Cucumbers are a refreshing fruit you can enjoy raw with salads, sandwiches or on their own. Very low in calories, cucumbers are fat- and cholesterol-free.
However, some people experience gastrointestinal distress from some varieties of cucumbers because of a bitter substance called cucurbitacin. The more bitterness your cucumber contains, the more likely you are to burp.
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By choosing the right cucumber seeds and growing cucumbers for yourself, you can control some of the bitterness.
Purchasing Cucumber Seeds
Visit your gardening store or shop online to find the right cucumber seeds or use seeds from a grown cucumber. Certain types of cucumber seeds have less cucurbitacin and taste less bitter.
Purchase new hybrid varieties of cucumber seeds. These seeds are often labeled as "burpless." These hybrids tend to be much less bitter.
Use the Asian varieties of the burpless hybrid seeds instead of American types if available. Asian cucumbers are significantly less "burpy" than any type of American cucumbers.
According to research from Hort Technology, American cucumbers had a mean rating of 3.0 to 3.5 on the burpiness scale, while Asian cucumbers had a mean rating of 0.5 to 1.0 on the scale.
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Growing Cucumbers
- Plant your cucumbers in a space with ample sunlight. Avoid cool or shaded locations.
- Apply a layer of mulch, such as bark or straw, to help conserve moisture and keep away weeds.
- Provide uniform moisture to your cucumber plants. Water the cucumbers to provide 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water during dry periods to keep the burp out of your cucumbers.
Preparing Cucumbers
- Cut off the stem ends before consuming your cucumbers.
- Peel away the skin using a paring knife or vegetable peeler. The skin usually contains most of the burp in cucumbers.
- Optional: Scoop out the seeds to remove even more of the burp.