Bitter zucchini: why does this happen and how to remove the bitterness?

Why are vegetables bitter?

According to experts, the appearance of bitterness is a consequence of the production of large amounts of curcubitacin. The substance is widely distributed in nature. It is also observed in other vegetable crops. Contained in different parts of plants - leaves, flowers, roots, fruits. Its content is the main cause of the unpleasant taste.

The substance accumulates in all crops that belong to the pumpkin family. The main reason for the accumulation is considered to be improper cultivation and care during ripening.

Summarizing

High-quality zucchini is a source of vitamins C and carotene. If prepared correctly, it has a beneficial effect on health: it strengthens the immune system, cleanses the blood and stimulates the kidneys, producing a diuretic effect. It is also rich in pectin, which helps eliminate cholesterol. Regular presence of this vegetable on the menu guarantees normal intestinal functioning. But it is important to choose a high-quality product, otherwise there will be more harm than good.

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Insufficient watering

A rancid aftertaste may occur due to insufficient moisture. Watering should be regular and moderate. It's worth taking care of this, especially when the weather is dry.

Sudden changes in water supply can cause changes in taste. For example, if the soil has been dry for a long time, if you suddenly flood the soil with water, the production and accumulation of curcubitacin may begin. After a drought, you need to start watering little by little, gradually increasing the amount of water.

Neighborhood of cultures

In most cases, bitter zucchini grows in the garden when the wrong neighboring plant crops are located near them. Bitterness occurs due to cross-pollination of related plants. So, zucchini tastes bitter if it was grown near a decorative pumpkin. Despite its beautiful attractive appearance, it bears fruit with inedible pumpkins, which affect the squash’s taste. Also, the crop may taste bitter if it was grown near the following plants:

• parsley;
• radishes;
• tomatoes;
• cucumbers;
• potatoes;
• radish;
• pumpkins.

To avoid changes in the taste of the vegetable, it should be planted in beds located close to peas, onions, spinach, and bush beans.

Excessive watering

In addition to insufficient watering, excess water leads to the production of curcubitin. From its excess, vegetables will become bitter. Watering should be done moderately, based on the varietal characteristics.

If there is too much water, fungus may begin to develop. This will cause disease in the plant, which can lead to crop loss.

During the hot season, when there is practically no rain, you need to water early in the morning or late evening, the frequency is once every two days. On cloudy days, watering is done once every 5-6 days. There is no need to pour water on the leaves. It is recommended to water with clean water that has stood in the sun.

Causes of bitterness

There is only one reason for the bitter taste of zucchini - an increase in the amount of cucurbitacin. This substance is always contained in the pulp of the fruit, but in small quantities it is not felt.

An increase in the content of cucurbitacin is a consequence of various violations of agricultural practices for cultivating vegetables or weather unfavorable for its development.

Cross-pollination

Pumpkin crops are well pollinated. If bitter eggplants, cucumbers, or simply inedible decorative pumpkins grow next to a zucchini bed, then their pollen can end up on the zucchini flowers and make their fruits bitter. The minimum distance between different pumpkin crops should be 15 m.

Insufficient watering

Drought activates the production of bitter substances in zucchini. Sufficient and timely watering stops this process and returns the delicate taste of the vegetable. In hot weather, it is necessary not only to constantly water the plants, but also to spray their leaves with warm water.

Excessive watering

A lot of moisture also causes the zucchini to acquire a bitter taste. You cannot pour water on the leaves, only at the roots. Excess moisture weakens the plant, especially in cold weather.

The vegetable becomes vulnerable to many fungal diseases. Cold water is not absorbed by the roots, and the plant suffers from drought.

Lack of light

With short daylight hours, constantly cloudy weather, and a dark place where they grow, zucchini becomes bitter. For planting, choose sunny places; the adult plant is pinched and thinned out when thickened, removing the leaves around the growing fruits.

We must not forget about the optimal distances between neighboring plants when planting seedlings. The minimum distance between zucchini in the garden bed is 75 cm.

Excess fertilizers (nitrates)

Feeding with nutrients containing excess phosphorus and potassium causes a bitter taste. These substances can be balanced by adding nitrogen to them. Nitrogen prevents bitter taste.

It is better to feed zucchini with complex mineral fertilizers. The use of organic fertilizers does not lead to such an imbalance. To return the usual taste, you can use boric acid or yeast.

Improper storage

Ripened zucchini is stored for 4-5 months in a cool place. But the basement and cellar are not suitable for this; there is insufficient ventilation there. It is better to store zucchini on an insulated balcony or in an apartment.

Towards the end of storage, the seeds inside the zucchini begin to germinate. At this time, the fruits lose their taste and the pulp becomes bitter. Such fruits can no longer be eaten.

Zucchini diseases

Infectious fungal diseases such as fusarium and anthractosis affect not only the leaves and stems, but also the taste of the fruit. They can be easily recognized by yellow-brown spots or yellowing and drying leaves.

If you cannot quickly cope with the disease, it is better to get rid of the diseased plant so that the infection does not spread to other plantings. The main prevention of infectious diseases is compliance with crop rotation.

Accumulation of cucurbitacin

A natural feature of wild squash is its bitter taste. Therefore, under unfavorable growing conditions, cultivated varieties may begin to taste bitter, accumulating the substance cucurbitacin in their composition.

Cucurbitacin acts as a repellent, repelling insects and people from zucchini, which experiences stress under various unfavorable conditions:

• irregular watering;
• plenty of moisture on cold days;
• sudden change in temperature;
• unsuitable soil for growth;
• excess sun rays;
• excess mineral fertilizers or fresh manure;
• lack of fertilizers;
• long cold spell after heat;
• damage to the lashes during fruit harvesting.

Lack of light

Zucchini is a vegetable that requires good lighting to grow well. It is recommended to plant them on the sunny side, avoiding shade. Then the fruits will grow tasty and tender, without bitterness.

The less light the plant receives, the more bitterness accumulates. Lighting is an integral part of the growing process. Without light there will be no tasty, juicy harvest.

Due to lack of light, some regions do not grow this crop, or grow it only with the help of artificial lighting. This is typical for the professional level of agricultural cultivation.

Causes of bitterness in zucchini

When thinking about whether zucchini can be bitter and hazardous to health, gardeners sometimes treat this phenomenon superficially. In fact, melon with wormwood flavor can cause serious poisoning of the body. The bitterness in pumpkin fruits is caused by a high concentration of curcubitacins. The presence of these toxic substances is explained by the natural characteristics of melon plants and their genetics; they are acutely manifested due to a number of negative factors.

Cross-pollination with other crops

One of the common reasons why bitter zucchini grows in the garden is the unfortunate proximity of melons to red pepper and other representatives of the flora with a spicy taste. A variety of the pumpkin family is cross-pollinated with pollen from other crops, as a result the fruits acquire an unpleasant bitterness.

To neutralize the risk of exposure to pollen from other vegetation in neighboring beds, pumpkin plants are planted next to potatoes, cabbage, and carrots.

Lighting

Bakhcha prefers an abundance of sunlight. A lack of lighting threatens to reduce the intensity of bush development and deteriorate the taste of the crop. In conditions of short daylight hours, the fruits acquire a certain bitterness instead of the delicate taste characteristic of the crop.

Poor lighting with inevitable consequences is also associated with other factors:

• the large leaves of the plant tightly cover the crown, shade the rosette, not letting in sunlight. Pruning of individual leaves is required to ensure sufficient illumination of the bush;
• with dense plantings, the crop suffers from a lack of lighting. When planting, maintain a distance between bushes of at least 1 m;
• If a partially shaded area under the canopy of large trees is chosen for growing melons, the plants react to the lack of sun with an unpalatable harvest.

Poor lighting is a possible cause of bitterness in zucchini.
Zucchini becomes bitter if the summer is not sunny and cloudy days prevail. It is necessary to allocate an area with a southern slope for squash beds to provide green pets with maximum access to the sun.

Fertilizers

Nitrogen can prevent the appearance of bitterness in vegetables. However, an excess of the substance causes the development of pathogenic microflora and rotting of both ovaries and already formed zucchini. Because of this, it is recommended to use organic matter in doses, although pumpkin plants love high-fertility soils.

Potassium-phosphorus fertilizers help increase plant resistance to external influences. At the same time, an excess of these useful elements in the substrate negatively affects the taste of the melon crop.

To neutralize the risk of bitterness in zucchini, strict adherence to fertilizer application standards is required:

• in the spring, up to 1 kg of humus is added to the planting hole;
• in the phase of peduncle formation, replenishment with a phosphorus solution is required in the proportions of 30 g/5 l of water per 1 m²;
• During the flowering period, plants are fed with potassium compounds in proportions of 30 g/10 l/1 m².

If, during autumn preparation, the bed is dug up with the addition of manure, instead of spring-summer fertilizers, it is recommended to use only ash and herbal infusions based on nettles, legumes and other weeds.

Watering mode

The agricultural technology of the crop provides for watering up to 20 liters per adult bush, and the frequency of procedures is 1 time per week.

To prevent plants in the beds from suffering from excess or deficiency of moisture, it is recommended to adhere to the following rules:

• during the rainy season, irrigation is reduced to a minimum until the top layers of soil in the bed dry out;
• It is worth considering that due to a lack of water in hot weather, bitterness appears in the fruits of the crop;
• Cold water should not be used for irrigation, especially in hot weather, so as not to provoke the development of fungal diseases;
• Squash plantings should not be watered by sprinkling the bush. Moisten the root soil; for this it is better to make an earthen bank around the base of the stem. The plant reacts poorly to water getting on the green mass and fruits;
• Drip irrigation is considered the most effective, when only the soil in the garden bed is moistened;
• It is recommended to alternate wet and dry watering. The technique consists of loosening the dried crust under the bush after irrigation. This results in the destruction of capillaries, which contributes to a twofold reduction in evaporation.

If plantings suffer from excess moisture, this affects the taste of the fruit, and the keeping quality of the crop is also reduced.

To neutralize excess moisture in the soil, it is recommended to organize weed control. To speed up air circulation in the squash bed, old leaves that are located at the base are regularly trimmed, leaving petioles 3-4 cm high.

Improper storage

One of the reasons why zucchini tastes bitter is improper storage of supplies. The vegetable is suitable for consumption within 6 months after ripening and harvesting. If stored for a long time in a basement or other dark place with poor ventilation, the product is in oxygen-deficient conditions. This can cause a deterioration in taste and bitterness. Gastroenterologists strongly discourage eating overripe pumpkin fruits that have been stored for more than six months.

Excess fertilizer

To grow this crop, proper plant processing is necessary. Organic fertilizers are considered the most suitable for processing. When using them, the harvest will grow large, aromatic, with tender pulp.

Mullein diluted with water and infused for several days for watering is often used as fertilizer. When a fruit forms from a flower, it is recommended to add superphosphate to the composition.

The use of mineral fertilizers is not recommended. They accumulate inside the plant in large quantities, which is harmful to health. Mineral fertilizers promote the production of curcubitacin.

Fruits may have a bitter taste if excessive amounts of fertilizer were used or if they were not suitable for the plant.

Use of mineral fertilizers

It is no secret that mineral fertilizers such as phosphorus and potassium are absorbed by plants and their fruits quite quickly. Therefore, the use of such substances often contributes to the appearance of excessive bitterness in zucchini. By the way, such components not only increase the accumulation of bitter elements in vegetables, but also make them dangerous to human health and life. In this regard, we highly recommend not growing zucchini using mineral fertilizers. This way you will not only avoid the appearance of bitterness in them, but also make your harvest tasty and healthy.

By the way, nitrogen, on the contrary, prevents the appearance of bitter taste in almost all vegetable crops. However, using it in large quantities is also not recommended.

Improper storage

To maintain taste, you must follow the preservation rules. If harvested incorrectly, vegetables may change at this stage.

Very young vegetables do not last long. The shelf life is 12-15 days. The required storage temperature is 0-2 degrees. Longer storage is possible, but there is a high probability of rotting.

Mature zucchini remains fresh for up to 6 months. Storage requires a ventilated, cool place. The best option would be an attic or home veranda. This will eliminate the risk of bitterness. Many people keep fruits in the closet or under the bed. It is not recommended to store crops in a cellar where there is no ventilation.

Too long storage leads to loss of taste, the amount of useful elements decreases, and vegetables become overripe. Vegetables should not be stored for longer than five or six months. Seed germination will begin and an unpleasant bitter taste will appear.

Accumulation of curcubitacin

It can occur not only due to improper watering or excess fertilizer. This can occur when the soil is unsuitable for growing this crop. It may be worth changing the growing location.

A likely reason for the accumulation of the substance is the presence or absence of certain plants nearby. Thanks to these some plants, the vegetable becomes more useful or more harmful.

The possibility of the appearance of curcubitacin occurs not only in the absence of sunlight, but also in its excess. Excessive light promotes its production. One way or another, this substance is an element of protection against adverse conditions.

A sharp change in temperature contributes to the development of bitterness. Cold weather after a long drought, or sudden heat after heavy rains. Curcubitin can appear not only during growth, but also due to improper harvesting. This means that you need to pick the fruit not at the root, but leaving the stalk behind. It is important not to damage the plant’s vines when collecting, or to touch the peel.

Causes of poisoning

If the vegetable was grown near highways or in a toxic production zone that is protected, such a product will be saturated with harmful chemical elements. And if farmers violated the fertilizer dosage or care technology, then the pulp will be poisoned by nitrates or pesticides. In addition, it may also contain:

• coli;
• salts of heavy metals;
• staphylococci;
• clostridia botulism;
• shigella;
• streptococci.

This list is not exhaustive. But the presence of harmful microorganisms is a consequence of violation of sanitary and epidemiological standards. The consumption of such vegetables negatively affects the functioning of all organs and systems of the human body, because the effect is toxic in nature.

Plant disease

The taste reflects the presence of diseases or parasites on the plant. During cultivation, prevention from the occurrence of diseases and timely treatment against pests are necessary.

The most dangerous can be fungal diseases, which are considered difficult to prevent and eliminate. When spreading, a pronounced sign is damage to the stems and a change in color.

A disease such as anthracnose is widespread. When present, yellowish spots appear on the leaves. Over time they completely wither.

Another common disease is fusarium. With it, the stems have a pinkish tint, and the lower leaves become yellow.

Infectious plant diseases spoil the taste. If infections are present, it is necessary to begin treatment with specialized fertilizers. If treatment does not help, the crop must be destroyed.

Zucchini diseases

Diseases and pests also affect the taste of zucchini. Therefore, when growing crops, it is necessary to prevent their occurrence. Most often, bitterness appears under the influence of fungal infections. Anthracnose is considered one of the most common pathologies. The presence of this disease can be recognized by the appearance of round spots that have a yellowish-brown tint. These spots are located on the leaves.

Gradually, the leaf plate fades, dries out, and becomes covered with holes. The disease spreads in hot weather accompanied by frequent rains.

Another pathology that causes bitterness is fusarium. The disease can be identified by the presence of yellowing, drying lower leaves. Another symptom of fusarium is that the base of the stem turns pinkish.

Bitter vegetables - can you eat them?

Curcubitin has a bitter taste, like wormwood. Irritates mucous membranes. Accumulates in the body, which can gradually lead to diseases such as gastritis or ulcers. This is a toxic substance that, in excess, will cause symptoms of poisoning in humans. Nausea, vomiting and dizziness may occur.

Curcubitacin is used in traditional medicine against helminths and for the treatment of tumors. It is considered beneficial for the bronchi. Removes phlegm. Cleanses blood vessels and is used to prevent anemia. Strengthens the effect of antibiotics. That is, you can eat zucchini in small quantities, but you need to take into account that wormwood in small quantities can be a medicine, but in large quantities it can be a deadly poison. So it’s better to throw away bitter zucchini and not risk your health.

How to remove bitter taste

Attention - it is better to throw away bitter zucchini, take note of the following tips, but it is better not to risk it and eat regular, non-bitter zucchini. Anything that tastes bitter is usually poison.

There are several ways to get rid of the aftertaste. With proper processing, you can not only remove the unpleasant taste, but also prepare a variety of dishes.

Salty water. Soaking in salted water will help. To do this, just cut the fruits into small pieces and add water, adding salt before doing this. Salt will need 2 tablespoons per 900 milliliters. You can crush it with pressure. Soaking time is 30 minutes, or a little longer. After aging, the pieces should be washed and dried. After this, you can start cooking. Salting the dish costs a little less than usual, since the fruit absorbs some of the salt while it is in the salt solution.

Sprinkle with salt. Cut the zucchini and place in a colander. Sprinkle salt on top. Salt will promote the release of juice, and the bitterness will go away along with it. You can leave the sprinkled zucchini for a couple of hours. After this, the slices must be thoroughly rinsed and dried. Next you can cook.

Sour cream. If the bitterness is not strong, you can pour sour cream marinade over the sliced ​​squash. This will give a delicate taste to the dish and mask the unpleasant aftertaste.

Cooking. Boiling zucchini in boiling water for a few minutes will help remove curcubitacin. This will help remove the unpleasant bitterness.

By using any of these techniques, the unpleasant aftertaste may disappear. The beneficial properties of the fruit are preserved, and it can make a tasty dish (or maybe even dangerous if the toxic substance remains in the vegetable).

Why is squash caviar bitter?

Why is squash caviar bitter?

Why is squash caviar bitter?

Squash caviar is considered a low-calorie, tasty and healthy dish. It is easily absorbed by the body. It can be consumed in the summer and can also be preserved to enjoy in the winter.

By regularly consuming squash caviar, you can generally improve your health, as well as replenish your body with vitamins and minerals.

By the way, squash caviar was “starred” in the famous film “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession.” She acted as a backup for overseas caviar (eggplant).

Making squash caviar at home is not at all difficult.

How to choose zucchini for caviar

Choose zucchini 15-20 cm in size, with a thin skin. These zucchini do not need to be peeled. In addition, they contain delicate seeds. Of course, more mature zucchini will also work, only then they need to be peeled and internal seeds removed.

For winter harvesting, it is better to use zucchini that ripen in August-September.

Zucchini preparation process

Zucchini must be rinsed under running cold water. They do not need to be pre-soaked. If the vegetables have thin skin, then you only need to cut off the tops and tails on both sides.

More mature zucchini should be peeled with a sharp knife, cut in half and the seeds removed. Afterwards you can grind them.

To remove excess moisture from zucchini, after chopping, raw zucchini must be salted and left for 15 minutes in a cool place. During this time, excess juice will be released. It should be squeezed out.

Methods for preparing caviar

Zucchini caviar can be prepared in several ways. In the first case, first all the raw ingredients are crushed and gradually stewed. And in the second case, they are first fried or baked in the oven, and then chopped and combined with other products.

How to enhance the taste of squash caviar

The taste of squash caviar can be improved with additional ingredients. For example, onions, hot red peppers and garlic will give the dish a piquant, spicy taste.

If you like a softer and sweeter taste, then add more sweet peppers or carrots. Your favorite herbs and spices can add a vibrant aroma. Cilantro, parsley, dill, celery, as well as pepper, ginger and cumin go especially well with squash caviar.

Little advice

To make the caviar more tender, you should first pass the raw zucchini through a meat grinder with a large mesh, and after stewing and frying, you can twist the zucchini mass again, only use a finer mesh in the meat grinder.

Equipment for preparing squash caviar for the winter:

• cutting board;

• large container (pan, cauldron made of cast iron or steel with a thick bottom);
• to grind zucchini, you can use a meat grinder, blender or a regular vegetable grater;
• cans (0.5 l or 1 l);
• seaming key;
• caps for capping.

Squash caviar (classic version)

• Zucchini 3 kg
• Carrots 1 kg
• Onions 1 kg
• Tomato paste 2 tbsp. l.
• Salt 1.5 tbsp. l.
• Sugar 1 tbsp. l.
• Citric acid 1 tsp.
• Vegetable oil for stewing

Cooking method

1. Select young zucchini no more than 20 cm long. Cut into slices and fry on both sides.
2. Then grate the carrots on a coarse grater and fry them with onions, cut into half rings.
3. When they are browned, remove from the stove and place in another container to cool.
4. Then grind everything in a food processor or meat grinder and put it in a saucepan with a thick bottom.
5. Add salt, sugar, tomato paste and citric acid, bring to a boil, simmer for 15 minutes. By the way, instead of tomato paste, you can use fresh tomatoes and add additional herbs and garlic.

Serve the caviar to the table in this form. Or place in sterilized jars and seal with sterilized lids. After this, you need to turn them upside down, wrap them in a blanket and leave them until they cool completely. Then you can store it in a cool place (cellar, pantry). In winter, such a dish will decorate the holiday table.

How to avoid bitterness during storage

Overripe zucchini should not be collected for storage. When collecting, do not touch the stalk. Collect carefully, without damaging the peel. To prevent bitterness from appearing during storage, you can use several techniques that will help keep the fruits tasty.

You need to store the fruits in a refrigerator, a ventilated area, or a veranda. Shelf life is possible up to six months. Then the seeds may begin to sprout, which will lead to the appearance of bitterness.

A good way is to store it in the freezer. To do this, it is enough to remove the seeds from the fruits, after which the pulp must be cut and frozen. When frozen, bitterness will not appear only if it was not originally in the vegetable. If the zucchini was frozen bitter, it will remain so. During freezing, the beneficial properties are preserved.

If you plan to make preparations, it is better to prepare the vegetables for this procedure in advance.

Zucchini tastes bitter after freezing. General rules for freezing zucchini for long-term storage

Young zucchini with thin delicate skin, dense juicy pulp and almost imperceptible seeds are considered ideal for freezing. It is better to prepare squash caviar from old vegetables or marinate them in pieces.

So that after freezing and subsequent thawing the zucchini does not turn into an indigestible mass of something vaguely similar to the sole of an old shoe, the maximum amount of natural enzymes (enzymes) and liquid must be removed from the vegetables by any available means. It is these “capricious” substances that, at extreme temperatures, make vegetables (not just zucchini) tough, tasteless and practically inedible. There are several “wonderful” ways to eliminate the “side” effects of freezing zucchini - steaming, blanching, adding salt. We will definitely talk about them below.

The second unwritten rule of freezing zucchini for the winter is to remove as much air as possible from the freezer bags. This way the vegetables can be stored longer. It will not be possible to remove air from containers without a special device. Therefore, it is preferable to use plastic bags. They take up less space and can be thrown away without regret after use. To preserve the taste and vitamins of zucchini as much as possible, it is advisable to serve it under stress freezing. That is, immediately place it in a chamber with the lowest possible temperatures. If your refrigerator (freezer) has a fast-freeze compartment (“Super Freeze”, “Fast Freeze”), place the packaged eggplant pieces directly there. And only then you can transfer it to the regular freezer compartment.

Which variety is less bitter?

Not every variety is susceptible to curcubitacin accumulation.

“Tsukesh” is considered the most accumulated, bitter variety.

“Gribovsky” is the most averse variety to acquire unpleasant taste qualities. It is likely that it will grow tasty even under the most extreme conditions for it.

“Zolotnik” is sensitive to the growing process and is able to begin to accumulate curcubitin with the most minimal deviation from the norm.

“Skvorushka” is one of the most popular squash varieties. Well suited for preparing everyone's favorite caviar and salads.

"Pharaoh" has a pleasant sweetish taste. Subject to any type of processing.

“Chuklun” has delicate flesh and a pleasant, pronounced aroma. Can be stored for a long period of time. Suitable for preparing all dishes, any heat treatment.

What gives zucchini its bitterness?

Zucchini acquires a bitter taste due to the high concentration of special substances in them - cucurbitacins, the accumulation of which is typical for all crops of the Pumpkin family.

As a rule, this hereditary ability of a plant manifests itself in extreme conditions for it. In this way, the zucchini reacts to a deficiency or excess of moisture and nutrients, low light, or the development of an infection.

However, despite such valuable qualities, not every consumer will agree to include bitter zucchini in the diet. So what are the causes of the problem and how to prevent it?

If the vegetable is bitter

Zucchini acquires an unpleasant bitterness not only during cultivation or storage. In addition to these reasons, it may appear during cooking.

What to do if you come across a bitter vegetable? It is recommended to throw it away, or, as a last resort, to properly prepare and process it. After this, you can cook it as food, but it is better not to preserve it. The fruits will retain their beneficial properties, but consuming bitter vegetables is a significant health risk.

It is important to know the cause of the unpleasant taste. If the cause is an infection, the fruits must be disposed of (do not compost them). Treatments will not help, the product is unfit for consumption.

Bitterness after cooking

After cooking with this product, there is a possibility of getting an unpleasant surprise in the form of bitterness. Before eating, be sure to check the zucchini for any unpleasant taste. If there is one, the vegetable is thrown away or processed. If the vegetable was normal, but the dish was bitter, perhaps the problem is not the zucchini.

After cooking, you can notice that the zucchini has become bitter, although initially this taste was not observed. It is likely that the issue may be in other available components.

Fried zucchini has an unpleasant aftertaste due to the presence of rancid oil. Some varieties of sunflower oil have this property. This affects the taste of the product because it is able to absorb a lot of liquid.

An unpleasant aftertaste appears due to the presence of hot pepper. Even a small amount of hot pepper will add bitterness and spiciness to the entire dish.

The main benefit of bitter squash is the presence of curcubitacin. It appears during the growth, ripening and further storage of the vegetable. If the zucchini is bitter, it needs to be thrown away; it is not recommended, but it can also be processed. Proper processing will get rid of the taste (still, eating bitter vegetables is a health risk). Some varieties are more prone to accumulating bitterness, some less so. To get tasty fruits, you need to carefully monitor their growth process, follow the rules of care and storage of the product, which will help you get a tasty harvest.

Why are zucchini bitter?

Long daylight hours

1. There may be several reasons for the appearance of bitterness. Unfortunately, the harvest does not always live up to expectations. As a rule, a common cause of bitterness is long daylight hours.
2. Research has shown that zucchini contains cucurbitacins. Enzymes are directly related to the length of the day.
3. In other words, the more sunlight vegetables receive, the more likely they are to develop bitterness. Therefore, zucchini is not grown everywhere in Russia.

1. If the squash doesn't get enough water when watering while ripening, it will be bitter. Think about how often you water your vegetables. Breeders around the world urge summer residents to carry out the procedure regularly, but not to “flood” the zucchini.
2. It all depends on the variety. Usually, growing instructions for one species are different from another. Follow the recommendations.
3. In addition to lack of water, sudden changes in climate and weather also affect the taste. For example, if planting was carried out in sunny time, while the zucchini grew in drought, by the time of harvest it began to rain heavily. If cloudy weather persists for more than 3 days, the zucchini will taste bitter.