Picking Bilberries - And Making Bilberry Tart

Did you know we have blueberries growing wild here in the UK? They're called Bilberries, and they're delicious!

[@lemagreengreen]

I collect bilberry (in Scotland we call it a blaeberry), wild raspberries, lingonberries and I even know where to find cloudberries - pretty rare though, just collect enough of those for one dessert every year.

[@lemagreengreen]

@@user-mf6zl6ns6o I haven't heard that lullaby or the Welsh tradition, I wasn't aware there were cloudberries in Wales but I can see how there could be in the North. I have heard the name whimberry, we call them blaeberries but I've also heard whortleberry and the most common name in England seems to be bilberry. They're prolific up here, if there's Scots pine trees there is usually acres and acres of those berries growing. The cloudberries are at higher altitudes and mostly on moor, I have heard in Scandinavia they're usually in the same locations as the blaeberries (with pine trees) but in Scotland they seem to be on open moor above 400M, just what I have noticed though not sure if they need this altitude. They can be quite hard to spot, small plant with raspberry-like leaves only 6-8 inches tall with a single flowering stalk where the berry grows, it's yellow/orange at first and ripens to a pinky orange colour. I think it's entirely possible you could find them in the Pennines. They're very good with ice cream or white chocolate mousse! if I had enough I'd make a crumble or something with them but I don't collect many due to how rare they are. Oh and a lingonberry is in the same family as the blaeberry, it's just red and more sour... the Scandinavians seem to like them a lot, can be used as an alternative to redcurrant.

[@karinamuravjova1456]

Wow, amazing! I've never found any bilberries in the UK, I hope to come across them one day. Bilberries are my favourite berries!

[@AtomicShrimp]

Karina Muravjova they're actually quite common on heaths and moors - I've found lots in Scotland, Yorkshire, Dartmoor etc - anywhere you might find a border between heather and woodland is a good place to look. It's a little late for the berries right now, but there are probably still some around

[@lemagreengreen]

Just came across a huge amount today in Scotland. More than I could ever pick, got a half kilo in half an hour though.

[@nickyferguson9063]

oh life I am salivating! Thank you so much, really informative

[@shill6449]

Bilberries are significantly smaller than blueberries and have a very thin skin. Therefore so much harder to harvest, without popping 'em! Otley Chevin in West Yorkshire has always been a hotspot for Bilberry pickers. They make-for the most juiciest, sweetest pie imaginable!

[@simonholmqvist8017]

A blueberry picker is worth picking up.

[@user-xr3qx5rc9b]

Omg looks amazing! I live in Poland and I just bought some bilberry seeds. Hope I will manage to grow them in my garden.🥺

[@Arpo7j]

Nice Bilberries!

[@meskisz]

Picking them is a nightmare! But it's worth it.

[@GROENAASMusic]

Picking any kind of berries is a nightmare, if you look at it that way.

[@teacupkitten7077]

Not if you have a berry picker. Today I picked a few kilograms in less than an hour.

[@Yumi-wi5ix]

@@teacupkitten7077 i pick by hand and it took me two hours to pick 600gram... mama mia.

[@britneybeautiful1919]

I love blueberries hehehe yummy!

[@flea1683]

Better tasting than your average blueberry.

[@Fontsman]

Bilberries are way better. Years ago bilberry pie was more common. They are miles better than the lard arsed American style blueberries.

[@robertjones-yo4ql]

EXCELLENT

[@katrinawilliams1402]

Just like to say in my youth, cake shops sold bilberry tarts. When these were no longer sold, I asked at our local burgess's. I was told that they are now to expensive. I have just purchased what is supposed to be bilberry plant. I am hoping not to kill it.

[@NarnianLady]

So glad you have them in the UK too! Where is it allowed to pick them? Here in Scandinavia we have 'every man's right', meaning that it's legal to wander in forests, fields and swamps and collect natural resources (excluding timber of course)... Berries and plants are freely available to whoever finds them first. (but it's not considered polite to spy your neighbor's hunting grounds, lol)

[@AtomicShrimp]

I don't think we have that here. Shame.

[@NarnianLady]

Do you have to be the landowner to forage them?

[@AtomicShrimp]

There are national parks and open countryside where foraging is fairly unregulated. On private farm land, you would need the land owner's permission

[@kennethcarter5720]

Found lots of them this weekend. But not sure if they could be confused with another plant. I did taste one and it was lovely. However not being sure I left them

[@AtomicShrimp]

They are in season right now - there aren't many things you could mistake them for if you look closely - they are exactly like a tiny blueberry - complete with the flattened circular blossom scar at the end furthest from the stalk.

[@kennethcarter5720]

@@AtomicShrimp thanks

[@The_New_Abnormal_World_Order]

I will look for them in Wales this weekend, 29th August. Is it too late?

[@AtomicShrimp]

There should be some around - they tend to ripen differentially depending on microclimate, so look in sunny spots, and the shady side of banks and forest edges - you should find a few at least

[@sharonhennessy8868]

Hello, Can you tell me if Bilberries have green flesh? Thank you.

[@AtomicShrimp]

No, they are deep red inside

[@chemicalengineeringworld562]

I'm interested

[@NarnianLady]

Purple tongue is totally worth it. Do children in the UK recognize wild berries these days?

[@AtomicShrimp]

Some do, but whenever I am out picking them, I spend half my time explaining to people what they are

[@a.i.a3949]

I always knew from the age of 5 or 6 which was only 14 years ago so i guess at least some kids here do.

[@MuzikBike]

2:17 I thought those were Vaccinium angustifolium, whereas the European species is V. myrtillus?

[@AtomicShrimp]

They're all blueberries

[@snaggingbark9763]

how ya doin?

[@GROENAASMusic]

Just learned today that they're called bilberries in English. The more you know. But I did usually call them Nordic blueberries, which isn't wrong per se.

[@AtomicShrimp]

They've actually got quite a few British names - Bilberries; Blaeberries, Whortleberries, Whinberries, Huckleberries and Urts (to name just a few). They really are blueberries, so it's not wrong to just call them that.

[@user-xr3qx5rc9b]

I think in America they are called wild blueberries.

[@chemicalengineeringworld562]

How I get the job

[@carolthorne1299]

Thank you, very nice video. Do the Scots spell bilberries the way I did or the way you said they say it, blaberries? I'm supposing you just told us what it sounds like when they say it and it's spelled the same way as we spell it in the U.S.

[@AtomicShrimp]

I believe they spell it blaeberry. There are a bunch of different regional names for this wild fruit - including whinberry, whortleberry and huckleberry.

[@PandemoniumMeltDown]

... slurry :)

[@snaggingbark9763]

first oh yeah wut up

[@maja2197]

I just realized now these are the only ones we have in Sweden. That’s why I don’t like the ”american” blueberries, they’re too big. Northern europe, makes sense.

[@AtomicShrimp]

Yeah, it's the same species as your blåbär (in Scotland they are called 'blaeberry') - I find them much more tasty than blueberries from the shops - those seem to only have flavour in the skin

[@maja2197]

@@AtomicShrimp that’s exactly what I’m thinking!