Pumpkin has a bitter taste: Reasons for the bitter taste of pumpkin
Zucchini, especially zucchini, is a garden vegetable very much appreciated by many. But have you ever eaten zucchini with a bitter taste, and if so, are they edible? This article will help you in this area as well as on the causes of bitter gourd. I have just planted six zucchini and I am very aware that I am going to give them to strangers in the street, to use them all. I hope that with my tender loving care, I will not end up with pumpkins that taste bad. Read on to find out the cause of the bitter gourd.
My pumpkin has a bitter taste
In fact, the bitter taste of pumpkin is a common problem found in both zucchini and cucumbers. Both vegetables are members of the cucurbit family, along with pumpkins, melons, squash and other types of squash. Cucurbits contain a group of chemicals called cucubitacins. These cucubitacins are responsible for the bitter taste of pumpkin. The higher the level of cucubitacin, the more bitter the pumpkin will taste.
The most likely cause of a bitter taste in the pumpkin is due to some type of environmental stress, most likely a wide range of temperatures or irregular irrigation. Either of these two factors will create an excess of cucurbits that will concentrate in the fruit. Extreme cold, heat, drought or excess water, or even a lack of plant nutrients, excessive pest infestation or disease can create these high levels of cucurbitacin in the pumpkin, giving it a bitter taste.
Another possible reason why your pumpkin is bitter is related to genetics and is especially true for summer squash. The pumpkin, as well as the parents of the cucumber, are essentially weeds and are easily crossed with varieties from our home garden. Preserving the seed can increase the likelihood of possible cross-pollination and the resulting bitter taste. It can also occur with purchased seeds that may have been pollinated with wild cucurbits. It is obvious that it would not be beneficial to try to resolve a stressor to solve the problem, as the bitterness reproduces itself in the plant.
In wild cucurbits, bitterness is a blessing. Many insects find the bitter taste as repellent as we do and are therefore less likely to bite the plant.
Is bitter gourd edible?
If you can accurately identify the stress and correct it, you may be able to save the crop. However, if the pumpkin tastes bad and is already extremely bitter, you can take it out and throw it away, starting again next year.
As for the edibility of the bitter gourd, eating it probably won’t kill you, although if the cucurbitacin levels are really high, you might want to. A very bitter gourd containing a high concentration of this compound will cause severe stomach cramps and diarrhea that can last for several days. Only in extreme or rare cases will this lead to death. Chances are you will not even consider ingesting a very bitter gourd simply because of its unpleasant taste. That said, it may be better to throw away any fruit with an extremely bitter taste just to be on the safe side.
However, you may decide to use a slightly bitter gourd, which is fine. It is helpful to know that the bitter compound is more concentrated in the stem than in the flowering end of the gourd. To reduce the bitter taste, peel the pumpkin, starting at the end of the flower, and discard a few centimeters at the end of the stem.