Plukke Bær

You know what's the best part about a walk in the woods? Stumbling across wild blueberries (blåbær, they're really a close cousin- bilberry) and lingonberries (tyttebær, also known as the very cute 'cowberries') with a little basket or ziplock all ready to pick them and take them home to eat.

Raspberries are easily grown in gardens at home and within reach. In this climate, they're not fragile or difficult to nurture. Lingonberries and blueberries can be bought off the shelves, but they don't keep very well. They ought to be eaten straightaway. BUT, why do that when we could pop out to the woods every weekend to pick some these few weeks? The Norwegian woods are beautiful and so easily accesible within a short drive. So we did that.

The Norwegian blueberries, or rather bilberry, ooze red or purple when squeezed. Picking them could stain your fingers in those happy colors. In the countryside where the berries were freshly wet after the rain and with little pollutants, I didn't bother to rinse them. Plucked them and immediately popped a couple in the mouth. The tongue stained red. Heh. These bilberries aren't usually sweet, but not too tart either. Refreshing. We plucked plenty of lingonberries, not quite to eat it like that. They're sour and usually made into jams and gravies.

The girlfriend loves her berries. But once autumn is over, the berries will be gone. What she does, is to freeze the berries so that in winter, she could use them for smoothies and in granola or whatever. It might not be superbly fresh, but it does keep well. The supermarkets will stock frozen berries too, but it's more fun freezing our own. Meanwhile, we're just seizing the day, giving thanks to nature's bounty, and gorging on the season's gems.

Where lingonberries grow, you'll usually find bilberries too.