Crowberry

What it is

A crowberry measures roughly 0.4–1 cm (0.15–0.4 in) across. In English it also goes by mossberry, and sometimes blackberry. The skin and seeds give the whole fruit a different texture from its strained juice. After a freeze, the berries soften and burst more easily, even as they taste sweeter.

Where it comes from

Crowberry grows around the cold northern reaches of the Northern Hemisphere, including much of Alaska. It has been part of Alaska Native diets for centuries and a central berry in Sámi food. In Finland, it grows in northern forests and on the raised hummocks of string bogs.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Alaska, crowberries and blueberries go into jam, pie and akutuq. Crowberry juice also becomes a syrup for pancakes and waffles. Cooking the berries and straining them through cloth separates the juice from the skins and seeds.

In Finland, crowberries add a blue-purple colour to berry soups, porridge, baked goods and milkshakes. Their mild taste also fits mixed juices with bilberries or blackcurrants.

How it's grown

The plant stays close to the ground: an evergreen shrub just 10–30 cm (4–12 in) tall, with narrow, needle-like leaves. In Finland, sunny openings and sparsely wooded heath forests favour fruiting. The mountain form produces plumper, more plentiful berries than the common form, whose crop is usually smaller.

When and where you'll find it

In Finland, picking usually runs from late July until snow arrives, with early August the main picking time. Alaska’s usual gathering season is fall. Whole berries can be kept covered in the fridge or frozen for later use.

Bottled juice is another way to meet the fruit: Finland’s Raitaniemi Berry Farm makes a pure crowberry juice in 350 ml bottles, listed by the specialist online shop Ruohonjuuri.