[brokenglass]

Gherkins: Are they always bitter?     If not then how do you prevent the bitter taste e.g. do you harvest them at a particular size?

Look forward to any comments advice or funny remarks, but they should be funny!!!!

Modified to correct spelling of "gherkin" for search purposes

[arugula]

Sorry not funny , but I don't think they should be bitter...  .... and I'll be interested in the answer as our Crystal Lemon skins are on the bitter side, whilst our Marketmores don't get bitter.

[nilsatis1964]

Gherkins are just small cucumbers aren't they so it will be male fruits that are bitter and the female fruit should be OK.  Off course I could as usual be completely wrong.

[DD.]

You are completely wrong!  

There's no such thing as a male fruit.

At least not in this sense, anyway.  

[stompy]

There's no such thing as a male fruit.

At least not in this sense, anyway

        

[DD.]

Finally....... someone got one one my jokes! 

[brokenglass]

Well at least there was one funny comment!

[DD.]

We're still puzzling over the real answer!

[totalnovice]

Could it be that you have a variety that does not need to be polinated? Some varieties need to have the male flowers removed before they polinate the femal flowers as the polinated fruit are bitter.

I think its true for gherkins, as it is for some cucumber varities. (i think, please don't rip me apart DD )

[DD.]

Moi? 

[brokenglass]

Not even any funny remarks now!"!"!!

[DD.]

Would appear that we don't really know!

[sunshineband]

Totalnovice seemed to have had a sensible answer in amongst al your hilarity (what are you like  )

Take off the male flowers (the ones with no baby fruit behind them) and then the female ones (the ones with a baby fruit) will not be pollinated and hey presto!

Sweet tasting gerkins 

[mumofstig]

Mmmmm.................... I thought gherkins, like ridge cukes, had to be pollinated  :dry

the packet for mine doesn't tell me to remove flowers  :blink:

[totalnovice]

Thank you sunshine! i'm just impressed that i dragged that bit of knowledge out of my thick skull! 

MOS, mine doesn't either i have to admit, but the flower thing popped into my head when i was thinking reading the post. Not that i am a cuke expert, in fact mine are seriously sulking this year blooming tempremental things.