cucumbers

[toots]

Hi! I'm New to the forum and needing help. Phoenix is hot, but the summer garden has done well. The cucumber production has been very good but the cucumber eating has not gone so great!!. The cukes are sooo bitter!!. I have tried picking them smaller, peeling deeper, not peeling at all. I have soaked them in salt water,soaked them in vinegar and let them sit in water with onions, before serving. STILL BITTER---

 

[Tutter]

Weclome, Toots! :happy_flower

There can be many reasons for that, and high heat is one.

Have they been getting good, even watering? How is the fertility of the soil? Were these plants, or seeds, when you got them? Was a variety listed?

 

[toots]

We get property irrigation on our lot and I water in between because of the weather. They are in a small raised bed about 6'x8' that includes my compost bin. They are trailing on the chain link fence but have never wilted. I put the plants in late annd they were the last the nursery had-no name. They were leggy when I put them in but got growing beautifully once they were dressed with some compst and then a few waterings of manure tea.

 

[blurose]

I'm sorry your cucs are bitter. It is for that very reason that for years I've only planted pickling cucs for all purposes, pickling and fresh eating. They have NEVER been bitter for me.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Welcome to the forum!

So, IME, cool weather has been the leading cause of bitter cucumbers. Since this is obviously not the problem my next assumption is that it's caused by the variety. Since you don't know the name of it, my guess is it may be a pickling variety that is bitter or just a regular variety that is bitter.

As long as you have fertilized or added compost to provide nitrogen and you keep them well watered (about 1 inch of water a week, maybe more because of the heat) theoretically they should be sweeter.

Other than trying to plant another variety, which I think you may have time for, I can recommend that you make pickles. Sweet pickles, if you must.

Good luck

 

[rockytopsis]

Toots I have been thinking of posting something along the same lines as your op. The variety I planted was straight 8. Some are bitter and some are perfect. They have had plenty of water from me and from rain and fed well.

So I will ask what is a good recomendation to plant that will satisfy both flavors, eating and pickling.

 

[Tutter]

Oakland, you find heat makes them sweeter? What kind of temperatures are you talking about? I almost stopped growing cukes entirely because when it got hot, the fruit was not good at all. But because it was fine on either end of the heat, I grow them most years after all.

Yes, there are a lot of plants being sold which have bitter fruit, and they are often labeled merely as, 'cucumbers.' I always suggest getting seeds, of your preferred variety, from a reliable source.

 

[bills]

I find eating fresh pickling cukes generally on the bitter side. They can grow quite large if left on the vine. Sure you didn't plant pickling cukes??


Have you ever tried the cutting off the end of a cucumber, and rubbing it vigorously on the cut just made? (Do you follow me there?)

This may just be an "old wives tale" but I still do it regardless, as my Mom did, and my Grandma did. It is supposed to remove the bitterness. It may have something to it, as some of those old time methods do work...

Ever try soaking them overnight in milk before eating?

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Oakland, you find heat makes them sweeter? What kind of temperatures are you talking about? I almost stopped growing cukes entirely because when it got hot, the fruit was not good at all. But because it was fine on either end of the heat, I grow them most years after all.

Yes, there are a lot of plants being sold which have bitter fruit, and they are often labeled merely as, 'cucumbers.' I always suggest getting seeds, of your preferred variety, from a reliable source.

Tutter, I really haven't had problems with bitter cucumbers in the heat (So Cal heat at around 110) but when it gets cold, especially now living out here, they seem to get bitter. Maybe we should switch varieties?

 

[Tutter]

Oakland, you find heat makes them sweeter? What kind of temperatures are you talking about? I almost stopped growing cukes entirely because when it got hot, the fruit was not good at all. But because it was fine on either end of the heat, I grow them most years after all.

Yes, there are a lot of plants being sold which have bitter fruit, and they are often labeled merely as, 'cucumbers.' I always suggest getting seeds, of your preferred variety, from a reliable source.

Tutter, I really haven't had problems with bitter cucumbers in the heat (So Cal heat at around 110) but when it gets cold, especially now living out here, they seem to get bitter. Maybe we should switch varieties?

It seems so! There must be more variables than I considered! Although I freely admit that I don't spend nearly the time on cucumbers that I do on other vegetables.

Yes, it gets that hot here, too, and a bit hotter during heat waves.

Ah well, I can put more tomatoes in their place, and trade for cucumbers with someone else.