Wild Alaskan Cranberries/Lingonberries – These berries grow naturally throughout Alaska, Canada, and the Great Lake States, as well as the Northern regions of Europe and Russia.

In Alaska, most folks call these red wild berries ‘cranberries,’ or more specifically ‘low bush cranberries.’ Interestingly, these are the same berries the Norse people have come to love and even cherish under the name lingonberry.

These berries are rather tart, not unlike cranberries, even with quite a bit of sweetener, but that’s the way it’s enjoyed. So often in Nordic cuisine foods are preserved with either salt or pickling. The combination of salty, tangy/sour, and sweet all blended together in one meal helps to balance each flavor out.

Lingberry jam can be found in every classic smörgåsbord spread, on open faced sandwiches (a regional favorite), eaten with roasted meat, baked into pastries and sweets, or simply as a side dish. One thing is for sure, it’s not a Norse gathering if there is no lingonberry jam.

Lingonberry Jam

Sweet, Sour, and a Staple of the Nordic Cuisines!

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Prep Time 2

Cook Time 10

Total Time 12

Course accoutrements, Appetizer/Hors d’Oeuvre, condiment, Smorgasbord, Snack

Cuisine Alaskan, Scandinavian/Norse, Swedish, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings 1 cup of jam

Ingredients

2 cups fresh or frozen lingonberries
½ cup honey/agave
⅓ cup water

Instructions

This recipe is very simple. You bring the three ingredients to a boil over medium heat.
Let simmer for 5-10 minutes, skimming off any foam as desired.
Pour jam into a clean jar and add lid. Allow to cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge.

Filed under the following categories: Appetizers/Hors d'Oeuvres, Breakfast, Condiments and Accoutrements, Cooking With Kids, Norse/Scandinavian, Sauces and Spreads, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian/Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian