Q&Me cucumbers

Who's behind it

Q&Me is a quality label for Dutch cucumbers where growers have to qualify. Not every grower can operate under the name; the bar is set at craftsmanship and collaboration. One of the growers is Snack Products, run by brothers Gert and Willy van Bussel. They learned the trade from their father and have been growing cucumbers for over fifteen years. At their operation they maintain their own trial garden where they assess varieties and test new growing discoveries before they go into the greenhouse. The greenhouses behind the label are scattered across the Netherlands, so the distance between greenhouse and kitchen stays short and the cucumber arrives young and fresh.

What makes it different

The difference is in the dry matter. Q&Me delivers up to 70 per cent more dry matter than a standard cucumber, and you notice it in everything you do with it: firmer flesh, less water running away the moment you slice, marinate or heat it. The flesh is light green instead of watery white, the skin is dark green and thin enough to work with easily. For you as a chef this means less weeping on the plate and more flavour per bite. Beyond the standard cucumber there are midis, mini snack cucumbers and the heart cucumber, which is moulded into shape by placing a mold around the fruit just before harvest. Four formats then, with the same firm base.

How to stand out with this

A cucumber that doesn't leach water opens doors a standard one keeps closed. Quick pickle or ferment it: the structure holds bite, even after days in brine, where a limp cucumber would have collapsed long ago. Sear halved cucumbers quick over high heat for a warm side that doesn't turn to soup. Or shave it raw and razor-thin with a dressing that stays put. The minis and hearts you set on the plate untouched as amuse or garnish. Put Dutch cucumber with its own trial garden on the menu and you're telling a story that simply holds up.