The Organic Gardeners Forum

sunshine · 01-July-2008 4:41 pm

Can any one tell me why my zucchini is so bitter that it is inedible. I planted yellow zucchini seed that I had from last year and it was very mild and good last year. The other zucchini I planted was Burpees Fordhook. I had harvested the fordhook from one of the 7 plants that I had the other day and it was fine. I harvested and cooked a fordhook and a yellow today and cooked them together. They were both so bitter I couldn't eat them. After recovering from the bitterness I timidly tasted the pieces I hadn't cooked. I'm pretty sure that it is the Foodhook that is the problem. How could one Fordhook zucchini be so good and one from another plant from the same seed pack be so incredibly bitter?

GardenGal · 01-July-2008 7:29 pm

This is what I found out about bitter zucchini.
Zucchini may occasionally contain a group of natural toxins known as cucurbitacins. These toxins give zucchini a bitter taste. Bitterness in wild zucchinis has been known for a long time but is rarely found in commercially grown zucchinis.

Eating bitter zucchinis have caused people to experience vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhoea and collapse. Do not eat zucchini that have a strong unpleasant smell or taste bitter.

Zucchini may occasionally contain a group of natural toxins known as cucurbitacins. These toxins give zucchini a bitter taste. Bitterness in wild zucchinis has been known for a long time but is rarely found in commercially grown zucchinis.

Since the flowers are insect pollinated it is possible in rare cases for a seed you receive in a seed packet to have been cross pollinated with wild cucurbits, resulting in high levels of cucurbitacins and a very bitter taste. When the cause of the bitterness is bred into the plant like this, the bitterness does not improve with better growing conditions.

Also, the bitterness is likely to be present in just one or a very few plants in the garden while most plants are normal. In the very unlikely event this happens to you, do not eat the squash from affected plants. Fruit from other plants that are not bitter should be fine.

Eating bitter zucchinis have caused people to experience vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhoea and collapse. Do not eat zucchini that have a strong unpleasant smell or taste bitter.

sunshine · 01-July-2008 8:32 pm

Thanks Garden Gal, There must have been a wild zuke mixed in. My mother who is in her 80s is really sick from it. I even wanted her to go to the emergency room but so far I havent been able to convince her. She only had one small slice like I did and she spit out the second piece same as me (neither of us could believe the zucchini was the culprit) but she is really sick with all of the symptoms you list--hasnt collapsed yet but feels like it. I hope others read this and are warned. I feel so bad that my "hobby" has made her so sick--I just want to cry.

GardenGal · 01-July-2008 8:58 pm

Oh Sunshine, I am so sorry to hear that she got sick. You can not be responsible for a bad zucchini seed. It does happen. I was reading that we should sample our zucchini first and if it is bitter, toss it.
I will keep her in my prayers and hope that she is not sick for long.
Don't be yourself up for this...you could have got the same zuchini in the store.

joy · 02-July-2008 7:06 am

Dear Sunshine,

I will pray for your mother too!

Now I know why an old gardener told me to always cut off the end of zucchinis and cucumbers. He said there were poisons in it. I thought it was just an old wives' tale, but now I know there is a reason for it!

-Joy

GardenGal · 02-July-2008 2:32 pm

Sunshine,

How is your mother doing today? Is she any better. I sure am praying so.

GG

sunshine · 02-July-2008 8:49 pm

Thanks for your concern and prayers. She had a bad night but is able to eat soup this evening. This really shook me up. Made me realize that there is a whole lot about gardening that I don't know. Last year when I was weeding I pulled up a tiny beet by accident. I decided to taste it and it was really good. A couple of seconds later my throat felt like it was on fire and started closing up. I thought I was going to have to drive myself to a hospital but after about 15 minutes it subsided. Worst sore throat I have ever had. The only thing I could figure out was that I had been pulling weeds and must have gotten some of the juice of a weed on my hand and had a reaction to it. (I even tried to remember if I was pulling weeds before picking that zucchini--but I washed the zucchini before preparing it). If I don't kill myself or someone else gardening it will be a miracle. I may have to change my pen name to Grim Reaper.
Thanks again--I really needed the info and moral support.

GardenGal · 02-July-2008 9:14 pm

You are most welcome and I am glad she did not have to go the hospital. We can all learn from your experience.

Oh...and I like Sunshine much better than the Grim Reaper. You don't seem like the Grim Reaper type.

Last edited by GardenGal (02-July-2008 9:15 pm)

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#1 01-July-2008 4:41 pm

extremely bitter zucchini

#2 01-July-2008 7:29 pm

Re: extremely bitter zucchini

#3 01-July-2008 8:32 pm

Re: extremely bitter zucchini

#4 01-July-2008 8:58 pm

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#5 02-July-2008 7:06 am

Re: extremely bitter zucchini

#6 02-July-2008 2:32 pm

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#7 02-July-2008 8:49 pm

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#8 02-July-2008 9:14 pm

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