Description
The Spreewälder Gurken PGI are cucumbers belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family.
Production Area
The production area of the Spreewälder Gurken PGI is in the Spreewald region, in the south of the federal state of Brandenburg.
Production Method
The cultivation includes indepth processing of the terrain to allow good development of the root system. The Spreewälder Gurken PGI are sowed from April to June in openair cultivation. As far as the greenhouse cultivation is concerned, the sowing takes place in December, in a heated atmosphere. The harvest takes place over two-three months and starts approximately three months after the sowing, when the cucumber fruit is still unripe and has a bright green colour. Watering should be frequent, without causing water stagnation, though.
Appearance and Flavour
The Spreewälder Gurken PGI are from 4 to 12 cm long. They have a firm and crunchy pulp and a typical slightly sour flavour.
History
The production of the Spreewälder Gurken PGI in the Spreewald region has an old tradition. In fact, the product was already popular in the German Democratic Republic. After Germany's reunification in 1990, the Spreewälder Gurken PGI were one of the few products still available. There are cucumber fields throughout the Spreewald, the majority of which are protected, since 1990, as Biosphärenreservat Spreewald, i.e., the biosphere reserve of the Spreewald.
Gastronomy
The Spreewälder Gurken PGI, if fresh, can be preserved in the refrigerator on the lower part; if pickled, they should be preserved in a cool place, and once the jar is opened, in the refrigerator. These cucumbers are consumed both fresh and pickled; they are particularly suitable to accompany meat and cheese dishes.
Marketing
The product is sold as Spreewälder Gurken PGI. It is marketed fresh or in pickle jars of 100 gr, 750 gr, 720 ml, 420 g, 370 ml, 100 ml, or with pepper, flavoured with spices, with garlic or with mustard. It is also available in cans of 100 and 200 ml, or in bucket-like containers of 1000 ml.
Distinctive Features
The Spreewälder Gurken PGI acquire their particular taste from its cultivation ground and the particularly favourable climate of the Spreewald. This product is so famous that it gave its name to the Gurken-Radweg, i.e., the cucumber cycle track.
