Bitter Substances in Cucumbers

Yesterday I ate a so-called mini cucumber (snack cucumber). It tasted bitter, I only ate half of it. Last year there was a warning not to eat bitter zucchini, gourds, etc. Is it still relevant? Does this also apply to cucumbers? How dangerous is that?

This warning is always current. Like pumpkins, zucchini and melons, cucumbers belong to the cucurbit family. It is typical for them that they naturally form bitter substances, the so-called cucurbitacins. They cause a strong bitter taste that you can taste very well. These bitter substances are toxins that are normally only found in low concentrations. If you eat too much of it, these substances can lead to gastrointestinal intolerance such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. In very rare cases, fatal poisoning occurs. These extreme cases are probably due to the fact that very large amounts of the bitter substances were eaten.

Cucumbers first form bitter substances in the base of the stem. Therefore, the following applies to preparation in the kitchen: if the stem end of the cucumber tastes slightly bitter, it should be cut off generously. When peeling, work towards the stem so that the bitter substances don’t spread all over the cucumber.

The important thing is that if a food tastes bitter and alien to the species, it should not be eaten. The rule is: rather spit it out than swallow it. If you can’t taste bitter, ask someone else to taste it for you.