Fruit and Distillates
from Lake Constance Region
In addition to classic fruit cultivation, the art of fruit refinement has a long tradition in Lake Constance Region. Many distilleries invite you to sample their products. In addition to fine spirits, whiskeys and gins are also produced and worth sipping. It’s the ideal souvenir to take home and a flavorful reminder of your visit.
Fruity traditions: regional and seasonal
The Lake Constance region offers abundance and variety, enriching the seasonal and regional cuisine year-round.
Strawberries
Strawberries herald the arrival of warmer days. From around the middle of May, the succulent red berry returns to the fields. Along the roads, many farmers sell the berries in small baskets. For five weeks, fruit-bearing fruits like Darselect or Elsanta are in season. Multi-yield varieties such as Evereste are harvested until October’s first frost.
Plums
In July and August, the bees announce the plum season. The stone fruit accompanies us into late autumn. You will find many different varieties in German cultivation, resulting in an abundant harvest.
Cherries
Depending on the variety, cherry season runs from mid-June to late August. A distinction is made between sweet and sour cherries: while sweet cherries are mainly consumed raw, sour cherries (e.g. morello cherries) are good for cooking, baking and canning thanks to their high acid content.
Apples
Apples are the most popular fruit in the region. Around 250,000 tons are harvested on the German side each year. Winter pruning is the cornerstone of a successful season. In April and May, entire areas around the lake turn into a white sea of blossoms. Depending on weather, variety and region the harvest starts in August and ends just before winter. Cider apples are presorted at harvest, based on their starch and sugar Content.
Processed, Fermented and Distilled
Lake Constance fruits are not only enjoyed raw or in sweet desserts, but also in high percentage bottles!
Hard Cider
When fermented fruit juice is pressed you get hard cider. Farmers usually use apples with a mixture of pears, grapes or sometimes quince. Hard cider is a refreshing drink especially in late summer: cool and pure or diluted as a spritzer.
Fruit Distillates
The production of fruit brandies requires some knowledge of distillery. In the mash phase, the fruit sugar is converted into alcohol. After two to three months, the alcohol is distilled from the mash. This pure distillate of 70% alcohol is diluted by adding distilled water to a drinking strength of 40% by volume in a series of purification stages.
Whiskey und Gin
The Celts first developed the forerunner to whiskey in the 5th century. Lake Constance Whiskey is made according to traditional composition of local barley malt, yeast and Lake Constance water. Award-winning Lake Constance Gin is soft and fruity with a splash of spiciness.
Sweet Treats from Lake Constance Fruit
- Swiss apple cake (called Öpfelchüechli)
- warm apple strudel with vanilla ice cream, vanilla sauce or whipped cream
- plum turnovers (called Zwetschgendatschi) with whipped cream
- Liechtensteiner cheese dumplings (called Käseknöpfle) with applesauce
- plum, cherry or strawberry marmalade on a warm braided yeast bun
- fruit compote with yogurt or waffles
- Ofenschlupfer: warm Swabian apple bread pudding
- Lake Constance apples and creamy vanilla sauce (called Scheiterhaufen)
- fresh strawberries with cream, yogurt or milk
- a piece of strawberry or cherry cake
- Lake Constance fruit smoothies
- Tiramisu with strawberries and rhubarb
- sweet cherry and quark parfait
- red fruit pudding with strawberries, cherries, red currants and rhubarb
- fluffy apple cheesecake
- dried apple chips or deep-fried apple rings
