You’ve probably heard the expression "cool as a cucumber."
Cucumbers have a reputation for being refreshing. We toss them in salad, we add slices of them in water pitchers, and we even find them in summer cocktails.
However, some people also find these vegetables to be horribly bitter - and even those of us who enjoy them experience an odd tasting one from time to time. But why is that?
Why are some cucumbers bitter?
Cucumbers belong to the cucurbitaceous family of plants, each of which naturally produce chemicals called cucurbitacins. When large quantities are present inside a vegetable, it makes it taste bitter. However, the amount can vary from one cucumber to the next.
Part of the reason why some cucumbers are more bitter than others has to do with the way they are grown and harvested. Vegetables don't all come picture perfect and ripe like they appear on the shelves of our grocery stores. Under-watering, over-exposure to the sun and other environmental effects can alter the taste of our favourite foods. In this case, slight deviations in the way one cucumber is grown from another can have an impact on its taste.
However, as is the case with a lot of bitter foods and the way we react to them, the culprit is also our genetics. Some people are more genetically sensitive to bitter foods - both finding some foods more bitter, as well as enjoying it less than others.
Is there a way to make cucumbers less bitter?
If you're expecting a refreshing cucumber but the ones you have are leaving a bitter taste in your mouth, there are a few things you can do to improve the flavour.
Peeling them is probably the best option - either the entire skin or in alternating lines down the length of the veggie. Often the skin contributes to the bitter flavour so if there is less of it, there will be less of that bitterness.
Preparing the cucumbers also helps. For instance, if you like them raw add a little salt. Or else toss them in a salad with olive oil or other dressing. You also add slices between toast with mayo and some herbs for a sandwich.
Another method that some people swear by is cutting off the ends and then rubbing them over the exposed parts of the vegetable. It is said that this draws out some of the bitterness, but it is also quite possibly a placebo. But hey, if it works, it works!