Crisp and refreshing, nothing breaks up the heavy richness of a meal quite like a cucumber. While it’s a great pickle and perfect salad topping, they’re not always at their peak, especially in the off-season like the fall, spring, and winter. In order to maximize the flavor without drowning it in dressing, try this hack.
Not all old wives’ tales are a proven fact, but this trick for cucumbers actually does work. After washing your cucumbers and before peeling them, try this. Slice off the ends of the cucumbers. Using the cut-off ends, rub the slices in a circular motion over the sliced ends of the cucumber.
This trick maximizes the cucumber’s clean, crispy, and refreshing flavors. And yes, there is science behind it. Cucumbers are a part of the gourd family and produce compounds called cucurbitacins, which are bitter. Found in watermelon, squash, and zucchini, these compounds act as a self-defense mechanism from being eaten. The compounds are most concentrated at the ends of the cucumber and if the cucumber ends aren’t cut, the compound can spread into the center parts of the cucumber. If you want to skirt around this issue in your own garden, it can be reduced with soil moisture. The more water the soil of cucumbers has, the less chance of the bitterness being overwhelming. While most generic cucumbers are grown in ample water, cucumbers from farmers’ markets or different organic varieties have more of a likelihood of having a stronger concentration of this compound.
If you can’t control the growing conditions of your garden, then this rubbing trick will fit the bill! Once a frothy milky substance starts to come out of the ends, rinse the cucumbers under cold water and continue on with your prep!