bitter cucumbers

My cucumbers have done very well this year in terms of fruit produced. Before we went on holiday we had a couple of lovely sweet cucumbers, and plenty more were growing. The plants have done well while we've been away (thanks, neighbour, for the watering!) but the first two we have picked have been really quite bitter. I think they are Burpless Tasty Green from what I remember!

Any thoughts? It seems it is the skin that is most bitter, so obviously we'll peel the rest, but I'm wondering if there's a known reason for bitterness, as the first ones were sooooo sweet!!

interesting.... I've only got two plants, both the same, so no chance within my garden. And as I'm growing in my garden, I think it unlikely there will be others within 15-20m...

I peeled it today, and it was much nicer, although still slightly bitter...

So, to summarise, cucumbers will most probably die on you before they reach adolescence, but if they do somehow reach that age they will become uncontrolled sex fiends who will mate with anyone, have a bad attitude when they don't get everything their way, and finally try and pay you back for bringing them into the world by producing nasty-tasting fruits! 

(I'll still be trying to produce mature, sensible, adult cukes next year though!) 

Way down south here we have had some very hot weather at times and I did notice that the cucumbers were slightly less palatable at the time. 

I think the most frequent cause could be fluctuations in temperature and inconsistent watering.