Pick, freeze and enjoy

Summer and autumn are heaven for avid berry and mushroom pickers. If you are not so keen on going to the forest, your local market will do just fine. Get all those wonderful flavours and vitamins stored in your freezer.

 

Berries

You can freeze whole blueberries, lingonberries, and cranberries without sugar. Softer berries like strawberries, raspberries and cloudberries require some sugar, about 0,5–1 dl per litre. This way their flavour, vitamin C and structure will stay better. Of course, you can also make slices, mush, jam, or juice!

Apples, plums, and cherries

You can slice or grate the apples. To avoid them getting dark, sprinkle some sugar and lemon juice on top. Plums and cherries will stay better in sugar juice with some additional ascorbic acid.

Mushrooms

Chantarelles, boletes, brittlegills and other mild mushrooms are heated in their own juices before freezing. Milk caps should be cooked in loose water, rinsed, and drained. Penny buns can be frozen raw. The best tool for a mushroom picker is a mushroom knife!

Vegetables

Almost all vegetables can be frozen. However, most of them should be pre-boiled, so their flavour and structure will stay better. Rhubarb, pepper, and leek don't need heating. Just chop and freeze them.

Herbs

Parsley, dill, and many other herbs can also be frozen as they are.

Tips for picking berries:

  • Pick only ripe berries in dry weather

  • Don't pick from the side of roads or near industrial sites

  • Use a bucket

  • If you use a berry picker, don't use force, and don't harm the next year's buds.

  • Store berries in a cool place and freeze them in freezer boxes as soon as possible.