Growing conditions can cause excessive bitterness. That would include drought, lack of water or fluctuating water levels.

There are other possibilities, but this is the most likely. It's unfortunate but sometimes unavoidable. Since you've made these pickles many times before, the most likely cause is environmental.

Carol

Thank you Carol for the response. Do you know if soaking the cukes in a salt brine over night would help draw out the bitterness? Maybe I am grasping at straws but I have a lot of cukes growing......

Agree that the most likely cause wasn't the fermenting process. They were most likely already bitter when picked due to growing conditions.

The fermenting brine can affect the finished flavor IF they were old cukes (not fresh picked) to begin with as they are soft and absorb the brine differently. Otherwise it is the flavor of the cukes themselves you are tasting.

Dave

Just start watering them more so the future ones won't be so bitter. Meanwhile taste the individual cukes before putting them into ferment. You might find some that aren't so bitter. Picking them smaller will help some too.

You can try the brine pre-soak but the bitter flavor is in the tissue of the cukes themselves so I doubt it will help much. Use the bitter ones for relishes and such where the bitter taste will be covered by the sugar and seasonings.

Dave

I agree with Dave. These bitter flavors come from cucurbitacin compounds and there's not much that can be done. At an extreme they have even been known to make people sick (reported in zucchini, for instance).

You can try a sweet relish if the problem is not severe, but truthfully if they're super-bitter through the entire current picking and not just mildly bitter or the occasional cuke, I'd probably compost them. In that case you risk wasting good ingredients and lids.

It's really your call. And definitely follow Dave's advice and make sure the plants are well-watered.

Carol

Thanks to all who responded. I will abide by the majority and blame it on the bitter cukes.....actually it is the first time I used home grown cukes, I usually purchased pickling cukes at the local farmers market and had no problems. So lesson learned, water, water and more water. Thanks again to all.