Does the peeling method of cucumbers prevent bitter taste?

SKK added almost 2 years ago

According to Washington State University, the way you peel makes no difference. Cucurbits is what causes the bitterness and there appears to be more complaints of the bitterness in years with a cooler growing season. Personally, I have found that the most bitter is in the ends of the cucumber so I slice them off. Then I taste a bit unpeeled and if it is bitter I peel. If it is still bitter I scoop out the seeds. If that doesn't work, throw it away.

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I always peel the regular "garden" cucumbers I get at the grocery store. Not for bitterness, but because the skin is waxed to preserve the "freshness". I don't peel cukes I get from the farmers market or from my CSA, nor do I peel the ones that are labeled as "English" or "hothouse" cucumbers. They're easy to spot, they're packaged in a plastic shrink-wrap. I've never found them to be bitter, regardless of peel or seeds.

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mainecook61 added almost 2 years ago

Even good garden cucumbers sometimes turn bitter when they are stressed---generally hot conditions and a lack of water. The plant is often near its useful end, too; first cucumbers are never bitter. Sometimes, per SKK, cutting the end off does help, and sometimes, as she says, they're too awful to save. I think the long Asian kind, like Suyo (I grow them on a trellis), are less likely to turn bitter in the heat of August. The peel itself isn't a factor.

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susan g added almost 2 years ago

A friend uses this technique to take out the bitterness, purportedly Chinese: cut off about 1/2" from the end. Rub the cut surfaces against each other until it gets a bit soapy/foamy. Anyone else heard of this?

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Panfusine added almost 2 years ago

Yes Susan G.. I grew up believing this. its second nature by habit to rub the cut surface with the bits cut off from the ends of the cucumber. So glad that some one else bought it up.. (was a bit embarrassed to share this first, silly as it may sound!)

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MyGardenersTable added almost 2 years ago

Interesting, like SKK says, according to Washington State University peeling makes no difference. Oregon State University, on the other hand, quotes a vegetable crops professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences who came up with the method I described in my initial question of peeling a cucumber to avoid serving bitter-tasting cukes. @ susan g / Panfusine: the "Chinese" rubbing trick is totally new to me and I'll try it just for fun, even though it might be as unscientific as the peeling trick. - So the best way to go about late cukes is to cut off both ends and have a bite before dumping it into the salad or whatever you are making. Sounds obvious but I have spoiled dishes that way. And, have a backup dish because if the cukes are bitter, there is nothing to be done.

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