Courgette poisoning

[grenfell]

I'll have to admit that this is a new one on me , i knew nothing about this . Make of it what you will ( i know it's the sun but the story has been reported elsewhere.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/12134566/ ... ourgettes/
Apparently seeds are now being recalled
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech ... ounds.html

[izzy_mack]

Damn, I love courgettes and marrows . I think my seeds came from Lidl but it will definately take some of the pleasure away from eating them now.

[jansman]

Its a new one on me too.Never heard of it before. I've some lovely marrows in the garden right now.Saved seed though.

[GillyBee]

I also saw this on an allotment forum. Not all plants are affected and the poison is extremely bitter. It is the same thing as happens with stressed courgettes but more drastic.
I am taste testing a very tiny bit from the first courgette from each plant before they go in any meals. If the courgette tastes horrible the plant will go.
I don't expect much trouble as most of mine are named varieties from last year. The forum claimed it was the generic variety"Zucchini" from several suppliers that was the problem.

https://www.bhaf.org.uk/content/advice/ ... te-warning

[ForgeCorvus]

After reading what I can find, it seems to be a problem with a very small sample of F1's and aggravated by drought stress.
So, test what you've got growing and use well watered Heirlooms in future seems to be the advice.

We don't grow courgettes or marrows as neither of us eat them..... Could this be a problem with Cues do you think, those we do eat and might be growing again

[grenfell]

I've used seed that was a mix of saved and some a couple of years old and not had a problem which is perhaps as well as we've already eaten some before i saw this. As it says it's not common. I would imagine the same could happen with cucumbers but i suppose as they are generally eaten raw the bitterness would be easily noticed.

[jansman]

We are having roast beef, garden peas , new spuds and... marrow tomorrow. We will live on the edge, and take a chance!

[peejay]

I've been following this too as I have a few plants though not from the batches/varieties I've seen mentioned so far. As mentioned a lick of a slice of the first courgette should instantly reveal if yours is affected. Interestingly the first stories were nothing more than bitter tasting results but there's a growing number of folks claiming real sickness from them.

[korolev]

Mrs K was telling me about this the other day, something to do with cross-pollination with squash.

Personally I'm not fond of courgettes anyway so this is a good reason not to bother with them.

[ForgeCorvus]

I wonder if its real poisoning or if it just causes severe gastric distress, which can make you feel truely dreadful and wishing to die (IBS sufferer here)

Korolev: I think you have a point there, and I'll be using it as a reason to avoid those Satan Sticks