© creative synergies, Laurent Bailly
A world of varieties
There are hundreds of types of cucumbers, with different shapes, flavors, and uses. In Swiss supermarkets and restaurants, you'll find mostly the long, Dutch ones, cultivated by us, among others. In Italy, the "nostrano" are shorter and have a more intense aroma. In East Asia, more astringent ones are grown, eaten cooked. In Iran, they are drier and firmer, enjoyed in salads with yogurt, mint, and rose petals.
And then there are mini snack cucumbers. They pack their flavor and crunch into a small size, ideal for an aperitif or snack. Practical, juicy, and healthy, they're perfectly in tune with the times. This is the category we've chosen to launch in to diversify our crops and expand the assortment we offer our customers.
Choosing the best tasting cucumber together
It all started with a summer of trials with a few plants. Three varieties, with three profiles: juicier, firmer, or with a fruitier note. But how to decide? By tasting them, like comparing different wines or chocolates! We involved everyone around us: colleagues, family, friends. Everyone gave their opinion, and one variety clearly stood out. It wasn't the most productive, certainly, but it was excellent to the palate. It's the one that earned its place in our crops this year.
A culture under daily surveillance
Varietal selection is the first step. For flavor to fully develop, growing conditions must be optimal. In our unheated tunnel greenhouses, we control ventilation, irrigation, and any potential insect pests or diseases. Powdery mildew, for example, common in vegetable gardens, doesn't just affect leaf color: it stresses the plant, which will devote its energy to survival, to the detriment of flavor development. It wouldn't take much to ruin everything. That's why we are vigilant every day.
The tempo of the harvest
Harvest timing is also critical, as cucumbers grow fast, really fast. We pick them seven days a week, up to twice a day, during a season that runs from early June to mid-September. This demanding pace ensures that consumers bite into a product at its peak flavor and freshness.
A next season already in sight
Today, the season is coming to an end. Our mini cucumbers, which made their debut this year on Migros shelves in French-speaking Switzerland, quickly found their place alongside the classics. The story doesn't end there: next year, production and marketing will be expanded, with the same high standards of quality.