Say it with a... cucumber: Heart-shaped cucumbers go on sale for Valentine's Day

By Louise Eccles
Last updated at 4:01 AM on 10th February 2011

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If you think chocolates and strawberries are too much of a cliché on Valentine’s Day, help is at hand.

Sainsbury’s has come up with a novel food-based show of affection.

The supermarket is selling heart-shaped cucumbers that it has grown especially for February 14.

The Valentine vegetable: Sainsbury's is selling heart-shaped cucumbers that it has grown especially for February 14

And it is confident they will be popular with those cooking romantic meals for their loved ones this weekend.

Elaine Young, at Sainsbury’s, said: ‘Valentine’s Day carries such an element of surprise we hope this year’s fun love cucumber will get hearts racing, whether it’s in a romantic packed lunch or a lovingly prepared salad.

‘They only launched yesterday but they have already received a great reception from customers.

‘They have been lovingly grown and we’re really proud to be the first retailer to create something like this.’

She assured customers that the new curves – which were achieved by growing the vegetable in a heart-shaped mould for ten days – had not affected the taste.

Sainsbury’s already has plans for other seasonal options later this year.

Well received: The supermarket chain says the cucumbers have already had a great reception from customers

They have started to cultivate a star-shaped cucumber for summer salads or a jug of Pimms. And the store said it was still working on possible shapes for Christmas.

The heart-shaped cucumbers cost £1 for a half portion compared to the usual 40p.

A spokesman said this reflected the extra ‘time and care’ it took to produce them.

Yesterday, users of the Money Saving Expert website shared news of the new heart-shaped cucumbers.

One wrote: ‘Great for those you want to be twee or try to get their children to eat them.’

Another said: ‘They won’t roll off the chopping board. And they’ll be cheap on the 15th.’

Heart and star-shaped cucumbers have been available in Japan for four years and are sold in upmarket supermarkets.

In 2001, a farmer in Japan also created square watermelons in a bid to make them easier to export – and stop them rolling around in people’s refrigerators.

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