Bitter squash

[Paulines7]

My White Pattison squashes have grown to about 9 or 10 inches in diameter and I decided to cook one yesterday to have with our evening meal.  Fortunately there was no room in with the potatoes so I put them in a separate dish with olive oil and lemon. 

When they were cooked I decided to taste a piece.   :D
Aargh, it was so incredibly bitter!!   :o   I had to throw the whole lot away.  It had even tainted the olive oil so I couldn't use that again.  The bitterness remained on my fingers too for I had been removing seeds from the core that I had cut out to save for next year.  No amount of washing would remove it last night though it has gone this morning. 

Does anyone know why they would have been so bitter?  Should they have been left to ripen?   Maybe they should have been eaten when tiny, yet I have seen recipes for Pattison squash showing them being baked!   :o ::)

[Paulines7]

[Mrs Ava]

I pick them very small, or when they are about 6 or 7 inches big - never any bigger, and I have never had any go bitter like you descibe.  Curious.  Wonder if it was the size.....I didn't think squashes became bitter like cucumbers can with the male flowers being around....

[saddad]

New one on me, never know it to happen...
Lets see what the others think!
???

[Tora]

I've had some very bitter courgettes from supermarket before. They were medium sized fruits. Don't know why it happens. Maybe similar to bitter cucumbers?

[glow777]

Dont cucs go bitter because they get pollinated and grow without pollination BUT squash etc need pollinating to grow

[Paulines7]

I took a small fruit from the bush this evening.  It was about 3 inches in diameter.  I cut it in half and then tasted a slither from it......Aargh, it was just as bitter as the larger one.   I can only think that there was a cross with a gourd somewhere in the genetics of this plant.   ::)  Tomorrow it will be yanked out and put on the compost heap.    ;D