Capture summer in a jar

The Danish countryside is filled with edible treasures for much of the year, but summer, in particular, transforms it into a true larder of berries, wild herbs, mushrooms, seaweed, shellfish, and fruit. If you would like to hold on to the flavours of the brighter months a little longer, preserving is the answer. Pickling, drying, and bottling are simple ways to capture the season's finest ingredients. Below, we show you how.

Rediscover summer in December

Pickled cherries

Make a few jars of pickled wild cherries and save them for Christmas cherry sauce, or serve them with baked custard, princess pudding, or a classic cream mould.

Extend the flavours of summer

Once you become familiar with nature, the best growing spots, and the right time to harvest, you will rarely return home empty handed. There is a special satisfaction in preparing a meal with ingredients you have gathered yourself.

On publicly owned land in Denmark, you are generally allowed to pick wild plants, berries, mushrooms, and nuts for your own use, typically understood as no more than a bagful per day. Bring a pair of secateurs or a sharp knife, and carry your harvest in a plastic bag or, even better, a basket covered with a damp cloth. If you are foraging for mushrooms, remember to bring a small stiff brush and a shallow basket.

Above all, trust your senses when you are out foraging. Smell, taste, and explore the many flavours the Danish landscape has to offer. Happy foraging.

Capture summer in a jar

Blackberry jam

A delicious recipe for a classic blackberry jam. Add lemon verbena, lemon balm, or mint just after removing the pan from the heat to give it an extra layer of flavour. If you are serving the jam with desserts, try finishing it with a splash of eau de vie, gin, or a good quality rum.

Sweet blackberries

Blackberries are not just a single species but a group of nearly 90 closely related species. What they have in common are their long, arching stems, which are more or less thorny and can stretch for several metres.

Their leaves are typically divided into five leaflets, lightly hairy, and edged with fine serrations. The glossy black berries vary greatly in both size and flavour. If you come across berries with a bluish bloom, similar to blueberries, they are likely dewberries, which are equally edible. The different species are found across Denmark, growing in woodlands, hedgerows, thickets, and along field boundaries. The VILD MAD app is a great tool for finding them.

The first berries of the season are usually the best, as they are the largest and sweetest. Later in the season, many of the individual drupelets struggle to ripen fully. Enjoy the finest berries fresh with pancakes, cultured milk, or ice cream, or bake them into a tart. Later harvests are ideal for making jam with a little sugar and lemon or cider vinegar, or for use in drinks and sorbets. Like most berries, blackberries also freeze exceptionally well.

Here is our favourite recipe for blackberry sorbet. You will need 600 g blackberries, 400 ml water, and 300 g sugar. Dissolve the sugar in the water and allow the syrup to cool. Blend it with the blackberries, then pass the mixture through a fine sieve. Churn in an ice cream maker until smooth and frozen.

Capture summer in a jar

Raspberry jam with rosemary

A quick and easy raspberry jam, perfect for breakfast or spooned over pancakes. The rosemary and cider vinegar add depth, freshness, and a subtle savoury edge. The recipe calls for fresh raspberries, but frozen berries work just as well. If using frozen fruit, simply make sure the mixture is brought to a full boil before serving or storing.