Fruit, berries and nuts

Apples are the favorite fruit

Apples are the most consumed fruit in Switzerland: the Swiss eat around 16 kilograms of apples per capita each year. Swiss fruit producers grow many different kinds of apples, and around 20,000 apple strains exist around the world. Gala, Golden Delicious and Braeburn apples are the most popular apple types, but exclusive club varieties like Jazz and Pink Lady are also becoming increasingly prevalent. The cultivation and sale of club varieties are strictly regulated. Older apple varieties like Marbrée de Watervliet and Bernese Rose are currently celebrating a comeback.

There are multiple reasons why apples are so craved. There are apples for every taste bud, and there are lots of ways to eat them: fresh from the tree, in tarts, for dessert or drunk as cider. Modern storage capabilities make Swiss apples available practically year-round.

Pears are also a popular Swiss fruit; over 3 kilograms per capita get consumed each year. Kaiser Alexander, Williams, Gute Luise and Conference are well-known pear varieties. Around 1,500 pear strains exist worldwide, but many of them are available only regionally. Swiss pears are available from August until well into spring. Around half of the pear harvest is used to produce juice, distillates and dried fruit.

The cherry season, depending on the weather, starts in June and peaks in July. Many growers sell the fruit directly from the farm, which minimizes transportation routes and provides direct contact with customers. Cherries contain essential vitamins and minerals. Cherries are versatile and can be made into kirsch, jam, syrup or tarts.

Prune plums, like many fruits, are a seasonal fruit. Prune plums grown in Switzerland are available from July through October. They taste great eaten fresh or cooked in tarts or desserts. Prune plums are also commonly distilled into brandies like Vieille Prune. They are good for freezing and can thus also be enjoyed in the winter. Prune plums, round plums and mirabelle plums all belong to the same plant species.

Berry boom in Switzerland

Berry farming is gaining importance, partly because berries are considered indigenous superfoods thanks to their exceptionally healthy nutritional contents. Strawberries are the most popular berry variety, though strictly speaking they are an aggregate fruit and not a true berry. The tiny yellow dots on their surface are the actual fruit of the strawberry. Thanks to staggered planting, the strawberry season in Switzerland lasts from May to October. Many farming families directly market strawberries themselves. Customers can buy them directly from the farm or pick them themselves from the field.

Raspberries, currants, blackberries, blueberries and gooseberries are other important berry varieties for the Swiss fruit-growing industry. Blueberries in particular are enjoying growing popularity. Some farmers are also focusing on niches, producing varieties like chokeberries, schizandra berries, goji berries and haskap berries.

Walnuts are experiencing a revival

Swiss walnuts had faded a bit into obscurity, but their production has rebounded recently. Farmers are planting walnut trees in response to high demand for specialties like Graubünden nut pie, for instance. Moreover, walnuts rank among the superfoods deemed especially healthy. Another specialty made from walnuts is walnut oil. Other nut varieties are cultivated on a smaller scale. Most hazelnuts, for instance, therefore are imported, though some Swiss farming families are growing them today.