Avoid the bitterness of cucumber with these simple tips

Cucumbers are one of the most attractive fruits of summer. Crispy, always fresh and refreshing, seasonal, they cannot be missing in soups and cold dishes as well as in drinks and cocktails.

However, sometimes we come across very bitter-tasting cucumbers that are repeated a lot, which makes us think twice before consuming this vegetable again. Can this unpleasant taste be avoided?

Those responsible for the bitterness of cucumbers, gherkins and other curcubits They are compounds called curcubitacins. Curcubitacins B and C make parts of the plant, such as the leaves, taste bitter, as a defense mechanism against animals that want to eat them.

Although most of these compounds are found in the roots, leaves and stems, under certain conditions during cultivation (extreme heat, water stress, etc.) they can also pass into the fruits and make them taste bitter. Since we cannot know in what exact conditions the cucumbers we find in greengrocers and greengrocers have been cultivated, and there are no external signs that help to identify them, the only thing we can do is try them and take some precautions to eliminate as much as possible the bitterness when eating them.

We can also choose varieties of cucumbers Known to tend to contain fewer curcubitacins, such as Dutch, Armenian (which is actually a type of melon although it tastes like a cucumber), Diva (just like “regular” cucumbers but with smooth skin, no bumps), etc

Follow these tips to remove its bitterness:

1. Peel

Peeling the cucumbers improves the flavor quite a bit. The skin and the outermost layers (that touch the skin) tend to be more bitter, so it’s a good idea. always peel cucumbers before eating them. If necessary, they can be peeled a second time, removing one more outer layer, in case they are still very bitter.

Always remember to remove the ends first (the beginning and the end) and discard them, as they are also areas with a high concentration of curcubitacins.

2. Soak with water and salt

In the same way that we do with black eggplants to eliminate bitter compounds. Once we have our cucumbers cut to taste, we put them in a bowl with cold water and salt at least half an hour. Then we wash them well, dry and serve.

It is also useful to leave them only with salt and wash later. This does not guarantee that all the bitter compounds will go away, but it does greatly improve the flavor and, if they were a bit soft, their texture. It is essential that the water is very cold.

3. Pickle or marinate with acids

The pickles, for example, almost always go through the pickling process before reaching our hands. It’s hard (if not impossible) to find fresh pickles. Their flavor and texture is given by that pickle, which also perfectly eliminates or masks any bitterness they might have.

With cucumbers you can do the same. Just cut them into thick sticks. and pickle just like other vegetables. If we don’t want to wait so long to eat them, we can always marinate them for at least a couple of hours with acidic ingredients, such as lemon and vinegar, salt and water (and optionally spices and herbs) and leave them in the fridge until we are going to consume them.

For a better result, discard the marinade liquidwhich will contain some bitter compounds from the cucumber.

4. Cook it

Although it sounds strange, there are recipes and preparations with roasted cucumberssautéed, on the grill… Cooking helps reduce the bitter taste but does not completely eliminate it if our cucumbers have turned out to be particularly bitter, so the same precautions should be taken as raw: remove the ends and peel before cooking .

In KoreaFor example, very ripe cucumbers, those with seeds already formed inside, are often cooked. To take advantage of these cucumbers, they are peeled, the seeds removed and they are used like zucchinisautéing them with garlic, spring onion and sesame oil.

In the indian cuisine it is not rare to find snacks and curries made with cooked cucumbers. They use them just like bitter melon, which is also a relative of cucumbers.