Is it safe to eat courgettes

[yarncakes]

Sorry this is daft but I've cooked courgettes that I got from the shop, and tried some to make sure it is seasoned well. And stupidly, I sat down to read the news and read that there are dangerous courgettes which are home grown and has made people feel ill and some has sadly died. I immediately felt sick and I know it is all in my head as I have anxiety but I'm really wondering whether it is safe?

Most courgettes are fine. If they taste bad, don’t eat them. Sorted.

Was it a particular batch or from a certain shop they made people ill? What was the illness? Never heard of this, unless someone put poison in them? Do you feel ok?

It is homegrown courgettes that are dangerous and they have a nasty bitter taste. I have been eating shop bought and they are fine.

If they are from an affected sead batch, they taste exceeding bitter.
If they weren't bitter, you are fine.
If they are bitter, dont eat them!

What is this news. I’ve eaten loads of homegrown courgettes this summer.

Courgettes are dangerous?! I've missed this, I've eaten loads this summer, both shop bought and from my parents' garden. What is the issue with the problem ones?

Courgettes belong on the Devil’s food list (along with mushrooms/celery and squeaky green beans).

Yes, it's been in the news that some homegrown cucurbits can be poisonous due to cross-pollination with non edible squashes, also where gardeners have saved their own seed. Shop bought ones are grown in very well controlled conditions and safe.

If they didnt taste bitter they are fine. I'm pregnant and ate home grown courgettes the other day worry free. I tasted the raw courgette and it wasnt bitter so put 4 small ones in my veg lasagne , it was lovely.

Shop bought ones should be fine - there was a bad batch of seeds that a company sold to home-growers. They resulted in courgettes with a high level of cucurbitacins (a chemical that makes them taste bitter and isn't great for humans to consume).

You are advised to lick an end of a raw courgette to see if it tastes bitter before demolishing a plateful.

The shop ones are fine as they use good seeds and grow them in controlled conditions.

Homegrown can be bad if use own seeds and not approved batches or if they get cross pollinated from people growing ornamental squash varieties nearby. They will taste very bitter.

Here

they taste absolutely awful if they are toxic.

I think it was a particular batch of Mr Fothefgill seeds. They taste bitter and although I spat it out it must have contaminated the meal. Had terrible stomach cramps and diarrhoea.

I read this on the RHS site yesterday, then saw it in the newspapers today.
Summary: don't eat bitter tasting courgettes and you'll be fine.

Basically, courgettes and other squashes contain curcubitacins, which are mildly toxic. But the varieties we eat are bred to have very low levels, and are fine to eat. Helpfully, higher levels of cucurbitacins also make the courgette taste bitter.

However, your courgette may be pollinated by a non-edible squash, and if you sow the seeds from your courgette, the next generation may have high levels of cucurbitacins (and will taste bitter)

Alternatively, adverse weather conditions, particularly periods of drought, can stimulate the plant to produce more cucurbitacins (and become bitter). This seem to be what happened in the case in the papers.

Therefore, if any courgette tastes bitter, discard it.

Don't worry @yarncakes. The fact that you have eaten your dish of courgettes indicates that your courgettes were not dangerous.

The courgettes causing this extremely rare problem are exceedingly bitter, so much so that they are easily identified by this very bitter taste.

Fothergills and Unwins seeds suggest slicing the uncooked courgettes and putting the tip of your tongue on the raw vegetable, if it is bitter then you should discard it.

So no need to worry @yarncakes, as presumably your courgettes tasted normal.

it also can happen to pumpkins, especially ones grown for shape rather than taste, like halloween pumpkins

It was one person that died, OP.
Everyone affected had been made ill by home-grown courgettes.
A tiny nibble would be enough to tell you if there was a problem. I really don't think you need to worry, especially with shop-bought ones.

We grow our own courgettes an this is new to me!

Not only was it one person.

It was one person in europe

I never knew this!!!

By the end of every summer I’m 98% courgette!

We did have some bitter cucumbers one year.

What a thread to click on when I've just eaten courgettes!

www.bhaf.org.uk/content/advice/ ... MHIst3-fVA

sorry, think first link is wrong

www.bhaf.org.uk/content/advice/gardening-advice-a-z/poisonous-courgette-warning?fbclid=IwAR2-j9E3Ksg4HBCU66m-SkftNybXKfGvEviaEg4fZhpB3ZpIRMHIst3-fVA