The lingonberry plant (Vaccinium vitisidaea) is the most prevailing type of shrub in dry pinewoods and Finland's most important type of export berry. This type of shrub is common in all of the Nordic countries and can be found in all of Europe except from the most southern countries. The plants grow up to 30 centimetres tall and have evergreen leathery foliage. They flower during spring and develop clusters of red berries in August and September. Of all our wild types of berries, lingonberries ripen last.
OLD TRADITIONS
Berries have been picked and used for centuries. Remnants and traces reveal the domestic use of lingonberries as early as during the Bronze Age. In a good year, an estimated 500 million kilos of lingonberries ripen in the woods of Finland, however, only 25-27 million kilos are picked. As much as 10 million kilos are sold commercially, depending on the yearly supply.
A HOUSEHOLD FAVOURITE
Fresh lingonberries are rather sour and are in general not eaten au naturel. usually, the raw berries are stirred with sugar for preservation or used to make fruit-syrup, deserts, pastry or tarts. Lingonberry jam and fruit-syrup can be found in most Nordic households. Furthermore, this type of berry freezes well. In former days, lingonberries were sold by the pharmacies as an antipyretic and as a medicine against inflammation of the bladder among other complaints. The leaves of the lingonberry shrub are even used for making tea in some places.
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