TOP 5 ways to remove bitterness from cucumbers before pickling

People often wonder how to remove the bitterness from cucumbers before pickling. To achieve good results, it's important to choose an effective method. Soaking in cold water, rubbing with salt, or heat-treating will all help remove the unpleasant taste. It's also acceptable to peel the skin off these cucumbers, as this is where the bitterness accumulates.

Why do cucumbers taste bitter and what affects the taste?

Cucumbers grow quickly but have a weak root system, which is highly sensitive to moisture and soil density. The following factors can cause bitterness in cucumbers:

• pollination of self-fertile varieties by insects;
• damage to root hairs due to insufficient watering;
• sharp fluctuations in temperature parameters;
• low humidity.

Which varieties and hybrids are not bitter?

Breeders' efforts have led to improved plant characteristics. Today, there are hybrid varieties that are weather-resistant and do not accumulate bitterness. These include:

• Gerasim F1;
• Garland F1;
• Doc F1;
• Egoza F1;
• Masha F1.

Do they preserve bitter cucumbers?

Bitter cucumbers are best pickled. There are no recipes that completely eliminate the bitterness. However, there are dishes that help reduce the unpleasant taste. Salt, used for pickling and marinating, helps partially extract cucurbitacin from the vegetables.

For best results, it's recommended to pre-soak the product in water for 10-12 hours. Ideally, use boiling water, allowing it to cool naturally.

How to remove bitterness from cucumbers when canning and pickling

To combat the bitterness, it's recommended to properly pickle cucumbers for the winter. There are several options.

With the help of salt

The bitterness will go away if you chop the unpeeled fruit and rub it with salt. After just half an hour, their flavor will return to normal.

Rubbing the cut

Rubbing a cucumber cut can quickly remove the bitter taste. To do this, take two cucumbers and rub the cut sides together. This will release a white liquid, along with cucurbitacin.

Cut off the peel

Before canning, taste the cucumbers. If they taste bitter, peel them.

Soak vegetables in salted water

Before placing the fruit in jars, soak them in cool water for 11-12 hours.

We preserve using heat treatment

Before canning, place the cucumbers in a container of cool water and leave for 12 hours. It's best to change the water every 3 hours. Before canning, peel the cucumbers. Then, place them in jars and add horseradish or mustard.

Canning helps remove the bitterness because heat treatment kills cucurbitacin.

What to do when pickling

To pickle cucumbers, it's recommended to soak them in water. After a few hours, taste them. If the flavor has returned to normal, you're ready to pickle.

Spicy cucumbers

These cucumbers are pickled using a variety of spices. To add a piquant flavor, garlic, horseradish, and currant leaves are used. To pickle cucumbers this way, the following marinade ingredients are recommended:

• 1.5 liters of water;
• 2 tablespoons of sugar;
• 3 tablespoons of salt;
• 100 milliliters of 9% table vinegar.

Place all ingredients in a jar, pour boiling water over them, and let steep for 5 minutes. Pour the liquid into a saucepan, add all the ingredients, and bring to a boil. Then fill the jars and seal the cucumbers.

Spicy cucumbers

To twist hot cucumbers, use hot peppers, mustard seeds, and garlic. For a more flavorful pickle, add bay leaves and currant leaves. Pour boiling water over the cucumbers, then add the marinade, after which they can be canned.

How to Prevent Bitterness When Growing: Tips and Advice

To avoid a bitter taste, it's important to follow key agricultural guidelines. Vegetables should be planted exclusively in loose, fertile soil. Avoid dense plantings. No more than four plants per square meter are allowed.

The harvest should be systematically removed. Otherwise, the ovaries slow down in development, leading to the accumulation of cucurbitacin.

We observe the watering regime

Cucumbers should be watered exclusively with warm water. The soil should not dry out more than 5 centimeters deep.

Feeding the bushes

Avoid using too much nitrogen fertilizer. Three applications per season are sufficient. Apply one week after planting, during flowering, and during mass fruit set.

Choosing the right variety

To avoid bitterness, it's best to choose resistant hybrid varieties. Popular options include Zabiyaka, Mumu, Egoza, Khorovod, and Liliput.

A bitter taste in cucumbers is quite common. To ensure high-quality pickling and avoid bitterness, it's important to properly prepare the vegetables for canning.