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Can Stress Really Make Your Home-Grown Cucumbers Taste Bitter?
By ZARA M.
The real reason your home-grown cucumbers taste so bitter comes down to how much environmental stress the plant is exposed
to while growing.
The bitter taste of cucumber comes from a chemical compound called cucurbitacin, produced by cucumbers and other members of this family of veggies, to ward away pests.
The chemical is usually found in the leaves and stems. However, it can
also move into the fruit, especially if the plant grows under stressful conditions.
Since you can't tell if the cucumbers will turn bitter while they're growing, preventing plant stress is the only way to ensure that they don't turn bitter.
Stress to cucumber plants may be caused by under or overwatering, extreme temperatures, lack of nutrients and sunlight, low humidity or dry soil, and improper drainage.