People who grow vegetables need to know why cucumbers are bitter, the reason, what to do in this situation and how to prevent it. There are a number of factors that can trigger the unpleasant bitterness, and advice on how to deal with pre-existing bitterness.
Bitter cucumbers - the reason what to do?
The appearance of an unpleasant taste is associated with the presence of the substance cucurbitacin in the fruits. It is found in large quantities in greens, which protects them from pests. With an increase in the concentration of this substance, the fruits acquire an unpleasant bitterness. In addition, scientists have found that bitter cucumbers are also due to. There are species prone to the development of cucurbitacin with minor environmental changes, for example, "Muromsky", "Vyaznikovsky" and "Nezhinsky". Breeders have bred special varieties of cucumbers that have genes that suppress the production of cucurbitacin.
Bitter cucumbers - benefits and harms
A common mistake is the opinion that bitter cucumbers are harmful to the body and even poisonous. In fact, this is not the case, and they do not affect health in any way, so if bitterness does not bother you, then you can safely eat such vegetables. The benefits of bitter cucumbers lie in the following properties:
- positively affects;
- regulates the processes of blood clotting;
- removes salts;
- cleanses the body of toxins.
- renal failure;
- chronic nephritis;
- stones in the bladder.
What makes bitter cucumbers grow?
There are different reasons for the increase in cucurbitacin in cucumbers depending on where they are grown in the greenhouse or outdoors. Let's start with the first group, so most of these cultures are moody. There is more than one reason why cucumbers are bitter:
- limited living space;
- increased exposure to sunlight;
- lack of moisture;
- incorrect temperature regime during the period of active growth;
- infertile soil.
You should figure out why the cucumbers are bitter, what are the reasons, what to do with them if they were grown in the open field. The reasons given for greenhouse crops are relevant in this case as well, but there are some additional factors:
- irregular and cold water use;
- sudden changes in temperature day and night;
- growing near raspberries, strawberries, etc.
What to do to prevent the cucumbers from being bitter?
If you focus on the reasons that cause the bitter taste, then you can formulate tips to prevent the problem from arising.
- Choose the right place for planting so that the bushes are not exposed to the direct rays of the hot sun. For them, a suitable option is diffused light. Covering material can be used for protection.
- If you are interested in cucumbers not being bitter, what needs to be done, then consider the need for regular watering. One more thing - the water should be warm, for which keep the buckets in the sun for a while.
- Provide proper plant care, so it is important to mulch the beds, remove weeds and loosen the soil. All of this will help keep moisture in.
- When growing in a greenhouse, be sure to avoid hypothermia of the plants when ventilating buildings and especially during the cold season.
- Do not plant seeds in clay soil, which will cause bitterness. Choose loose, peaty soil for this crop.
How to feed the cucumbers so that they do not taste bitter?
The most important thing for the absence of bitterness is proper watering, but if the culture is planted on poor soils, then top dressing is mandatory. So that the cucumbers are not bitter, you can use the following additives:
- When planting, it is recommended to add a mixture of mullein and chicken droppings. She divorces, and then watering is carried out.
- Among folk remedies, "brilliant green" is useful, for which the grass is finely cut and poured with warm water. It is infused for several days and watering is carried out.
- If the reason is a lack of fertilizer, then feeding can be done with yeast. Pour 100 g of yeast with a bucket of water, and leave the mixture for a day. Watering is carried out with the finished fertilizer.
- Among the mineral supplements, urea can be recommended. Add 50 g of urea to 10 liters of water, and water the beds.
What can be made from bitter cucumbers?
If the cucumbers still turn out to be bitter, do not despair, as there are a number of tricks that will help you cope with this problem.
- The bitterness is only present in the skin, so you can cut it off and use the pulp for salads and other dishes.
- Some cucumbers have bitterness only in the tail, in which case you need to do the following: cut off about 1.5 cm, and rub the resulting parts against each other until all the white matter comes out.
- The popular way of fighting is soaking or heat treatment. During these processes, cucurbitacin is destroyed and bitter cucumbers lose their unpleasant taste. Duration of soaking - at least 12 hours, but better for 24 hours. When preserved, bitter cucumbers become tasty and even spicy.
Cucumber - one of the healthiest foodsespecially in the summer, as this vegetable is mainly composed of water and essential nutrients for the human body.
Plus, cucumbers are easy to grow. Each variety differs in size, shape and color and is cultivated all over the world. Fresh cucumbers are available throughout the season; they are eaten raw, in vegetable salads or added to juices.
Why are they so useful for the body of a man and a woman, what benefit or harm can fresh, lightly salted, pickled, pickled cucumbers bring to health, is bitterness in bitter cucumbers harmful, how is cucumber tops and juice from this vegetable used in cosmetology (for the skin of the face) and in folk medicine? You will learn about this and much more in this issue.
Useful and medicinal properties
The earlier you removed the cucumbers from the branch, the more useful properties they have. Overgrown cucumbers become tasteless, the skin coarsens, and nutrients literally "evaporate" along with the amount of water.
Cucumbers have a positive effect on the body due to their 90% water content:
- Healthy facial skin. It has long been known how beneficial cucumber is for facial skin. Cucumber promotes a cooling and calming effect, reduces swelling, irritation and inflammation. The cucumber slice can be placed over the eyes to reduce morning swelling, or rubbed over the skin to soften, moisturize, and heal sunburn. Cucumbers cope with this process as well as aloe.
- Fight dehydration... During the hot summer months, adding cucumber to your diet will help prevent dehydration. Cucumbers are mostly water and are loaded with important electrolytes, so eating them is a great way to increase your water intake. Dehydration is fraught with many side effects, such as decreased metabolism, lack of normal bowel movements, hair loss, and even early aging.
- Fight toxins... An important property of water and products containing water is to cleanse the body of toxins. Two liters of water every day helps to remove harmful substances from the body. Eating cucumbers helps a lot in this process.
Other medicinal properties of cucumber are associated with the beneficial substances in its composition:
- Brain protection. Cucumbers contain fisetins; These are anti-inflammatory flavonoids that affect brain health: improve memory, protect nerve cells from age-related memory impairment, these substances prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease and brain cancer.
- Cancer protection for women. Cucumbers contain polyphenols called lignans. They reduce the risk of breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate cancer. They also contain phytonutrients that have anti-cancer properties.
- Protection against inflammation. Cucumber juice reduces inflammation by partially inhibiting the activity of anti-inflammatory enzymes.
- Antioxidant properties. Cucumbers are rich in antioxidants, including vitamin C and beta-carotene.
- Fresh breath. Putting a slice of cucumber on your tongue for 5 to 10 minutes will rid your mouth of bacteria that cause bad odor.
- Fight stress. Cucumbers contain many vitamins, including vitamin B1, B5, and B7. B vitamins are known to relieve anxiety and normalize the damaging effects of stress.
- A healthy digestive system. Cucumbers are rich in two essential nutrients for healthy digestion: water and fiber. The skin contains fiber. This helps food move faster through the digestive tract.
- Help with weight control. Low-calorie cucumbers are a very nutritious snack for those who are losing weight. The high fiber content slows down digestion, which increases the time you feel full.
We should also mention the high content of vitamin K in cucumbers:
- It plays an important role in building bone tissue.
- It is responsible for the production of proteins in the liver, which is important for better blood clotting. This ability is important for people with bleeding disorders. This reduces the chance of bleeding after a cut or injury.
Medicinal properties and contraindications of cucumber tops
About half vitamin K is contained in the peel, so eating it is just as important as the pulp. Sometimes bitter cucumbers come across in food. By the way, only the skin is bitter, but not the pulp. Bitterness is formed due to the lack of proper moisture during the growth of the cucumber. If the bitterness is unpleasant, it is enough to cut the skin off. As it turned out, bitterness is not harmful, but only useful. High content cucurbitacinthat gives off bitterness, helps inhibition of tumor growth, improves digestion, and is also incredibly beneficial for liver health.
Cucumber tops are as useful as cucumbers themselves. Cucumber leaf tinctures help women cope with problems such as uterine fibroids and fibroids, uterine bleeding and menopause, and also contribute to an increase in progesterone.
Pickled or pickled cucumbers slightly differ in the content of nutrients. Preservation practically does not change the vitamin composition of cucumbers. Pickles contain enough vitamins and fiber, but sugar or salt reduces nutritional value. Cucumber juice helps in treating diabetes, lowering cholesterol and normalizing blood pressure. The juice contains a hormone that the cells of the pancreas need to make insulin. Sterols are compounds in cucumbers that lower cholesterol levels. In addition, juice contains nutrients that help regulate blood pressure (both high and low).
Mixed with cucumber juice, it lowers uric acid levels, thus relieving the symptoms of gout.
Chemical composition, nutritional and energy value (caloric content) of fresh cucumber
Cucumbers - very low-calorie vegetables; 100 g contains only 15 kcal... Read more about that in a separate article. They do not contain saturated fat or cholesterol. Cucumber peels are a source of dietary fiber.
How many proteins, fats and carbohydrates (BJU) are in cucumbers?
What vitamins, macro- and microelements are contained in cucumbers?
Cucumbers are high in b vitamins and vitamin K.
Cucumbers are a great source known to promote joint health by strengthening the connective tissue.
Thanks to this composition, cucumbers are among the top five healthy vegetables.
Application in dietetics
Low calorie content and 90% water in cucumber - the perfect combination for any diet. Many losing weight are familiar with the cucumber and kefir-cucumber diet, designed for fasting days and rapid weight loss. Water and fiber are effective in ridding the body of toxins from the digestive system, and this helps to improve digestion.
Culinary compatibility
Cucumbers in combination with other vegetables, especially tomatoes or carrots, are an impressive vitamin composition and simply delicious food.
Cucumbers are combined:
A light summer salad or salads for a festive feast will be equally tasty if they contain cucumbers.
How to Pick a Good Product
The cucumbers should be firm, rounded at the edges, and light green in color. It's important to avoid buying foods that are yellow, puffy, sunken, or wrinkled. Thin-skinned cucumbers tend to contain fewer seeds than thick-skinned ones.
How to use the product
The consumption rate of fresh cucumbers is 200 g per day, a portion of cucumber juice is 100 ml, the permissible amount of pickled cucumbers is 150 g.
How to properly store fresh cucumbers in the refrigerator
Cucumbers should be refrigerated after purchase. There they will keep fresh for several days. Place the sliced \u200b\u200bcucumbers in a tightly sealed container to keep them from drying out. Fresh cucumbers should be used within one or two days and should not be kept at room temperature for too long as this will cause rapid wilting.
Harm and contraindications
Almost all store-bought vegetables contain pesticides that are hazardous to health. Due to the high content of pesticides, allergies, nausea and even fainting may occur. The same effect comes from the wax coating. The waxed surface contains unwanted chemical impurities. In general, fresh cucumbers are safe, unlike pickles and juice. Cucumber juice and cucumber tops are harmful to people with ulcers, gastritis, kidney stones or gallbladder stones.
Pickled cucumbers (due to the abundant addition of salt) are able to retain water in the body, and this, in turn, threatens with edema, pressure and headaches.
Delicious cucumbers are useful in any form. When combined with other vegetables, the effect is only enhanced.
What cucumber salads do you know? What cucumber diets are you familiar with?
Cucumber is a delicate and capricious plant. The cucumber is native to the rainforests of India. Under natural conditions, it grows in the shade of trees, practically does not see direct sunlight; it receives more than enough moisture - with abundant tropical rains, and with a sharp nighttime drop in temperature, characteristic of our strip, the wild cucumber is completely unfamiliar.
Therefore, the cucumber does not like either too hot and dry weather, or cold, as well as sudden temperature changes. These conditions are stressful for the cucumber, and as a defense, it begins to produce a special anti-stress substance - cucurbitacin. It is this substance that gives the cucumbers their bitter taste. It is concentrated mainly in the skin of the cucumber, at the stalk.
Experienced gardeners advise: so that the cucumbers do not taste bitter, you need to strictly observe the light and temperature regime in the greenhouse or in the garden: grow cucumbers in well-lit places, water abundantly - only with warm water and only in warm weather, cover when it gets cold, be sure to feed (but only not fresh manure!).
The bitterness of cucumber fruits is due to a special gene, that is, it is a hereditary trait. European and Dutch cucumber salad varieties have already been developed that never taste bitter. They contain a gene that interferes with the formation of cucurbitacins.
In order not to throw away the bitter cucumber, you can peel it from the peel, but you need to keep in mind that along with the peel you will throw out most of the vitamins and other useful substances. To get rid of the bitter taste, you can soak the bitter cucumbers for several hours.
Cucurbitacin is destroyed by heat treatment and by exposure to water, so bitter cucumbers are quite suitable for pickling and salting.
Despite the unpleasant taste, cucurbitacin is not harmful, but, on the contrary, is curative: for example, it has the ability to suppress the growth of malignant tumors, promotes better work of the pancreas, liver, and intestines. In China, bitter varieties of cucumbers are specially grown and used for medicinal purposes.
By the way ...
Cucurbitacin is produced not only by cucumbers, but also by all plants of the pumpkin family, in hot and dry weather.
The fruits of wild cucumbers are completely inedible due to their high cucurbitacin content.
Surely you have repeatedly wondered why cucumbers are bitter? Many people mistakenly believe that bitter cucumbers are unhealthy, but this is not the case. Moreover, the bitterness in cucumbers is healing, it has choleretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-cancer properties.
Why are cucumbers bitter?
Who has not come across a bitter cucumber! It’s a rather unsympathetic surprise when such gentle and healthy vegetables suddenly begin to "bite" with bitterness.
The presence of bitterness in cucumbers is due to special substances - cucurbitacins, which are produced in response to stressful circumstances (too hot or cold weather).
It is now known that the bitterness of cucumbers is a hereditary phenomenon. There is a group of genes responsible for the production of cucurbitacins. In some European countries, special varieties of cucumbers have already been bred, devoid of these genes, which will never taste bitter.
Is it dangerous to eat bitter cucumbers?
Many people mistakenly believe that bitter cucumbers are poisonous. However, the bitterness contained in a cucumber is in no way harmful to health. They can be safely used for food. Another thing is that it is tasteless, and in order to eat such a cucumber, you need to have patience and endurance.
If such pickle cucumbers, then the bitterness will go away completely, and you will not feel it.
Why are bitter cucumbers useful?
You will be surprised, however, that bitter cucumbers are good for your health. As you know, bitterness stimulates the gallbladder, promoting the outflow of bile. In everyday life, we rarely eat bitter foods, and bitterness is useful.
Recent studies in Germany have shown that cucumbers that taste bitter can help you lose weight. According to scientists, a similar effect from bitter cucumbers was most likely achieved due to the content of saponins and special lipids that lower the blood sugar level.
The glycoside cucurbitacin contained in bitter cucumbers is considered one of the most bitter substances. It has already been proven that cucurbitacins help inhibit the growth of abnormal cells and tissues. Thus, these substances are considered as potential anti-cancer agents. In addition, it has been established that cucurbitacins have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.
In China, bitter cucumbers are specially grown in order to prepare medicines on their basis.
