Fruit Spreads from Heirloom Fruit Varieties
What are Stekovics fruit spreads? Spreads cooked down in small kettles from old, almost forgotten fruit varieties harvested by Erich Stekovics at Lake Neusiedl. Not standard off-the-shelf jam, but mulberry, autumn raspberry, and Mieze Schindler with a high fruit content.
Stekovics fruit spreads are hand-cooked spreads made from heirloom fruit varieties by Erich Stekovics, the "Tomato Emperor" from Frauenkirchen. The fruits ripen in the Pannonian climate at Lake Neusiedl, are harvested by hand, and cooked down in small kettles with a fruit content of 70 to 75 percent. You will find five fruit spreads gathered here, from apricot to mulberry.
Heirloom fruits that no supermarket knows
Behind every jar is a rarity, a variety that can no longer be found on any supermarket shelf. The Mieze Schindler is a strawberry that Dr. Otto Schindler bred in 1925 and named after his wife; it is wonderfully aromatic and far too labor-intensive for conventional agriculture. The autumn raspberry is an old Swiss variety that bears fruit twice a year and ripens late in the summer. It is harvested from August through November from one-year-old canes that are radically pruned back in the spring.
Erich cooks the mulberry, botanically related to the fig, with "Kriecherl"—small, wild yellow plums. Mulberries come in white, black, and red; they are sweet and juicy, but too delicate for standard fruit retail, which is why one rarely finds them fresh anymore. Together with his wife Priska, Erich harvests all these fruits in the "Gänsegarten" by hand and at full ripeness. His entire world of Stekovics revolves around lost flavors.
Hand-cooked in small kettles
Stekovics does not produce industrially. The fruits go into small kettles when fully ripe, are gently cooked down with sugar, and carefully stirred by hand, just as Erich has known since he was a child. Sometimes it’s mulberries with Kriecherl, other times an old Swiss raspberry; every variety requires its own treatment. This preserves the aroma that makes these varieties so special: fruity, tangy, and juicy.
The apricot comes from the Gänsegarten, pitted by hand, with 70 percent fruit content. The autumn raspberry plays with acidity and sweetness, and the Mieze Schindler even reaches 75 percent fruit content. Thus, every 200g jar holds a good piece of the ripe summer harvest. In the Pannonian summer, the fruits ripen slowly, and you can taste that in every spoonful. Each variety is unique, each one a little treasure from the Gänsegarten.
On breakfast bread, with cheese, and for dessert
Stekovics fruit spreads belong on the breakfast table, on fresh white bread, in yogurt, or on warm pancakes. The apricot is classic on buttered toast, the mulberry goes with creamy fresh cheese, and the autumn raspberry pairs with vanilla ice cream. Our tip is the Mieze Schindler enjoyed straight off the spoon—simply because it tastes like a real strawberry.
They also pair beautifully with aged cheese, contrasting fruitiness with savory notes. Those who like it sweet and spicy should reach for the apricot with chili, which is delicate with poultry or as a filling for a Sacher torte. A jar of fruit spread also makes a lovely gift, and the rare varieties are especially delightful. Beyond the spreads, it is also worth taking a look at the tomatoes and the pickled rarities. That’s how summer makes its way onto your bread.
