Bilberries: what they are, when they're picked and how to use them in the kitchen
Almost all the blueberries you find in the supermarket are not the bilberry of Italian woodlands but the cultivated highbush blueberry: bigger, with pale flesh and a sweeter, more watery taste. The bilberry (European wild blueberry) is small, dark right through to the centre and has a more intense, slightly tart flavour. In a jam or a tart, you can taste the difference.
Bilberry and highbush blueberry: the differences
| Bilberry | Cultivated highbush blueberry | |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical name | Vaccinium myrtillus | Vaccinium corymbosum |
| Size | small, 5–8 mm | large, up to 2 cm |
| Flesh | dark purple right through | pale, greenish |
| Flavour | intense, tart | sweet, mild |
| Where it grows | mountain woods and pastures, wild or cultivated | cultivated |
When it's picked
Between June and September, depending on altitude: earlier in the hills, later high in the mountains. Our bilberries are picked in June, when their colour is at its fullest.
How to choose and store them
- Firm, dry berries with the typical pale film (the bloom) on the skin: it's natural and shows they've been handled very little.
- No juice at the bottom of the punnet and no bruised berries.
- In the fridge, unwashed: wash them only just before using. They freeze well, spread out on a tray first and then transferred to a bag.
How to use them in the kitchen
- In a tart: as the filling of a crostata, the Italian jam tart.
- On cheesecake: spooned over the top.
- With cheese: with fresh, creamy cheeses and with gorgonzola.
- At breakfast: stirred into plain yogurt, spread on rusks, in pancakes.
- In savoury dishes: a bilberry sauce goes well with game and duck.
Bilberry jam
Out of season, bilberries are mostly found as jam. Ours is made with bilberries, cane sugar and lemon juice, cooked under vacuum at low temperature, with no pectin or thickeners: 130 g of fruit for every 100 g of jam. 212 g jar; once opened, keep in the fridge and eat within 7 days.
 |
From our range
Bilberry extra jam130 g of fruit per 100 g, no added pectin.
€ 8,90
Discover →
|
Frequently asked questions
Are bilberries and wild blueberries the same thing?
In Italy, yes: "wild blueberry" (mirtillo selvatico) usually means the woodland bilberry, Vaccinium myrtillus.
Why do blueberries have a white film?
It's the bloom, a natural waxy layer on the skin. A quick rinse before use removes it.
Can you freeze blueberries?
Yes: dry them, spread them on a tray in the freezer, then transfer them to a bag. Use them straight from frozen in cakes and muffins.
All our jams: Jams collection.
