OCCURRENCE AND UTILIZATION OF WILD VACCINIUM SPECIES IN FINLAND

The smallfruit species of most commercial importance in Finland, the lingonberry and bilberry, both belong to the Vaccinium genus.
The total annual yield for each of these is estimated at 150–200 million kg; about 11% of this is harvested for the lingonberry, but only about 4 % for the bilberry.
The lingonberry grows best in dry, well-lit pine forest, and the bilberry in damp, shady forest (e.g. spruce or birch woods, with more undergrowth). Typically, there are wide fluctuations in yield annually and between different parts of the country; during the period 1977–91 the commercial lingonberry harvest varied between 1700–10200 tn and the bilberry harvest between 700–5200 tn.
The commercial harvesting of the cranberry and bog blueberry is not economically viable, and has been virtually abandoned; they have also suffered a drastic fall in yield in southern Finland.

In the Nordic countries, members of the public have common-law rights to gather berries and fungi in the forest.
The major method by which smallfruit are preserved nowadays is by deepfreezing.
In the home, berries are mainly used for making desserts, and in baking.
The industrial manufacture of smallfruit juice concentrate has increased rapidly, and they are also used for the production of wines, liqueurs, and nectars.
Other uses include the production of yoghourt and icecream.

V International Symposium on Vaccinium Culture

H. Hiirsalmi, A. Lehmushovi

lingonberry, bilberry, bog blueberry, European cranberry, small cranberry

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1993.346.43