How to remove bitterness from cucumbers. Causes of the bitterness of cucumbers
The bitterness of cucumbers is caused by cucurbitacin. This substance has a bitter taste, and it is found in absolutely all cucumbers. But there are many varieties of these vegetables, and in some it is more, and in some it is less. The lowest cucurbitacin content is most often found in hybrid varieties. But still, its number may increase. This is often facilitated by some external factors.
Main reasons
The main reasons why bitterness is often present in cucumbers may be insufficient and irregular watering. Or vice versa, if there was a lot of moisture for vegetables - for example, the summer was rainy and cool. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight is also very harmful, as is a lack of sunlight. The low humidity that can be found in the greenhouse can also affect the cucumbers and add bitterness to them. Insufficient nitrogen-potassium nutrition is also related to the increase in cucurbitacin content.
The bitterness increases with careless collection, when the lashes are confused and damaged. There is one more reason - if, after the usual heat, there comes a sharp long cold snap with heavy rains.
Prevent bitterness
How to remove bitterness from cucumbers? Gardeners are often interested in this issue. In order to reduce the content of cucurbitacin in vegetables, they need to be watered with warm water, and in the heat it is imperative to increase watering much. If it gets cold, then you need to temporarily stop watering them altogether. It is enough if the soil is moistened 15 cm deep.
In extreme heat, the plants must be sprayed additionally. This can be done in the morning or in the evening. It is necessary to feed cucumbers. And complex fertilizers, in which the nutrients are correctly balanced, are perfect for this. Vegetables do not like fresh manure very much - you need to know this.
When choosing seeds for that, it is better to give preference to those on the packaging of which there is an indication that this variety will not taste bitter. There are many varieties that contain a specific gene that prevents cucurbitacin from accumulating in vegetables. But these cucumbers also differ in taste, they have less expressive, softer. Bitterness is manifested mainly in those varieties where the taste is most pronounced.
How to remove bitterness from cucumbers? Even if they are bitter, they do not need to be thrown away, since cucurbitacin is broken down during heat treatment, which means that they can be pickled, salted, fried, even if fresh they are unsuitable for consumption.
How to remove bitterness from cucumbers: methods
Bitterness can be removed or reduced in other ways. For example, rubbing. Wash the cucumber well, then you need to cut off the part at the tip where the stem was. If the cucumber tastes bitter, then you just need to rub the cut off "ass" along the cut. A thick white foam will form at this point. You need to continue rubbing in circular intensive movements until the foam begins to stand out less and less. This method is often used in cafes and restaurants. When the foam forms, cucurbitacin is drawn out of the vegetable, and the cucumber becomes ordinary, without bitterness. What is noteworthy is that additional processing (soaking, etc.) is not required.
There is another method for removing bitterness from cucumbers. - for this they can be soaked in salt. The vegetables are thoroughly washed, the "bottom" is also cut off and the pulp is tasted. If a bitter taste is felt, then the cucumber is cut into slices, but you do not need to peel the skin. Then the slices are laid out in a clean dish and sprinkled with salt a little. Under such a salt compress, they should be left to lie down for about 40 minutes, until they give juice. It is with him that the bitterness of the cucumber will come out. Then it can be added to any dishes. Only before that, the vegetables are nevertheless thoroughly washed and dried a little.
There is another effective way to remove bitterness from cucumbers. You can just soak them in cold water. This is usually done by pouring cold water over them for 12 hours, then peeling the vegetables off. Before rolling into the jar, add a little dry mustard or horseradish slices on top.
How to get rid of bitterness from cucumbers. Scientists' opinion
Scientists and practitioners, vegetable growers who work with this culture, basically pay little attention to the question of how to remove the bitterness from cucumbers. Everything is simply limited to references to the fact that this phenomenon is quite possible. And the microclimatic causes of occurrence are listed - air humidity, temperature, illumination, etc. This is justified by the fact that in experimental work and production, self-pollinated cucumbers are considered the main product, and bitterness is completely unusual for them.
When bitterness arises
To all the complaints of gardeners about how to remove bitterness from cucumbers, scientists do not pay attention to, since they consider these complaints to be small-scale. There are many ways and ways of forming complex substances in plants, including bitter ones. Bitterness can occur mainly in three cases:
- an increase in the substance that causes it, under the influence of unfavorable factors;
- a decrease in the content of substances in cucumbers that form taste (acids, sugars, vitamins, carbohydrates, etc.);
- change in the ratio of the above substances.
What to look for
If you adhere to the advice that scientists give, then the question of how to eliminate bitterness in cucumbers simply will not arise. For example, overdrying of the soil is attributed to negative factors, which leads to massive and instantaneous death of root hairs, for which water is simply vital. Due to the fact that less water gets into the stem and leaves, dehydration occurs. The outflow of organic matter stops, the fruit is not poured, ripening is delayed.
It also happens...
The reason for the bitterness of cucumbers can also be hidden in waterlogging, in which the roots will suffer from a lack of oxygen, since if there is a large amount of moisture, then the plants will not be able to use it all. The same thing happens with an excess of food. After that, the following happens along the chain. At low temperatures of air and soil, plants stop growing, their qualities deteriorate. For example, the same bitterness appears.
The high temperature, which is often caused by the lack of ventilation in the greenhouse, causes the plants to evaporate and absorb water intensively, as a result of which photosynthesis in the leaves is disrupted. This also contributes to the appearance of bitterness in cucumbers.
All adverse effects affect the quality of the fruit, and primarily lead to a slowdown in growth. They can also lead to the accumulation of nitrates in fruits, and vice versa, reduce the content of nutrients and vitamins.