How to Get Rid of Bitter Cucumber

Select a cucumber variety that has a low percentage of bitterness for best results.

Cucumber bitterness is often concentrated at the stem end of the fruit. Bitterness can occur due to temperatures, fertilization, plant spacing or irrigation. You can also taste bitterness more in the cucumber peel and the light green areas under the skin. The bitter taste hardly ever resides in the deep flesh of the cucumber. Bitter cucumber taste can ruin recipes and make eating the fruit less enjoyable.

Things You'll Need

• Sharp knife

Instructions

1. Peel the cucumber with a sharp knife at the blossom end. Slice the cucumber skin toward the stem end and stop peeling it when you are 1 inch away from the stem. Peel deeply at the cucumber stem end where most of the bitter taste is concentrated.

2. Rinse the knife under cool water to remove any bitter juices. Peel the cucumber again, starting at the blossom end and down to the stem end until you peel the cucumber completely. Rinse the knife each time you peel a section of cucumber.

3. Slice the cucumber in half. Scoop out the seeds from the inside. Older cucumbers often have bitter seeds that can affect the flavor.

4. Cut the cucumber into slices or cubes.

Tips & Warnings

• Always wash cucumbers before you peel them to prevent contaminating the fruit with dirt or debris.

References

• Washington State University; Bitterness in Cucumbers; D.R. Bienz, Ph.D. et al.
• Simply Recipes: Cucumber Salad Recipe
• University of California: How to Avoid Bitter Tasting Cucumbers
• Oregon State University; Cucumbers Bitter?; Carol Savonen
• Utah State University; Cucumbers; Jerry L. Goodspeed

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish