In article ,
David Rance wrote:

His exact words, after tasting it, were "not quite ripe", then "not
quite ready, it's a little bit bitter". I've always understood that
bitterness in cucumbers was to do with irregular watering and/or uneven
temperatures, not to do with whether it's unripe or not ready.

Or am I wrong? If a cucumber is bitter when it's not ready will it lose
that bitterness when it is ready?

No, but my limited experience is that most cucumbers are bitter
when gherkin-sized. Pickling reduces this, because salinity is
antagonistic to bitterness, just as sweetness is to sourness.

It's a long time since I tried growing cucumbers but, when I did, I
didn't have much success. They were bitter! So what do I know?! :-|

You and me, both :-( I did once get some that were partially
successful.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.