Fruit, vegetables, grains - what grows here in Switzerland?
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Fruit, vegetables, grains - what grows here in Switzerland?

Switzerland has a lot of delicious grains, vegetables, and fruit to offer.

Many tasty dishes can be conjured up from local Swiss grains, vegetables, and fruit. If you want to cook fresh all year round, it is good to know what is in season and when. In springtime, flowers and greenery can be seen everywhere – the perfect time for fresh, crisp salads, juicy spring vegetables and sweet fruits. The warm summer weather ensures your table is a wealth of colour since you’ll find regional tasty fruits, sweet berries, and crunchy vegetables available in the shops. In autumn, nature shows its best side. The forests shine with warm colours and leaves dance off the trees. In winter, many plants wait patiently buried in the earth until they dare to come out of the ground in spring. Fortunately, there are still some plants that provide for us in winter.

Swiss agriculture: Between the mountains

Nearly 24 per cent of Switzerland's total area is agricultural land. While cattle breeding and dairy farming are the main activities in the mountain regions, the Swiss Plateau is home to many grain and vegetable fields. Fruit is cultivated mainly in eastern Switzerland and in the canton of Valais - here the climate is perfectly mild.

In the grain fields you can find mainly wheat, barley, rye, and oats. Potatoes, sugar beet, and corn are also grown. In the meantime, more and more rapeseed fields turn the landscape bright yellow in spring.

In addition, various types of cabbage, salads, and turnips grow in these fields. Tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, and courgettes can also be found in Switzerland. If you like it sweet, you'll love the local cherries, apricots, plums, numerous berries and of course apples and pears.

Whatever is in season is harvested. That's why the range of fresh vegetables and fruit is more varied in summer than in winter. But even in the cold season the soil produces really good and healthy vegetables.

Swiss vegetables: What is in season and when?

Switzerland is a country that is strongly influenced by the seasons. Some vegetables grow only in the summer half of the year, others can be harvested through the winter. Which vegetables are in season and when depends on the time of year.

Typical winter vegetables (December, January, February)

In winter, only vegetables are grown that are able to withstand frosty soil or be grown in a greenhouse. These include many types of cabbages, frost-resistant lettuces, and root vegetables as well as leeks and onions. Here are some examples of winter vegetables:

  • Lettuces: Lamb’s lettuce, chicory
  • Vegetables: kale, leek, purslane, chard, parsley root
  • Herbs: cress, mint, chive, thyme, sage
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Typical autumn vegetables (September, October, November)

Nature is always an exciting time in autumn. The forests are basked in warm colours and leaves cascade beautifully down to the ground. But autumn not only looks pretty, it is also excellent for produce: fruits and vegetables have been gathering warmth and light all summer long, so that they are sweet, full of flavour and juicy when harvested in autumn. Mmmm!

  • Vegetables: chard, radishes, kale, cabbage, napa cabbage, parsnip, onions, horseradish, parsley root, beetroot, leek, black salsify, Jerusalem artichoke, potatoes, pumpkin, Savoy cabbage, pointed cabbage, spinach, runner beans, sweet potatoes, carrots
  • Lettuces: rocket, iceberg, purslane, chicory
  • Fruits: pears, grapes, apples, kiwis
  • Herbs: sage, tarragon, dill, oregano, ginger
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Typical summer vegetables (June, July, August)

The supply of freshly harvested vegetables is greatest in summer. In the warm months, there are not only many cabbage, lettuce, and root varieties that thrive all year round, but also beautifully crisp vegetables that can also be snacked on raw. In addition, pulses such as beans and sugar snap peas are in season, and sweet corn also comes fresh from the field and ends up on your plate. Delicious fresh summer produce includes:

  • Vegetables: celeriac, radishes, cauliflower, onions, cabbage, fennel, chillies, cucumbers, tomatoes, napa cabbage, courgette, Savoy cabbage, summer squash, spinach, leek, pumpkin, beans, potatoes, broccoli, aubergines, celery, sweet corn, carrots
  • Lettuces: rocket, iceberg
  • Fruits: cherries, redcurrants, apricots, raspberries, strawberries, plums, gooseberries, blackberries, blueberries
  • Herbs: parsley, coriander, rosemary, oregano, basil, marjoram 
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Tip

You can enjoy delicious summer fruits all year round if you preserve them properly. You can do this by bottling them, freezing them, or by transforming them into a delicious fruity jam.

Typical spring vegetables (March, April, May)

In spring everything is in bloom and it's green everywhere you look. This is time for fresh, crisp salads, juicy spring vegetables, and sweet fruits.

  • Lettuce: red oak leaf lettuce, lamb’s lettuce, chicory, iceberg, rocket
  • Mushrooms: oyster, shiitake, button, king oyster, porcino
  • Fruits: pears, apples, strawberries, kiwis
  • Vegetables: rhubarb, onions, aubergines, radishes, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, white asparagus, fennel, cucumbers, celeriac, green asparagus, potatoes, kohlrabi, Savoy cabbage, leek, Romanesco broccoli, carrots, celery
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