"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
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"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.