I had a decent cucumber crop this year, but most of them have had a strong
bitter taste on the stem side of the cucumber. If I cut away abut 1/3 of
the length of the cucumber, the rest is usually very good. What makes them
bitter?

"BFan" wrote in message
news:zKAsg.18232$f76.7078@dukeread06...
I had a decent cucumber crop this year, but most of them have had a strong
bitter taste on the stem side of the cucumber. If I cut away abut 1/3 of
the length of the cucumber, the rest is usually very good. What makes
them
bitter?

My cukes have been bitter when they/ve exhibited slow growth due to dry
weather and/or inconsistent soil moisture.

TQ wrote:
"BFan" wrote in message
news:zKAsg.18232$f76.7078@dukeread06...

I had a decent cucumber crop this year, but most of them have had a strong
bitter taste on the stem side of the cucumber. If I cut away abut 1/3 of
the length of the cucumber, the rest is usually very good. What makes

them

bitter?


My cukes have been bitter when they/ve exhibited slow growth due to dry
weather and/or inconsistent soil moisture.


That's right, it's caused by stress. Fast growth on healthy plants will
keep bitterness to a minimum. Of course there are several varieties that
have been bred to eliminate bitterness. I like to grow "sweet success".
It seems to be bitter free and quite seedless even if they get too big.

Steve

"BFan" wrote in message
news:zKAsg.18232$f76.7078@dukeread06...
I had a decent cucumber crop this year, but most of them have had a strong
bitter taste on the stem side of the cucumber. If I cut away abut 1/3 of
the length of the cucumber, the rest is usually very good. What makes them
bitter?


Watering - water must be simmilar temperature as the enviroment where they
grow - no way cold water. Periods of watering try to be aprrox. equal.
That's the most. Cukes love water - air humidity and ground.

"Powerless Agronomist" wrote in message
...

"BFan" wrote in message
news:zKAsg.18232$f76.7078@dukeread06...
I had a decent cucumber crop this year, but most of them have had a strong
bitter taste on the stem side of the cucumber. If I cut away abut 1/3 of
the length of the cucumber, the rest is usually very good. What makes
them bitter?


Watering - water must be simmilar temperature as the enviroment where they
grow - no way cold water. Periods of watering try to be aprrox. equal.
That's the most. Cukes love water - air humidity and ground.


Another thing is if the flowers get pollinated. Tradition has it that the
male flowers should be pulled off to prevent pollination of the females,
hence modern varieties bred to produce only female flowers.

Steve

BFan wrote:
I had a decent cucumber crop this year, but most of them have had a strong
bitter taste on the stem side of the cucumber. If I cut away abut 1/3 of
the length of the cucumber, the rest is usually very good. What makes them
bitter?

For what it's worth, my grandmother used to attribute this to
over-handling/stepping on/etc. the vines and leaves, which seems in
keeping with the stress explanation.

"Pete from Boston" wrote in message
oups.com...

BFan wrote:
I had a decent cucumber crop this year, but most of them have had a
strong
bitter taste on the stem side of the cucumber. If I cut away abut 1/3 of
the length of the cucumber, the rest is usually very good. What makes
them
bitter?

For what it's worth, my grandmother used to attribute this to
over-handling/stepping on/etc. the vines and leaves, which seems in
keeping with the stress explanation.


Pick some when they are about half the size of the ones you see in a grocery
store. If they taste alright, you are probably leaving them on the vine to
long.


--
J.C.

"J.C." wrote in message
news

"Pete from Boston" wrote in message
oups.com...

BFan wrote:
I had a decent cucumber crop this year, but most of them have had a
strong
bitter taste on the stem side of the cucumber. If I cut away abut 1/3
of
the length of the cucumber, the rest is usually very good. What makes
them
bitter?

For what it's worth, my grandmother used to attribute this to
over-handling/stepping on/etc. the vines and leaves, which seems in
keeping with the stress explanation.


Pick some when they are about half the size of the ones you see in a
grocery store. If they taste alright, you are probably leaving them on the
vine to long.


--
J.C.

That is absolutely wrong, size doesn't determine bitterness.

I tried picking them small and large, it made no difference. The water
supply is steady in the garden. Although we had a very dry summer, I do
have a sprinkler system, so the ground stayed consistently moist.


"Powerless Agronomist" wrote in message
...

"J.C." wrote in message
news

"Pete from Boston" wrote in message
oups.com...

BFan wrote:
I had a decent cucumber crop this year, but most of them have had a
strong
bitter taste on the stem side of the cucumber. If I cut away abut 1/3
of
the length of the cucumber, the rest is usually very good. What makes
them
bitter?

For what it's worth, my grandmother used to attribute this to
over-handling/stepping on/etc. the vines and leaves, which seems in
keeping with the stress explanation.


Pick some when they are about half the size of the ones you see in a
grocery store. If they taste alright, you are probably leaving them on
the vine to long.


--
J.C.

That is absolutely wrong, size doesn't determine bitterness.

Sounds like you/re doing everything right. What variety did you plant?


"BFan" wrote in message
newsRUtg.19427$f76.15404@dukeread06...
I tried picking them small and large, it made no difference. The water
supply is steady in the garden. Although we had a very dry summer, I do
have a sprinkler system, so the ground stayed consistently moist.


"Powerless Agronomist" wrote in message
...

"J.C." wrote in message
news

"Pete from Boston" wrote in message
oups.com...

BFan wrote:
I had a decent cucumber crop this year, but most of them have had a
strong
bitter taste on the stem side of the cucumber. If I cut away abut
1/3
of
the length of the cucumber, the rest is usually very good. What
makes
them
bitter?

For what it's worth, my grandmother used to attribute this to
over-handling/stepping on/etc. the vines and leaves, which seems in
keeping with the stress explanation.


Pick some when they are about half the size of the ones you see in a
grocery store. If they taste alright, you are probably leaving them on
the vine to long.


--
J.C.

That is absolutely wrong, size doesn't determine bitterness.

BFan wrote:
I tried picking them small and large, it made no difference. The water
supply is steady in the garden. Although we had a very dry summer, I do
have a sprinkler system, so the ground stayed consistently moist.


Soil pH and mineral content does affect taste, though I never noticed
it with cucumbers. Which soil type and pH do you have? I usually
correct my acid soil with wood ash for selected vegetables, such as
tomatoes, lettuce, greens and cabbage.

"BFan" wrote in message
newsRUtg.19427$f76.15404@dukeread06...
I tried picking them small and large, it made no difference. The water
supply is steady in the garden. Although we had a very dry summer, I do
have a sprinkler system, so the ground stayed consistently moist.


"Powerless Agronomist" wrote in message
...

"J.C." wrote in message
news

"Pete from Boston" wrote in message
oups.com...

BFan wrote:
I had a decent cucumber crop this year, but most of them have had a
strong
bitter taste on the stem side of the cucumber. If I cut away abut 1/3
of
the length of the cucumber, the rest is usually very good. What makes
them
bitter?

For what it's worth, my grandmother used to attribute this to
over-handling/stepping on/etc. the vines and leaves, which seems in
keeping with the stress explanation.


Pick some when they are about half the size of the ones you see in a
grocery store. If they taste alright, you are probably leaving them on
the vine to long.


--
J.C.

That is absolutely wrong, size doesn't determine bitterness.




I repeat from the last posts - don't use cold water, water temperature
simmilar to enviromental temperature where it grows, leave water in some
pots nearby cukes, it will be enough and use it in the evening - when sun
goes down ( sunset). And always enough water, when they lack water also they
could be bitter.

"simy1" wrote in message
oups.com...

BFan wrote:
I tried picking them small and large, it made no difference. The water
supply is steady in the garden. Although we had a very dry summer, I do
have a sprinkler system, so the ground stayed consistently moist.

Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. I did not mean the size makes them
bitter, I meant that they have stayed on the vine too long, or the plant is
just too dang old.. Here, this is from Texas A&M

5. Q. What causes my cucumbers to become bitter tasting?


A. Any stress on a cucumber plant such as high temperatures, low moisture,
low fertility or foliage disease can contribute bitterness. Bitterness is
usually associated with fruit harvested late in the season from unhealthy,
poor-yielding plants. Once a plant produces bitter fruit, remove it from the
garden because all subsequent fruit will be affected in a similar manner.


--
J.C.

"J.C." wrote in message
m...

"simy1" wrote in message
oups.com...

BFan wrote:
I tried picking them small and large, it made no difference. The water
supply is steady in the garden. Although we had a very dry summer, I do
have a sprinkler system, so the ground stayed consistently moist.

Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. I did not mean the size makes them
bitter, I meant that they have stayed on the vine too long, or the plant
is just too dang old.. Here, this is from Texas A&M

5. Q. What causes my cucumbers to become bitter tasting?


A. Any stress on a cucumber plant such as high temperatures, low moisture,
low fertility or foliage disease can contribute bitterness. Bitterness is
usually associated with fruit harvested late in the season from unhealthy,
poor-yielding plants. Once a plant produces bitter fruit, remove it from
the garden because all subsequent fruit will be affected in a similar
manner.


--
J.C.

High temperature can cause bitterness? I'm in coastal Louisiana in July.
The temperature is always high. Do they really mean that?

Texas A&M wrote:

5. Q. What causes my cucumbers to become bitter tasting?

A. [snip] Once a plant produces bitter fruit, remove it from the
garden because all subsequent fruit will be affected in a similar manner.

As if one can tell which cucumber came from which plant.