HHealthyealthy FFORESTOREST BBERRIESERRIES

 Lingonberry  Bilberry  Cloudberry  Crowberry

1 There is nowadays a great deal of worldwide Forest contain high concentrations of interest in forest berries and their benefi cial water (approx. 80-90 %) and are, therefore, Vitamin C content of various berries, health effects. Medical and nutritional studies low-energy foodstuffs. Most of the energy fruits and vegetables (mg/100 g ) RDA 75 mg/day are being conducted in many countries content of forest berries derives from the concerning the chemical contents of presence of various sugars. However, they berries and their health implications. It has also contain proteins and fat, albeit in very Sea buckthorn been shown that forest berries can form a low proportions (< 2 g/100 g). The fat (oil) Black currant signifi cant component of a healthy diet owing content of forest berries is of very high Cloudberry to their quality as it consists of essential health- Rowanberry promoting fatty acids. Most of the oil is Kiwi fruit held in the seeds. For this reason berry high content of phenolic compounds seeds should not be discarded during food Orange health-promoting seed oils preparation. Forest berries contain no Swede  low energy content cholesterol.  high fi ber content  high content of vitamins C and E Forest berries are rich in both soluble and Gooseberry  high content of potassium and insoluble fi ber (fi gure 1.). The concentrations other minerals of the various fi ber types vary according to Bilberry low sodium content the berry in question. Particularly cloudberry Potato and sea buckthorn berry contain signifi cant Lingonberry amount of dietary fi ber. 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200

Fibre content of berries (g/100 g) RDA 25-35 g/day Figure 2. Source: National Institute for Health and Welfare 2010. Fineli – Finnish Food Composition Database. www.fi neli.fi .

Cloudberry Rowanberry Sea buckthorn berry Potassium content of various berries and fruits (mg/100 g ) Black currant Raspberry Banana Gooseberry Black currant Cranberry Rowanberry Bilberry Kiwi fruit Lingonberry Raspberry Strawberry Gooseberry 01234567 Strawberry water-insoluble fi bre water-soluble fi bre Cloudberry Orange Figure 1. Source: National Institute for Health and Welfare 2010. Sea buckthorn berry Fineli – Finnish Food Composition Database. www.fi neli.fi . Bilberry Apple Forest berries are also excellent sources of Forest berries also contain a wide range of Lingonberry vitamins C and E. Forest berries contain as minerals, such as potassium (fi gure 3.), zinc, Cranberry much as or more vitamin C than commonly magnesium and manganese. As with vitamins, consumed fruits and vegetables. Sea the mineral concentrations of forest berries 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 buckthorn berry, cloudberry and rowanberry compare favourably with those of fruits. Figure 3. Source: National Institute for Health and Welfare 2010. contain more vitamin C per unit weight than Moreover, sodium concentrations are Fineli – Finnish Food Composition Database. www.fi neli.fi . do oranges (fi gure 2.). generally very low, thus making berries of signifi cant health value to those suffering from raised blood pressure. 2 3 Besides vitamins and minerals, berries contain One of the most widely studied groups of Antioxidant content of the plant life products polyphenols, which are not actually classifi ed these compounds are fl avonoids. We know (mmol/100 g) as a nutrient. Polyphenols are the subject of that many fruits (e.g. apples), vegetables (e.g. intensive research and have been found to onions) and tea contain high concentrations have benefi cial effects on human health as of fl avonoids. Recent studies have also Crowberry well. Wild berries are one of the best sources tested forest berries for their fl avonoid Bilberry of polyphenols and also contain more of these content and have found them to be rich Black currant compounds than any other plant. Each kind of sources (fi gure 4.). Sunfl ower seed berry typically produces certain polyphenols Lingonberry (fi gure 11.). The phenolic compounds are concentrated in the skin of the berry. It is therefore Wild raspberry Phenolic compounds which berries important to use the whole berry in food Ginger consist are: preparation and not to waste the skin or Cloudberry seeds. The concentrations of phenolic Grape fl avonoids compounds in forest berries and their health Orange  fl avonols (bog bilberry, sea buckthorn) effects are under continuous study both in 0246810  (bilberry,crowberry, and elsewhere in the world. bog bilberry)  catecins (lingonberry) Figure 5. Source: Halvorsen et al. 2002. (lingonberry, cranberry, The fl avonol (quercetin, kaempferol and berries. Cranberry, bog bilberry, lingonberry crowberry) myricetin) content in forest berries has been and crowberry are excellent sources of  ellagitannins (cloudberry, raspberry, studied quite systematically. From the results fl avonols. Bilberry is also a good source. arctic bramble) of these studies it may be concluded that Each of these berries contains higher phenolic acids (rowanberry, bilberry) berries are excellent sources of fl avonols concentrations of fl avonols than do apples lignans (lingonberry, cranberry) (fi gure 6.) although concentrations vary and tea leaves. stilbens signifi cantly between different types of  resveratrol (lingonberry) Flavonol content of berries (mg/kg)

Bog bilberry Sea buckthorn berry Cranberry Intake of fl avonoids from different food groups Northern crowberry in Finnish diet (mg/100 g) Black currant Lingonberry Berries Bilberry Fruits Southern crowberry Juices Green currant Average diet Gooseberry, red Vegetables Gooseberry, yellow Alcohol beverages 0 200 400 600 800 1000 020406080100 120 quersetin myricetin kaempferol isorhamnetin

Figure 4. From: Kumpulainen 2001. Figure 6. Source: Riihinen 2005.

4 5 Healthy FOREST BERRIES The lignan content of berries (μg/100 g dry weight)

Lingonberry Strawberry Cranberry Black currant Cloudberry Red currant Raspberry

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600

Figure 7. Source: Mazur et al. 2000.

The resveratrol content of berries and grapes (ng/g dry weight)

Grape Lingonberry Cranberry Bilberry

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000

Figure 8. Source: Rimando et al. 2004.

Proanthocyanidin content of berries (mg/100 g fresh weight) LINGONBERRY ( vitis-idaea) Lingonberry grows on dry forest , nevertheless, compare favourably with those Rose hip typically in pine forests and on lichen heaths found in most common fruits. The particular Sweet rowanberry where the undergrowth is sparse. The dark strength of the lingonberry lies in the high Rowanberry red berries can be found growing in clusters concentrations of fl avonoids and lignans Black currant on small close to the ground. The thick, present (fi gure 7.). Lingonberries contain Cranberry -coated leaves are dark green in colour. lignans, phenolic phytoestrogens in much Lingonberry Lingonberries are ready for picking between higher concentrations than do other berries. late August and the end of September. Lingonberries contain also signifi cant amounts Blueberry of widely studied phenolic compound Saskatoon berry Lingonberry is prized for its unique and sharp resveratrol which is also present particularly Sea buckthorn berry taste. Lingonberries may be preserved in their in grapes and red wine (fi gure 8.). In addition Crowberry own juice as they contain all the necessary to these compounds lingonberries contain Bilberry natural acids and sugars. Lingonberries have also tannins, like proanthocyanidins (fi gure Red currant many applications in the kitchen and are 9.). These compounds have been reported to Gooseberry extractable commonly made into jams, jellies, juices, demonstrate antibacterial, antiviral and anti- pasties, pies and porridges. They may also be infl ammatory activities. Bog bilberry unextractable used to fl avour bread. Raspberry 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 Lingonberries contain less vitamins and minerals than other berries but concentrations, Figure 9. Source: Hellström et al. 2009. 6 7 Healthy FOREST BERRIES Forest bilberries contain only modest levels bilberry comes from anthocyanins, the group of vitamins (see e.g. vitamin C content in of fl avonoid compounds. The concentration of fi gure 2.). However, they have other excellent is signifi cantly higher in bilberry properties. The forest bilberry contains high than in cultivated blueberry (fi gure 10.). concentrations of phenolic compounds, such as fl avonoids, hydroxycinnamic acids and hydroxybenzoic acids. The dark blue colour of

Content of anthocyanins in blueberry ( Vaccinium spp.) and bilberry (V. myrtillus) (mg/100 g)

Bilberry

Blueberry

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

USDA 2007 Koponen et al. 2007.

Figure 10. Source: USDA 2007. Koponen et al. 2007.

Content of polyphenols in berries, vegetables and fruits (mg/100 g) fresh weight

BILBERRY () Bilberry The forest bilberry differs from the cultivated delicacies. Bilberry juice may be served with Black currant blueberry. The bilberry is smaller and has a meals and warm bilberry soup is an excellent Crowberry unique, sweet and juicy taste thanks to the form of refreshment when out hiking or skiing Lingonberry climatic conditions and wild environment of on a freezing winter’s day. Cranberry Anthocyanins the far north. The bilberry is also blue inside Cloudberry – indeed, it is rich in colour. Wild bilberries Other fl avonoids Sea buckthorn berry require a lot of water and are therefore Proanthocyanidins typically to be found growing in spruce Apple forests. The leaves of the bilberry Orange Phenolic acids are light green in colour while the berries Banana are a dark blue. Bilberries are suitable for Ellagitannins picking between late July and the beginning Tomato of September. 0 200 400 600 800 1000 Forest bilberries have a sweet fl avour even though they do not contain very much sugar. Figure 11. Source: Koponen et al. 2007. Hellström et al. 2009. They are used in soups, puddings, pastries and even porridges. Freshly baked bilberry pie is, without doubt, one of the best-loved 8 9 Healthy FOREST BERRIES The cloudberry is especially rich in nutrients. found cloudberries to be rich in ellagitannins It contains very high concentrations of both (fi gure 13.). These compounds are typical for vitamins C and E (fi gures 2. and 12.), as well as all the berries with aggregates of drupes, like having a higher fi bre content than any other raspberry and arctic bramble. Ellagitannins berry. Cloudberries contain much more in cloudberry has been proved to possess vitamin E than do common fruits, vegetables inhibitory effects on pathogenic bacteria like or cereal. Salmonella typhimurium (in vitro).

Cloudberries do not contain high fl avonoid levels. However, other phenolic compounds are present in abundance. Researchers have

Vitamin E content of berries (mg/100 g ) RDA 8-10 mg/day

Sea bucthorn berry Cloudberry Black currant Bilberry Lingonberry Rowanberry Red raspberry Cranberry Gooseberry Cranberry 0 0,5 1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5

Figure 12. Source: National Institute for Health and Welfare 2010. Fineli – Finnish Food Composition Database. www.fi neli.fi . CLOUDBERRY (Rubus chamaemorus) The cloudberry grows on remote swamps cakes and desserts. The food industry uses Content of ellagitannins in berries and forest mires. It is generally confi ned to cloudberries in yoghurts and jams while one (mg/100 g fresh weight) northern parts of Finland. The leaves of the of the specialities of distilleries is the sweet cloudberry are dark green. As the berry and aromatic cloudberry liqueur. ripens its colour changes from an apricot Cloudberry orange to a bright yellow. The berries are Raspberry good for picking for only a relatively short Rose hip period of time at the end of July and beginning Strawberry of August. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 Cloudberries are at their best when served freshly picked, for example, on or waffl es with some ice cream. Cloudberries Figure 13. Koponen et al. 2007. have a subtle and irresistible fl avour, and are commonly used in bakeries to decorate

10 11 Healthy FOREST BERRIES Content of anthocyanins in berries (mg/100 g fresh weight)

Bilberry Chokeberry Crowberry Saskatoon berry Blueberry Black currant Bog bilberry Sweet rowanberry(Granatja) Lingonberry Cranberry Raspberry Strawberry (Polka) Gooseberry, red Red currant Rowanberry

0100 200 300 400 500 600 700

delphinidin petunidin peonidin malvidin

CROWBERRY (Empetrum nigrum, E. hermaphroditum) Figure 14. Source: Koponen et al. 2007. The crowberry grows throughout Finland. Crowberries contain high levels of fl avonoids, With its green shoots and black berries, this such as fl avonols and antocyanins (fi gure 14.). dwarf shrub grows on the dry heaths of Many studies confi rm crowberry to have hills, on raised bogs and even on the barren almost as much anthocyanins as bilberry has. peatlands and fi elds of Lapland. The crowberry In addition to the health-promoting effects season begins in August and lasts until the of these compounds, they lend the berry its fi rst snows. The berries contain hardly any deep blue colour. These pigments are used by natural acids. For this reason crowberry foodstuff industry as natural colours! jelly or juice blends well with other, more acid berries. In addition to juices and jellies, crowberries are used in soups, pies, and other berry preparations.

12 13 FFORESTOREST BBERRYERRY rrecipesecipes Berry-fl avoured Toast 2 slices of toast 1 tbsp of cream cheese (seasoned with sugar) 2 dl forest berries (sugar or )

Toast the bread slices if you wish. Spread the cream cheese and berries with a bit of sugar or honey onto the bread. FOREST BERRY recipes FOREST BERRY

Bilberry

2 eggs 8 dl milk 4 dl wheat fl our 1/2 tsp salt 5 dl bilberries 2 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp oil or liquid margarine

Beat the eggs. Add the milk, fl our, salt, berries, sugar and oil. Spread the dough onto a baking plate covered with baking paper. As an alternative to baking paper you may coat the plate with oil or margarine. Bake the pancake at 225 °C for about 20 minutes.

Berry Omelette Grandma’s Bilberry Pie Filling: 2 dl forest berries Crust: Dissolve yeast in hand warm water 1/2 apple 2,5 dl water or milk or milk. Add salt, sugar and egg. 1/2 dl berry juice, lemon juice 25 g yeast Knead the fl our into the dough. (berry liqueur) 1 tsp salt Mix the dough strongly either by hand 1/2 dl sugar or a mixer. Pour the melted margarine Omelette: 1 egg into the dough. Knead the dough solid. 2 eggs 7-8 dl wheat fl our Roll the dough into a plate of the size 1 tbsp water 75 g melted margarine of the oven pan. (Use the remaining dough as bars forming Slice the apple. Mix the forest berries Filling: a grid on top of the bilberries.) and apple slices with berry juice seasoned 1,5 l bilberries; mash them a bit Mix the fi llings together. Place the fi lling with lemon juice (and berry liqueur). about 1 dl potato fl our evenly onto the pie dough plate. Let season for about one hour. 2 dl sugar Bake in 175-200 °C for some 30 minutes. Prepare the omelette by mixing eggs, water and salt. Pan-fry the omelette. Place onto a plate. Add berry mix on top. Serve right away. 14 15 Lingonberry Mousse Wild Berries in Sweet Melon Sauce

2 dl mashed lingonberries 4 dl forest berries 1 egg yolk 1/4 honeydew melon 2 tsp potato fl our (sugar or honey) 2 tsp lemon juice 1/4 dl sugar Prepare the watermelon sauce by mashing 1 egg white the watermelon bits with a mixer stick. 1 tbsp icing sugar Sweeten if you wish. Pour the sauce onto a plate or at the bottom of a bowl. Measure the mash, egg yolk, potato fl our Place the berries on top of the sauce.

FOREST BERRY recipes FOREST BERRY and sugar onto a pan. Mix well. Heat while recipes FOREST BERRY continuously mixing, until the mix thickens. Cool it off. Lingonberry Smoothie Whip the egg white into a hard mousse. At the end of whipping, add icing sugar 1 can (200 g) unseasoned yoghurt little by little while still strongly whipping. 1 dl milk Mix the egg white mousse with the 4 dl lingonberries lingonberry mash. Serve right away. 2 tbsp sugar or honey You may serve the lingonberry mousse 1-2 tsp lemon juice with wild berries. Put ice cubes into glasses. Mix all ingredients into porous a drink with a mixer stick or Traditional Berry Soup mixer. Pour the drink into glasses. If you wish, add an ice cube into glasses 1 l water before serving the drinks. 1/2 l lingonberries or 3 dl crushed lingonberries 1-1 1/2 dl sugar Berry-Melon Nectar

Thickening: 2 dl forest berries 1 dl cold water (bilberries, lingonberries) 5 tbsp potato fl our 3 dl watermelon bits 3 dl forest berries a pinch of sugar or honey (cloudberries, bilberries) (sugar) Place melon bits, berries and sugar onto a high bowl. Mash with a mixer stick or Boil the lingonberries in water. Strain the mixer into a solid drink. Pour into glasses. juice and place it into another kettle and add sugar. Boil until the sugar dilutes. Use the skin of the berries in baking and Crowberry Jam and Delicious Cheeses cooking other dishes. Take the kettle off the Various cheeses according to your choice electric stove. Dilute the potato fl our in cold water. Pour the water-fl our mixture into Jam: lingonberry juice and stir thoroughly. 1/2 kg crowberries (or crowberries Put the kettle back on the stove and heat and lingonberries) until the soup is brought to boil and thickens. 3 dl sugar Add the cloudberries. Pour the soup into a serving bowl and add a little sugar on. Mash the berries and pour the mash onto a pan. Add sugar. Slowly boil some 30 minutes and mix every now and then. Pour the jam onto clean jars while hot. Keep in cold. Enjoy with strong-fl avoured 16 cheeses. 17 LINGONBERRY BILBERRY CLOUDBERRY CROWBERRY (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) (Vaccinium myrtillus) (Rubus chamaemorus) (Empetrum nigrum, E. hermaphroditum)

REFERENCES: Halvorsen BL, Holte K, Myhrstad MC, Barikmo I, Hvattum E, Remberg SF, Wold A-B, Haffner K, Mattila P, Hellström J, Törrönen R. Phenolic acids in berries, fruits, and beverages. BaugerØ H, Andersen LF, Moskaug JØ, Jacobs DR, Blomhoff R. 2002. J Agric Food Chem 2006;54: 7193-7199 A systematic screening of total antioxidants in dietary plants. J Nutr 132:461-471 Mattila P, Astola J,Kumpulainen J. Determination of fl avonoids in plant material by HPLC Heinonen M. Antioxidant activity and antimicrobial effect of berry phenolics – a Finnish perspective. with diode-array and electro-array detections. J Agric Food Chem 2000;48:5834-5841 Mol Nutr Food Res (2007)51:684-691. Review. Mazur W, Uehara M, Wähälä K, Adlercreutz H. Phyto-oestrogen content in berries, and plasma Hellström JK, Törrönen RA, Mattila PH. Proanthocyanidins in Common Food products of plant origin. concentrations and urinary excretion of enterolactone after a single strawberry meal in humans. J Agric Food Chem 2009;57: 7899-7906. Br J Nutr 2000;83:381-387.

Johansson A, Laakso P, Kallio H. Characterization of seed oils of wild, edible Finnish berries. Mursu J. The role of polyphenols in cardiovascular diseases. Doctoral dissertation. Z Lebensm Unters-Forsch A 2007; 204:300-307. Kuopio University 2007.

Kalt W, McDonald JE, Ricker RD, LuX. Anthocyanin content and profi le within and among blueberry Määttä-Riihinen K, Kamal-Eldin A, Mattila P, Gonzáles-Paramás A, Törrönen R. Distribution and contents species. Can J Plant Sci 1999;79:617-623. of phenolic compounds in eighteen scandinavian berry species. J Agric Food Chem 2004;52:4477-4486.

Kalt W, Howell A, MacKinnon S, Golman I. Selected bioactivities of Vaccinium berries and other fruit National Institute for Health and Welfare. Fineli – Finnish Food Composition Database. www.fi neli.fi . crops in relation to their phenolic contents. J Sci Agric 2007;87:2279-2285. Puupponen-Pimiä R, Nohynek L, Alakomi H-L, Oksman-Caldentey K-M. Bioactive berry compounds – Koponen JM, Happonen AM, Mattila PH, Törrönen RA. Contents of anthocyanins and ellagitannins novel tool against human pathogens. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2005; 67:8-18. in selected foods consumed in Finland. J Agric Food Chem 2007; 55: 1612-1619. Riihinen K. 2005. Phenolic compounds in Berries. Kuopio University Publications C. Natural and Koskela AKJ, Anttonen MJ, Soininen TH, Saviranta NMM, Auriola S, Julkunen-Tiitto R, Karjalainen RO. Environmetal Sciences 187. Academic Dissertation. Variation in the anthocyanin concentration of wild populations of crowberries (Empetrum nigrum L subsp. hermaphroditum) J Agric Food Chem 2010 Nov. Rimando A, Kalt W, Magee J, Dewey J, Ballington J. Resveratrol, pterostilbene and piceatannol in vaccinium berries. Am Chem Soc 2004;52:4713-4719. Kumpulainen J. Total dietary intakes of selected nutrients, natural antioxidants and contaminants in Finland. Publications of Agrifood Research Finland. Jokioinen 2001. U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA Database for the fl avonoid content of selected foods. Release 2.1 (2007) Kähkönen M, Hopia A, Heinonen M. Berry phenolics and their antioxidant activity. 18 J Agric Food Chem 2001;49:4076-4082. 19 TTipsips fforor eenjoyingnjoying ooff hhealthyealthy bberries!erries!

 Eat one hundred grams of berries a day!  Berry powder is easy to take with you to work or on trips. Keep the berry powder

 Berries are a light food to munch on. in an airtight container so that you can take ry Oy Aromit 2010 / Kajaanin Kirjapaino Arktiset Replace salty snacks with nutritious, low- it along even in warm or humid weather. calorie berries.  Dried berries are easy to carry along as  You can make quick, tasty snacks by a snack, and can be used instead of raisins combining berries with plain yoghurt, soy in baking. yoghurt, cottage cheese, curd cheese, and various kinds of nuts, seeds, or bran.  Combine berry juice with mineral water for a refreshing summer drink.  To make delicious and healthy milkshakes and beverages, combine berries with berry  Partly frozen berries with chocolate, juice, plain yoghurt, buttermilk, milk, water, caramel or vanilla sauce can be served as a soy or oat milk, and different sorts of seeds quick dessert even on special occasions. or nuts.  You can make a refreshing summer treat  Berry powder can be easily added to by puréeing fresh berries with ice cream. yoghurts, cereals, porridge, or tea. One tablespoon of berry powder is equivalent to about 1.5 dl of fresh berries.

This brochure is printed with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Arctic Flavours Association Kauppakatu 20, 89600 Suomussalmi, Finland Tel. +358-8-6155 5590, fax +358-8-6155 5592 E-mail: info@arctic-fl avours.fi 20 www.arctic-fl avours.fi