There are moments when you stumble upon something so beautiful, so quietly magical, that time pauses. For me, one of those moments was the first time I wandered through the Swedish archipelago in high summer and found myself surrounded by an ocean of wild blueberries. They were everywhere. No sign, no fence, no human design—just nature doing its thing. I remember crouching down, still and silent, and feeling like I had just uncovered the most generous secret Sweden had to offer.
July in Sweden is berry month. The forests around Stockholm turn into a treasure hunt for those who know where to look. And if you’re like me—someone who comes from a food-obsessed Italian background but has fallen for Swedish simplicity—blueberry season is a kind of edible poetry... and those wild blueberries have a very similar taste to the wild blueberries from the Abetone mountains. At Lasagnariet, we’re all about homemade comfort and ingredients that speak for themselves, and right now, blueberries are singing.
Where to Pick Them?
Like mushrooms, it’s hard to reveal the right spot, but it’s very easy to find them—you just have to engage in a nice walk into the forest.
If you’re based in Stockholm, you don’t need to go far. Nackareservatet and Hellasgården are local favorites, offering endless trails and shaded groves full of wild blåbär. Take a short ferry ride or a SL bus from Slussen and you’re on one of the many archipelago islands—Fjäderholmarna, Grinda, or even a bit further out to Utö—where you might just find yourself alone in a forest with nothing but birdsong and blueberries. One of the magic things to do in Sweden.
More Than Just Jam
Sure, you can make jam. In fact, you should, and it’s very easy. Homemade blueberry marmalade is deeply satisfying—sweet, sticky, vibrant. Perfect on toast or spooned onto a slice of ricotta-topped sourdough bread. But if you come home with half a kilo (or more), it’s time to get creative. At Lasagnariet, we love exploring how traditional ingredients can be used in playful ways.
Here are some ideas:
Dehydrate them and toss into granola or salads for a chewy, tart hit—or use them in hot infusion for the winter.
Pickle them gently with vinegar, a generous touch of sugar, and no aromatics to preserve their authentic flavor—they’re fantastic with aged cheese or roasted meats.
And then there’s our favorite: sorbet.
Quick Blueberry Sorbet Recipe
This sorbet is a small revelation. It’s fruity, refreshing, slightly acidic and beautifully balanced. And yes, it goes surprisingly well after a rich lasagna meal.
Ingredients:
500 g fresh blueberries
200 g acacia honey (or another light floral honey)
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons white vinegar
100 g water (helps with an extra watery and refreshing texture)
To serve:
A few flakes of sea salt
A drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil
Instructions:
Blend all the ingredients until smooth.
Strain through a fine sieve if you want a silky texture without seeds (optional).
Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Churn in an ice cream maker until set, or freeze in a shallow container, stirring every 30 minutes until smooth.
If it gets too hard or you forget to take it out in advance for the perfect temperature, you can scrape it with a fork.
Scoop into bowls. Just before serving, add a tiny pinch of sea salt flakes and a drop of olive oil.
It’s unexpected, but it works. The salt sharpens the sweetness, the olive oil adds depth, and together they transform a simple sorbet into something you’ll remember. And if you dare, add a nice teaspoon of dense and aged balsamic vinegar di Modena.
Why Honey?
We use honey instead of glucose because it’s a natural inverted sugar. It keeps the sorbet smoother and prevents crystallization—plus, it brings its own gentle complexity of flavor.
A Toast to Rålund
And speaking of pairings, we recently discovered Rålund
https://www.newnordicbeverage.se/ from New Nordic Beverage. Their blueberry drink is deeply Nordic, beautifully structured, and we’re genuinely excited about pairing it with our lasagna. It’s like they bottled the forest floor in July and gave it sparkle. Stay tuned—this might become a staple on our drink list.
Life Is Made of Layers
At Lasagnariet, we believe that life is made of layers. Layers of pasta, flavor, tradition, seasons. Blueberry season is another layer in the year’s recipe—fleeting, fragrant, and full of joy. Whether you’re picking them barefoot in the woods, swirling them into a sorbet, or sipping them in a beautiful local drink, take a moment to savor the sweetness.
And if you swing by for lasagna, we might just have something berry-inspired waiting for dessert—if it’s the right season of course, unless we’ve preserved enough berries during summer.
