We’re visiting Markus’s parents right now. It’s been pretty cold and windy, but just being here makes it feel like a proper summer holiday. I love this place. :)
On Saturday Markus’s dad took us berry picking. It’s a good berry year this year and it would be a shame not to take advantage of it. I plan on going hunting for blueberries myself when I get back home.
Saturday though, the target was cloudberries:
I don’t know if you’ve heard of them before? Apparently cloudberries only grow in the northernmost parts of the world, like northern Europe, Russia and Canada. They look kinda like raspberries, but are bright orange and grow in marshes and similar wet areas. They are very rich in vitamin C and you can make a seriously delicious jam from them.
I like them very much, but they can be a pain in the ass to pick as they grow on wet ground. It can be unstable (and, you know, wet) to walk in and you will most likely be surrounded by a million mosquitoes. I could definitely feel it in my feet the day after, and the hat I wore still smell of mosquito repellent.
Markus’s mum cooked jam of the berries, so now I have a whole jar of cloudberry jam for the winter. Win! You can buy it from the store too, but it’s usually pretty pricey. In my opinion, it also tastes SO much better when you’ve picked the berries yourself. :)
And tomorrow we’re taking the train to Stockholm! Whee!
I love the name of those berries, cloudberry just sounds so cute. I have never actually tasted them before (alone or in jam or anything) hopefully one day I can.
That is a pain that they grow in such areas that would be a hassle to get, but at least you battled through and got some. I love the photos too! :yay:
I live in Florida so I’ve never heard of cloudberries but now I’m super bummed about it and wish I could at least try some. :(
I love cloudberries. I wish I wasn’t such a lazy bum when it comes to picking berries. I like eating them though. :P
@Sarai: If you ever have chance to visit a finnish/nordic/skandinavian shop in florida (I could imagine there is), they might have at least cloudberry jam. :)
I’ve never heard of it, let alone tried it [although they do somewhat look like raspberries and black berries]. Then again, you did mention that they grow far up north in Europe, Canada, and Russia, so I guess the southern part of the US is beyond its “jurisdiction.” Could you describe its taste in your own words? I assume it’s not in season if I visit in the winter right?
The taste… how to describe it? When sweetened it’s a warm taste (if that makes any sense), not sharp and acidic like raspberries but soft and round, like honey and sunshine. Kinda like their colour. :) Unsweetened they’re rather bitter though. And no, in the winter they’re dead under the snow. Autumn and late summer is when to pick them.
Åhh hjortron är så gott! Jag tror inte ens de växer här nere i Västmanland. Jag har då aldrig sett några här.
Interesting!! Just the other day I was feeling high and mighty, thinking I’d probably tried almost all the foods out there, and here you are showing me up. I will add these to my list of things to try in life!
Can you believe that I have never been berry picking?! I would love to do it one day because the satisfaction would be awesome when eating them! I haven’t heard of cloudberries either, even though I live in Canada. I am in southern Canada, so maybe that’s why! LOL Anyway, they look super tasty.
I’ve never heard of cloudberries, and I don’t think that it’s available anywhere around me. :( I wonder if they taste good in a cobbler? I’ve been meaning to go pick some blackberries and make cobbler…but it’s been so hot lately. :(
I creeped through your photography and its so beautiful. It reminds me of places here in Canada. So peaceful.
That is the first time I’ve ever seen a cloudberry. They look quite delicious. :O
P.S. I love your site and site name! xo
Thank you! I’m glad you like it ^^
I think Sweden and Canada are pretty similar when it comes to nature and climate, aren’t they? Except everything seems bigger in Canada.
Cool looking berries. I haven’t heard of them before but if there are mosquitoes I would not be able to go picking them haha.
As someone above me posted, I live in Florida as well. And stumbling across your site is the first I’ve ever heard of cloudberries. But this is on my bucket list. Specially since I’ll have to go on an adventure to pick them.