmless vegetable.

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the contraindications:

• exacerbation of gastritis;
• open ulcer;
• thyroid diseases;
• urolithiasis disease;
• renal failure and other kidney diseases;
• swelling during pregnancy.

Eating bitter fruits will aggravate the situation. Be careful not to eat blackened or even slightly rotten fruits.

What to do with bitter cucumbers

There are many options for using bitter cucumbers. But first you should try to prevent their occurrence. If you've already picked a couple of vegetables and they turned out to be bitter, it's time to take action.

Fertilize the soil with nitrogen fertilizers and ensure uniform watering. Overfertilization is just as bad as underfertilization.

Important! Do not use manure. It will only increase the bitterness of the fruit.

If you have chosen the wrong place for borage, and the sun is burning the leaves with its bright rays, you need a greenhouse. Cover fruits during active sun. If, on the contrary, you have chosen a place that is too shady, then plant the cucumbers further away from each other.This way they will not take light from each other.

If you do not live in the country all the time, following the watering rules will not be so easy. If it has recently rained, do not rush to the dacha after work. Cucumbers will have enough of this moisture. But if the weather is dry for several days, and your cucumbers are not watered, then the fruits are already bitter.

Read also:

How to deliciously prepare cucumbers with turmeric for the winter: recipes and recommendations.

Very tasty and productive Stella cucumbers.

How to prepare cucumbers and ginger for the winter.

How to use bitter cucumbers

The easiest way is salad. Add any other vegetables and green herbs, season with refined oil and enjoy the good tart taste. Rye bread is a great addition.

Bitter vegetables are also suitable for winter preparations. The main thing is to add more sugar. Double the rate. Do everything else as usual. Bitter vegetables are stored better, jars of pickles are less likely to “explode” and spoil. Heat treatment will reduce bitterness to almost a minimum.

Bitter fruits contain more antioxidants. What does it mean? That the youth of your skin is in good hands. A cucumber mask will keep your face and neck firm and healthy. You can make masks for the skin of your hands and feet from the pulp of bitter vegetables.

Advice. Dried and grated vegetables are used as a healing powder. This powder promotes rapid healing of abrasions on children's knees.

Let's sum it up

Bitter cucumbers can grow in your garden bed due to improper watering, lighting and lack of fertilizer.

You can eat such vegetables; they do not cause any harm. But they help alleviate the course of many diseases and protect against radioactive exposure.The main contraindications include kidney disease and stomach ulcers.

You can use bitter cucumbers in the same way as regular fruits: wrap in jars for the winter, prepare fresh salads, eat in its pure form. The cosmetic properties of bitter cucumbers are more pronounced than those of fruits without bitterness. We wish you a good harvest!