Let's find out how to remove bitterness from cucumbers: what to do when pickling if they are bitter (before canning)

Causes of bitterness

Many people believe that bitter cucumber should not be eaten as it will be harmful. This judgment is incorrect, since such a vegetable rather has a choleretic and anti-inflammatory effect.

Typical reasons for the bitter taste of cucumbers.

Lack of potassium and nitrogen in the soil.
Lack of regular irrigation.
Growing cucumbers in shaded areas or a greenhouse.
Long droughts, heavy rains.

The bitterness of cucumbers is also affected by a sharp decrease or increase in temperature.

Effective ways

Below are the most effective techniques for eliminating the bitter taste in cucumbers. It is important to strictly follow the listed algorithms to get the desired result.

With salt

Using salt will help remove the bitter taste from cucumbers quickly and easily. This technique is suitable for those who plan to prepare a fresh, vitamin-rich salad or consume cucumbers in their natural form. Sprinkle the chopped cucumbers with sodium and wait half an hour. They should release juice, and cucurbitacin will come out with it. Afterwards, rinse the cucumbers under cool water and dry. This way you can get rid of bitterness, and the vegetables will not be salty.

Soaking in salted water

You can remove the bitterness from cucumbers before pickling by soaking them in salt water. It is enough to keep it in it for 40 minutes. Place the vegetables in a container, add cool water, add 1 tbsp salt. for 2 liters of liquid. Cucumbers will give juice, and the bitterness will go away. Such vegetables are not used for making fresh dishes. They are only suitable for pickling or canning.

Rubbing the cut

To remove the bitter taste from a fresh vegetable, you need to grate its cut. The cucumbers are washed, the “butt” is cut off, and the peel is removed. You should take the whole vegetable in one hand, and its back part in the other. Quickly make rubbing movements with your “butt” against the cut. Foam should appear, along with which bitter substances come out. After 1 minute, you can taste the cucumber. The technique is in demand in restaurants and canteens.

Combining methods

A completely unacceptable taste will go away if you use several methods at once. You can combine the technique of rubbing the cut and processing it with salt to eat vegetables fresh. If it is necessary to remove the bitter taste from cucumbers before preservation, they practice soaking in salt water and heat treatment.

Preservation using heat treatment

When the cucumbers are already prepared for preservation, and they turn out to be bitter, you should resort to the method below.

Rinse the vegetables, place in a bowl of cold water, and leave for 12 hours. If we are talking about morning filling, change the water every 3 hours.
In the morning, remove the skin from the cucumbers if they are still bitter. When the taste suits you, you don’t have to bother with cleaning.

Before sealing the vegetables, place a couple of cloves of horseradish or dry mustard on top of the jars. Marinating removes the bitter taste, since heat treatment destroys cucurbitacin.

Is it possible to get rid of bitterness or reduce it?

Cucumbers with bitterness are quite suitable for fresh use and for preservation.

How to remove bitterness from cucumbers

Bitter cucurbitacin is soluble in water, excreted in juice and concentrated mainly in the peel of the fruit. Therefore, there are several ways to remove bitterness.

Cut off the peel

Before preparing the salad, taste the cucumbers. If you feel an unpleasant bitterness, peel the fruit and use it for its intended purpose.

Removing bitterness by rubbing

Do you want to save your vitamins? Then try another way.

Trim off the ends and cut the fruit lengthwise. Rub the cuts of both halves against each other until the white foam stops coming out, then rinse the pieces under running water.

Recipe with salt

Cut the cucumber into small pieces and sprinkle with salt. Leave for about 30 minutes. The bitterness will go away along with the released juice. Rinse the slices in water and prepare the salad.

On a note! Salt the bitter cucumbers. There is absolutely no unpleasant aftertaste in this snack.

How to prevent bitterness in cucumbers in the garden

When cucumbers grow in the garden, it is necessary to perform certain manipulations so that they do not become bitter. The measures are not complicated and do not require much time.

Water your bushes regularly

For irrigation, only warm water should be used. Since the crop is watered in the evening, it heats up on its own. To check the degree of soil moisture, dig the soil in the garden bed. It should be wet at least 15 cm deep.

Add fertilizer to the soil

Cucumbers prefer nitrogen and potassium nitrate. The lack of these minerals can be judged by the condition of the plants. When a deficiency occurs, the leaves change shade and curl. It is better not to use humus with manure.

Seed selection

Seeds should be purchased from nurseries, and pay attention to “sweet” varieties. In most modern varieties, a special gene is present. It is this that prevents the accumulation of cucurbitacin.

Why are cucumbers bitter?

Plants react to stress in different ways. If unfavorable conditions are created for the cucumber, it will begin to produce cucurbitacin. This is a toxic substance that causes the fruit to become bitter. Synthesis occurs in the leaves. After this, the substance spreads throughout the plant. Sweet cucumber also contains cucurbitacin, but in very small quantities.

Most often, bitterness in cucumbers can appear for the following reasons:

Insufficient moisture.
Sudden temperature changes.
Poor soil.
Dry weather.
Sandy or clayey soil.
Pest attack.
Sowing too early or late.

To form a high concentration of cucurbitacin in cucumber, just one of the listed factors is sufficient. Particularly susceptible to unfavorable conditions are unripe greens and overripe specimens that are planned to be left for reproduction.

In addition, vegetables may taste bitter if they were grown from the seeds of bitter fruits. Therefore, during planting, it is necessary to select varieties and hybrids that are resistant to bitterness.

If the plant was planted too late , it will not have time to smoothly adapt to the increase in sunny days. And with a rapid increase in temperature, bitterness will definitely appear.

Lack of watering will also affect not only the taste, but also the appearance of the cucumber. It will take a long time to ripen, causing the skin to become darker and the greens to decrease.

Lack of fertilizer will add irregular shape . Therefore, you cannot pour water and feed by eye; you must use proven dosages. In addition, you need to irrigate only in warm weather and with warm water to avoid sudden temperature changes.

Various pests also lead to the production of cucurbitacin. With the help of this substance, the plant protects itself from insects.

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Look

Which varieties are not bitter?

In different types of cucumbers, the level of cucurbitacin differs. The most bitter varieties have a characteristic cucumber taste. Hybrids contain minimal amounts of cucurbitacin, also in self-pollinated varieties for greenhouse conditions.

It is advisable to buy varieties marked F1. These include the species Gerasim, Garland, Doka, Egoza, Mumu, Round Dance, Zabiyaka, Liliput. Sometimes manufacturers immediately mark the packs with information that the variety is without bitterness. When non-hybrid varieties are used for sowing, it is important to provide them with irrigation with warm water and abundant fertilizers.

How to grow a sweet cucumber without bitterness

Provide the plants with comfortable conditions, and they will thank you with an abundance of sweet, aromatic fruits.

Preventing bitterness

Several recommendations will help you grow delicious cucumbers in your garden:

plant plants in loose, fertile soil;
do not thicken the plantings, the optimal scheme is no more than 4 bushes per 1 m2;
bright sunlight is contraindicated for cucumbers; in a glass greenhouse, white the windows with chalk, cover the film with colored non-woven material; in open ground, natural shading will be provided by planting next to corn or sunflowers;
water the cucumbers only with warm water;
do not allow the soil to dry out to a depth of more than 5 cm;
do not get carried away with nitrogen fertilizers; it is enough to apply 3 fertilizings per season - a week after planting seedlings or emergence of seedlings, during flowering and when ovaries appear en masse;
the optimal temperature for cucumbers is up to 27 ºС during the day and 18-20 ºС at night;
Harvest regularly - if there are old cucumbers on the bush, the ovaries slow down their growth, which contributes to the accumulation of cucurbitacin;
choose hybrids that are not prone to bitterness.

What to cook from bitter cucumbers

Bitter cucumbers can be pickled, made into snacks, or added to dishes that require heat treatment, like a stew.

Delicious snack made from bitter cucumbers “Tenderness”. You will need the following products:

4 kg of cucumbers;
5 cups tomato paste, sugar, water;
5 cloves of garlic;
100 g 6% vinegar;
a glass of sunflower oil;
3 tbsp. salt;
tbsp black pepper;
1 tsp dried paprika.

Wash the cucumbers and divide into 2 parts. Place the vegetables in a large container and cover with chopped garlic, paprika, sugar, salt and pepper. Season the mixture with sunflower oil and tomato paste and simmer over low heat for half an hour. Add water and vinegar, cover with a lid, and simmer for another 15 minutes. Divide the vegetable mixture into jars, add marinade, and sterilize. Screw on the lids of hot preserves and place them upside down.

What to do when pickling

The best way to remove bitterness from large quantities of vegetables intended for pickling is to soak them in water:

Wash the cucumbers thoroughly.
In a suitable container, fill the fruits with cold water.
Once every 3 hours, drain the water and add fresh water.
After 6-7 hours, try the cucumbers. If you like the taste, start canning.
If the bitterness remains, change the water 2-3 more times.

If it was not possible to completely rid the vegetables of bitterness, you can marinate them with spices. This will add flavor to the canned vegetables and mask any remaining bitterness.

Spicy cucumbers

For 1 kg of cucumbers you need:

water - 1.5 l;
sugar - 2 tbsp. l.;
salt - 3 tbsp. l.;
9% table vinegar - 100 ml;
red onion - 1 pc.;
black peppercorns - 10 pcs.;
green bell pepper - 1 pc.;
garlic - 2 cloves;
horseradish leaves - 2 pcs.;
black currant leaves - 5 pcs.;
dill umbrellas - 3 pcs.;
bay leaf - to taste.