BERRYPEDIA
The world of berries is quite fascinating. In the harsh northern environment they are a true showcase of resilience and power of nature. To let you in on the wonders of berries we have put together a brief encyclopedia of our most commonly used ingredients:
BILBERRY | LINGONBERRY | CRANBERRY | SEA BUCKTHORN | BLACKCURRANT
BILBERRY
( vaccinium myrtillus )
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The Arctic bilberry (also known as wild blueberry) is found in the clean northern forests. The bilberry is a perennial shrub that reaches 10–30 cm in height, with green stems growing out at an angle. In southern Finland, the bilberry usually ripens in mid-July, while in northern Finland it ripens in late July and early August. Early summer weather conditions can affect the ripening time. The berry is spherical with a diameter of 6–8 mm. It is either dark blue and waxy or black and shiny, with dark blue on the inside. Unlike the cultivated highbush blueberry, the Arctic bilberry is blue both inside and out.
Seasonal change and long, light-filled summer nights provide favourable growing conditions for the bilberry. In summer the abundance of light, ample warmth and a suitable amount of moisture ripen the wild Arctic bilberries. It usually takes 8–10 weeks for a bilberry to develop from a flower into a ripe berry. In mid-summer, there are 19 hours of daylight in southern Finland, and in the northern Arctic Circle region the sun does not set at all. According to studies, this remarkable amount of light promotes the formation of anthocyanin compounds.
Kaskein refines multiple products out of Arctic bilberries but also supplies them for the use of food industries all over the world.
Kaskein’s organic bilberries are picked from organic certified forests in northern Finland.
More information about bilberry from Arctic Flavours Association website.
Nutritional value of bilberry.
lingonberry
( vaccinium vitis-idaea )
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Lingonberries have been used for centuries as food. Also known as foxberries or cowberries, these tangy red berries can be eaten raw or processed into delicious lingonberry jam. Freeze-dried lingonberries contain most of the nutrients of the fresh berry and look almost as beautiful too.
The lingonberry plant has stems between 5 and 30 centimetres long. The leaves are pointed and green with a light green underside. Unlike some plants that lose leaves in the autumn, the lingonberry plant keeps its glaucous leaves and they even survive the winter. The berries are round, red and juicy with a slightly acidic taste. The berries are ready to be picked between the end of August and the beginning of October. Lingonberries grow all throughout Finland and they can live for hundreds of years.
Kaskein’s organic lingonberries are picked from organic certified forests in northern Finland.
We make delicious lingonberry products and also supply berries and processed ingredients to the food industry around the world.
More information about lingonberry from Arctic Flavours Association website.
Nutritional value of lingonberry.
cranberry
( vaccinium oxycoccos )
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The common cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos) is a prostrate, low-growing shrub reaching 10–80 cm in length. Its overwintering leaves are 6–15 mm long, elliptic or tapering, glossy and green above and whitish underneath. The pink flowers of the shrub grow in pairs or groups at the ends of its branches. The cranberry flowers in June–July. The berry is round, 10–15 mm in diameter or teardrop-shaped and widening either at the tip or base. The berry is red or a deep bluish red and acidic to the taste.
Cranberry grows in all parts of Finland with the exception of the northernmost reaches of Lapland. It grows in nutrient-poor, sunlit fens and pine bogs. The habitat of the cranberry has diminished in recent years due to peat extraction and the draining of bogs. Cranberries can be picked from the end of September until the first snow and from under the snow in spring, when their sugar content has risen and they are less acidic.
Cranberries contain benzoic acid, which preserves the berries naturally, making them great for cooking and baking. Cranberries are used in berry soups, porridges, casseroles and baked goods. Autumn cranberries are rich in pectin, which is a natural gelling agent and makes them an excellent ingredient for marmalade and jam.
Kaskein buys cranberries not only from Finland, but also from such countries as Russia and Estonia. This is because our domestic supply isn’t enough to meet the demand. We always inspect all of the cranberries we buy, and only purchase them from known partners with whom we’ve worked with for years, auditing them regularly.
More information about cranberry from Arctic Flavours Association website.
Nutritional value of cranberry.
SEA BUCKTHORN
( hippophaë rhamnoides )
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Wild sea buckthorn grows in the Finnish coastal regions of the Gulf of Bothnia and the Åland Islands, flourishing best on pebbly, sandy or shingly beaches. Its thorny shrub grows 0.5–3 metres tall. The leaves are 1–5 cm in length and linear, greenish-grey above and silvery-grey to rusty-brown underneath. The sea buckthorn flowers in May before its leaves appear. The flowers are very small and yellowish-green. The berry is an elongated, yellow or yellowish-orange juicy drupe 8–10 mm long. They can be picked from the beginning in October, but the best time to pick them is after the first frost.
Sea buckthorn is used in the food industry to make sauces, jams, berry powders and juices. Sea buckthorn oil is used in the preparation of dietary supplements and cosmetics. The berries can be enjoyed on their own or in, for example, porridges, yoghurts and smoothies. They can be preserved by drying or freezing or in the form of juice or jam.
Kaskein buys sea buckthorn from Finland as well as from abroad. Our sea buckthorn juice is made out of berries that come from our trusted organic cultivator partners in Western Europe. We audit our suppliers frequently. This way we maintain high quality and flawless traceability in our products and partnerships.
We at Kaskein use this amazing berry to produce juice, jam and jelly. We also sell sea buckthorn and refine its nutritious and healthy ingredients for the food industry.
More information about sea buckthorn from Arctic Flavours Association website.
Nutritional value of sea buckthorn.
blackcurrant
( ribes nigrum )
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Blackcurrant is a native berry to Finland, originally growing on wet land and later adapting to varying conditions.
Clusters of greenish-yellow blackcurrant flowers bloom in the spring. Flowers give way to long, pendant clusters of berries that ripen in June-July. The lobed, medium green leaves are aromatic when crushed. The berries can be eaten ripe off the shrub and used to make juices, jams and jellies. The young leaves can be used to make delicious juice.
Kaskein buys blackcurrant from home gardeners as well as from professional cultivators. We are constantly looking for new suppliers for both organic and regular blackcurrant.
Nutritional value of blackcurrant.
Raspberry
( Rubus idaeus )
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The raspberry plant is a shrub that reaches 50–150 cm in height. Its stems are biennial and prickly, erect or arching. In the summer of the first growth year, the stem is green and unbranched. By the next summer, it is woody and branched. This is when the flowers bloom and the berries ripen. The upper surface of the leaf is green and the underside densely hairy and either white or grey. The shrub loses its leaves in the winter. Its greenish-white flowers bloom in June–July. The berry is a sweet and fragrant red aggregate drupe, with a zesty and delicious flavour.
The raspberry is commonly found in southern and central Finland, reaching as far north the southern part of Lapland. It grows in herb-rich boreal forests and along the margins of ditches and forests, the banks of streams and rivers, and the edges of logging areas and roads. It spreads quickly in nutrient-rich forest regeneration areas and can keep growing in these areas for 20–30 years.
The Finnish raspberry season runs from the beginning of August until the beginning of September. The berries ripen and the flowers bloom best in sunny conditions, such as those found in young forests and logging areas. Good crops are also produced along forest roads and areas cleared for power lines.
Raspberries are used in juices, berry soups, baked goods and desserts. The delicious berry is lovely on its own or as part of a snack or any meal. Raspberries combine well with other berries, too: for example, they can be mixed with bilberries to make queen’s jam, a Nordic specialty. Raspberry can be preserved frozen, dried, or as juice or jam.
Kaskein buys raspberry from dozens of Finnish cultivators. We are constantly looking for new supplies. During the harvest season we sell fresh raspberries to bakeries, confectinaries, hospitals, daycare centers and to the Finnish food industry.
More information about raspberry from Arctic Flavours Association website.
Nutritional value of raspberry.
STRAWBERRY
( Fragaria × ananassa )
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Strawberry is low-growing herbaceous plant with a fibrous root system and a crown from which basal leaves arise. The leaves are compound, typically with three leaflets, sawtooth-edged, and usually hairy. The flowers, generally white, appear in small clusters on slender stalks. Botanically, the strawberry fruit is considered an “accessory fruit” and is in fact not a true berry.
Strawberries are bright red in color, have a juicy texture, a characteristic aroma, and a sweet flavor. The flesh consists of the greatly enlarged flower receptacle and is embedded with the many true fruits, or achenes, which are popularly called seeds. They are native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, and cultivated varieties are widely grown throughout the world.
Kaskein buys strawberry from dozens of Finnish cultivators. We are constantly looking for new supplies. During the harvest season we sell fresh strawberries to bakeries, confectioneries, daycare centers and to the Finnish food industry.
Strawberries are often consumed fresh, but can also be used in a variety of jams, jellies, desserts and for food flavoring.
Nutritional value of strawberry.
CLOUDBERRY
( Rubus chamaemorus )
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The cloudberry is one of the most typical marsh plants in the north. In many marsh areas, it is the dominant plant species, with flowers and berries often standing out of the landscape like massive carpets. The cloudberry can withstand temperatures below −40 degrees Celsius, which makes it one of the northernmost flowering plants.
The cloudberry is a perennial plant that, in the spring, grows stems 10–25 centimeters tall, covered with hairs. Each stem has two to four leaves and one flower. The wrinkled leaves are divided into 5–7 lobes. The lobes have serrated edges and are triangular or somewhat rounded in shape. The berry, which ripens in July–August, is an aggregate drupe. When unripe, the berry is hard and red on the side facing the light, and as it ripens, it becomes golden yellow, soft, juicy, and aromatic. Among the wild fruits and berries growing in Finland, it has the second-highest vitamin C content after sea buckthorn.
Kaskein buys cloudberry from our trusted network of pickers. We are constantly looking for new suppliers. During the harvest season we sell fresh cloudberries to bakeries, confectioneries and to the Finnish food industry.
Cloudberries are often consumed fresh, but can also be used in a variety of jams, jellies, desserts and paired with cheeses. Cloudberry leaves can be used in herbal tea.
More information about cloudberry from Arctic Flavours Association website.
Nutritional value of cloudberry.