Gardening. It can be some of the most rewarding time you spend outdoors, and also some of the most frustrating time outside. I saw a question about cucumbers and the answer had me puzzled as I had never heard of the 'solution'. The question was about bitter cucumbers being found, and wondering what can be done to make them less bitter, the solution offered was to 'milk' the cucumber.

I've never heard of milking a cucumber, so I put it into Google after seeing this answer and sure enough it's been around as a 'hack' since 2020, thanks to TikTok.

Delish.com highlighted the 'hack' back in 2020, and this is how they described milking the cucumber.

It basically requires that you chop off the end of the cucumber and rub it on the slices until it gets white and, sorry, milky. In the end, it apparently tastes fresher and juicier.

@basicallyperkfect milking a cucumber?#healthheroes #kitchenhacks #cucumber #fyp ♬ original sound - Basically Perkfect

So what does 'milking' the cucumber do?

According to Google: "Rubbing the cut end of a cucumber in a circular motion over the slices until it's white and milky. This process is said to release cucurbitacin, an organic compound found in cucumbers and other cucurbits that can make them taste bitter. Cucurbitacin is often concentrated at the ends of cucumbers, so rubbing the cut side can help reduce bitterness and make the cucumber taste crisper, juicier, and even sweeter."

If you are dealing with bitter cucumbers in your garden, another reason rather than having higher levels of cucurbitacin would be that your cukes didn't get enough water this year, which also causes them to be bitter.