gotta love berries

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Ahomansikka - wild strawberry.

Nama maistuu parhaimmalta heinankorteen pujotettuna. We used to string wild strawberries on a straw and then eat them. They taste way better that way. :)

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Karpalo - cranberry.

Did you guys know that cranberries prevent/help bladder infections? It's a medical fact. Whatever makes the cranberries red, helps prevent the bacteria that causes baldder infections of settling in the uterine lining.

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Lakka - cloudberry.

Lakkaletut Helsingin Kauppatorilla!!! Mmmmmmmmm....!!!

If you ever have a chance to go to Finland in the summer you HAVE TO go have some cloudberry crapes at the market square in Helsinki!!!! Delicious!!!!

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Mustaherukka - black currant.

I like the black ones better than the red ones.

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Mustikka - blueberry.

Cultivated ones are not even close to as tasty as the wild ones you pick straight from the forest. I have good childhood memories of picking blueberries (minus the mosquitos trying to eat you alive). Oh the joy when you found the first ripe blueberries of the season! My poor cousin once stepped on human poo while picking blueberries. She was so little and started to cry and I had to take her back to her mom at the summer cottage. What are the chances of that happening to a person? It's a big forest.

Aidin tekema mustikkapiirakka. Mmm...

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Pihlajanmarja - rowanberry.

Pretty tree but berries destroy your lawn underneath. I guess you need to be a diligent gardnener to avoid that. Yep, rowanberries are edible.

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Punaherukka - red currant.

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Puolukka - lingonberry.

I go to Ikea when I get a craving for puolukka. I loved picking lingonberries as a child.

Aidin puolukkapiirakka. Mmm...

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Tyrnimarja - sea buckthorn.

This is a berry I don't know much about. I think there's a tree like this growing really close to us where we live. I didn't know the berries are edible.

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Vadelma - raspberry.

Raspberry sauce is yummy with chocolate cake! I just had some frozen raspberries in my smoothie this morning.

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Freshly picked berries are as important to a Finn as sauna or summer cottage life. There are forests everywhere in Finland and everyone has a right to go and pick berries from them (no matter who owns the forest). People pick buckets full of berries and make them into jam or a berry drink or just freeze them as they are for winter use. I forgot to mention gooseberries (karviainen) and arctic brambles (mesimarja).

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