Bitterness is most closely associated with insufficient water or inconsistent soil moisture levels rather than variety. I grow lots of pickling varieties, especially National Pickling, County Fair, Diamant (a gherkin), Sumter (also good for slicing) and Alibi. For slicers I like Marketmore, Straight 8, Sweet Success, and another vote for General Lee. I don't grow any of the burpless varieties.

Dave

Thank you both, farmerdill & Dave, for your input. I do have seeds of Straight 8 already. I'm also going to try Armenian cucumber, which is really a melon that tastes similar to cucumber. I'll look into getting some General Lee seeds, too. Maybe others.

A local friend of mine lives & gardens in a site that was previously a hardwood bottom. Lots of soil moisture there, but she has had some of the worst bitterness in her cucumbers that I've ever tasted. Based on reading some reports put out by Oregon scientists, I was under the impression that it is somewhat unclear exactly what stress factors cause the curcurbitacin to accumulate sometimes.

The problem seems to be the consistency of the moisture available once the fruit is set and developing. Even a brief period of dryness can trigger the curcurbitacin. Once triggered it is difficult, if not impossible, to reverse. Providing extra water at that crucial point and earlier size harvesting can help.

Dave

I have a small garden area so really not much room for trying veggies but I am growing a plant of the mini white cucumber and have found it easy to grow in a pot and the little cukes are delicious. I've been picking them at about 3-4 inches long and to be truthful, I eat them as I work in my butterfly garden. No bitterness at all, wonderful crunch and fresh taste. I like them so much I've started two more plants.

Realize you are wanting to grow a larger sized cucumber but thought I'd mention this little guy for those who don't have a lot of room and would like to try a smaller version in a pot (or in ground).

Enjoy your new garden.

Mary

I've had the best luck with Armenian Yardlong. For some reason my local bees find that far more attractive than any other cucumber bloom.

Oh Mary, that sounds like a great little plant. Always room for one more, especially when they're small sized plants. I don't necessarily need a specific sized variety. Taste is my most important selection criteria.

Christineva, I'm not sure if there is a difference btw Armenian cucumber and Armenian yardlong, but I do have seeds of the former. Interesting about the bees.

I'm not 100% sure if Armenian and Armenian Yardlong are the same. Hell, maybe mine don't even have Yardlong in the title!

I prefer boston pickling for pickle making and straight 8s for slicing. Market ore 76 is nice also

I grow Armenian cucumbers--which I realize aren't technically a cucumber. They never seem to get bitter, even when stressed, and they keep producing even when a forgotten fruit grows huge.

Straight 8 and Marketmore 76 have been great producers with excellent flavor. Beit Alpha cucumbers have become my family's favorite over the past few years, though I still like the former types best personally. I haven't had a bitter cuke among these 3 types in years, since I really started paying close attention to watering them. I buy into Dave's assertion that bitterness is about moisture regulation. As I have long found to be true... ignore Dave's advice at your own peril! Note I am in CT and we don't get the heat here you get in your neck of the woods.

Last year I grew General Lee, but for some reason had no cubes. The past couple of years before that I grew Stonewall and had so many cakes from just a couple vines I had to make pickles.

Keski

That's cukes and cukes, not cubes and cakes. Don't you just love autocorrect?