Monday 2 April 2012

Day 2 of the A-Z challenge--Letter B

B is for Bakeapple

Bakeapples are beauitful  golden orange berries that are raspberry-shaped, plump, juicy, and packed with vitamin C. The bakeapple plant, a member of the rose family, prefers the acidic soil of peatland bogs, and is closely related to the raspberry, blackberry, and thimbleberry.  Bakeapples are highly prized for use in jams and tarts, and are considered to be a delicacy.  They are a prized wild crop in Newfoundland and Labrador. In Scandinavia, bakeapples are known as cloudberries.



We happen to be fortunate enough to have a small supply of these beauties in our freezer.  I make up 3-4 cup batches of jam and we savor each morsel.  Bakeapple jam is delicious as a topping for vanilla ice-cream, cheese cakes or plain yogurt.  Sometimes,as a special treat, it is nice to simply pile it on a nice slice of toast--especially when it's homemade bread from a good friend. Yummy ;o)





14 comments:

  1. Bakeapples sound delicious. I've never heard of them. So now I've learned something new.

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    1. Thanks for dropping by. Bakeapples are delicious, a very unique taste and it seems people either love them or hate them..no in between.

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  2. I agree they do sound delicious, and as a bit of a foodie i'm surprised I've never heard of them! They sure look great on top of that cheese cake!

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    1. They are a real delicacy here in Newfoundland and they only grow in certain areas, so they are not common to all parts of our beautiful big province.

      If you ever get a chance, do try them. They have a very distinct flavor, and they taste as good as they look.

      Thanks for dropping by!

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  3. yum- that cheesecake looks sooooo good!!!

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  4. You have made me hungry for fresh jam! Are these berries naturally sweet or tart?

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    1. The bakeapple, when fully ripe, is very sweet. When I prepare jam, I use about 1/2 sugar to about three cups of berries, and that is plenty. From that, I get 3 small bottles of jam, which I keep refrigerated until consumed.

      If I were preserving for long keeping, I would follow the recipe for preserves, which asks for a lot of sugar...but little sugar or a lot, the beautiful taste of the berry hardly changes, that is why I love making small batches to use over a short period of time, it's practically like eating just the berries!

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  5. I'd never heard of bakeapple berries before. Learn something new every day.

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    1. The bakeapple doesn't grow in a lot of places...I am in Newfoundland, Canada and feel very lucky that they grow here. It seems to be split 50/50 as to those that love them and those that hate them!!

      Thanks for dropping by.

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  6. The picture looks familiar, but I have never heard the name. Thanks for teaching me something new! :-D

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    1. Happy to oblige--thanks for dropping in!

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  7. A friend shared this - I'm another who's never heard of bakeapples. Are they just in the Newfoundland/Labrador area? I'd like to ask my family in New Brunswick about them.

    Stopping by on the A to Z Challenge from Debbie & Harry's Kitchen!

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    1. Actually, I don't think they grow in New Brunswick, even though it's right next door. It is a pretty rare gem, indeed....and delicious!

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  8. Wow- I've never heard of those before. Very cool. Popping in from A to Z. Look forward to more of your challenge posts!

    Angie Mohr
    www.piggybanks2paychecks.com

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