Foreword.
Whenever we go bilberry picking, I often find myself muttering the Polish word for photocopier: Ksero. As each berry drops into the bottom of the bottle—ksero, ksero, ksero—I’m transported back twenty years, to a different country, and a different kind of search...
In the early 2000s, I was living in Łódź, Poland with two art college friends. We were young, spoke no Polish, and were mostly lost and confused. This was before smartphones, before Google Maps or Google Translate — before you could summon and translate information with a tap. I needed to photocopy something, exactly what I can’t recall, and began scanning the streets on my walks for a shop that might help. Nothing. A week passed. Then two. I concluded, quite reasonably I thought, that photocopying just wasn’t really a popular thing in Poland.
One day, chatting with a Polish friend, I mentioned this particular national blind spot. She looked at me, laughed, and said, “There’s a ksero on every street corner. There’s even one in your building.” She wrote the word down on a small piece of paper " KSERO" underlining it for emphasis.
And, of course, she was right. The ground floor of our apartment block housed a photocopy shop. It had a discrete navy blue sign with the word KSERO in clear white writing. I had been wandering the city, eyes peeled, entirely blind to what was in front of me. The literal sign had been there all along—I just didn’t know what I was looking for.
Bilberries... it turns out, aren’t all that different. Or rather: frachóg, whorts, hurts or heatherberries, whortleberries, blaeberries, fraughans, fraocháns — wild blueberries have a dozen regional aliases and a habit of keeping to themselves.
When we moved back to the west of Ireland, ten years ago, we developed an interest in foraging for bilberries. I’d read about "Fraughan Sunday" — the old July ritual of heading into the hills to gather berries—but despite having grown up in the countryside, I couldn’t remember ever actually seeing a bilberry bush. A friend mentioned a likely spot. I went and found a scrubby little shrub that looked the part. But no berries. Too early? Too late? Wrong plant? I looked and looked, but billberries, like the ksero, seemed to elude me.
Then one day, out walking in the forest with our eldest—still a toddler, wobbling around in her wellies—I crouched to help her with something and caught a glimpse of a small, round, dark blue fruit silhouetted beneath a leaf. A single fruit. I picked it, tasted it, and looked again. And there they were. Everywhere. Not so much hidden as discreet.
Bilberries, it turns out, are not at all rare. They were all around me. But unlike the flamboyant, all on show blackberry, the bilberry operates on its own terms. You have to stoop, adjust your view, and train your eye in.
Sometimes the thing you’re looking for is there all along— all around you, in abundance, hiding in plain sight - you just need to know the signs.
Ksero, ksero, ksero...
This is our guide to Bilberry Picking.
THE SUPERFOLK GUIDE TO BILBERRY PICKING
How do I spot a good bilberry patch?
Wild bilberries grow in acidic, nutrient-poor soil. They don’t do well in chalky or alkaline ground. You’ll usually find them in well-drained areas, along the side of damp hills or at the edge of woodlands.
If the ground under your feet feels springy, with moss, low shrubs, and ferns, it’s a good sign. Slow down and take a closer look—you might be standing in a bilberry patch. Bilberries can be hard to spot at first, but knowing what else grows nearby can help. Look out for heather, gorse, bracken or ferns, and tormentil (small yellow flowers). You might also see sphagnum moss in nearby damp ground, or be walking under Scots pine or silver birch trees. In shadier spots, you’ll sometimes find wood sorrel or wild strawberries. Bell Heather also likes the same kind of conditions.
Bilberries are elusive. I still can't find any!
They grow on low shrubs, and the berries are often hidden under the leaves. Unlike blackberries, they’re not on display. You may need to crouch down and look carefully for a moment or two before you spot them. We joke with our children that you have to stare at the plant for a few seconds to make the berries appear.
When should I go picking bilberries?
The best time to pick bilberries is from mid-July to August, though the exact timing shifts slightly each year depending on the weather. If the berries come away with a gentle tug and stain your fingers deep purple, they’re ready. In Ireland "Fraughan Sunday" is the last Sunday in July, which is traditionally when people go out to gather bilberries.
SMALL BATCH BILBERRY JAM
Since you’ll likely only gather a small amount (and eat plenty as you pick), one of the best things to make is a small pot of simple bilberry jam. The berries are delicate and don’t keep well after picking—they’re easily squashed. That’s another reason jam is a good option.
This recipe is quick and easy. It takes about fifteen minutes.
Makes 1 × 350ml jar | Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 15 minsIngredients
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300g bilberries, rinsed
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200g granulated sugar
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½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Method
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Put a saucer in the freezer to chill.
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In a saucepan, combine the bilberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over low heat, stirring gently until the sugar dissolves and the berries release their juice.
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Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for about 15 minutes.
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To check if the jam has set, spoon a little onto the cold saucer. After a few seconds, run your finger through it. If the surface wrinkles and holds the line, it’s ready. If not, simmer a little longer and test again.
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Once set, turn off the heat and let the jam sit for 10 minutes.
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Pour into a warm sterilised jar and seal while still warm.
Use this simple ratio as a guide:
For every 300g of bilberries, use 200g of sugar and ½ tablespoon of lemon juice.
So if you’ve picked a different amount, just scale it up or down. For example:
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150g bilberries → 100g sugar + ¼ tablespoon lemon juice
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600g bilberries → 400g sugar + 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Bilberry jam pairs beautifully with soft cheeses like brie or goat’s cheese. You can also use it as a bright, fruity contrast with duck, venison, or sausages. It’s just as good spooned over porridge, swirled into yoghurt, or spread on warm scones. You could also try it with oatcakes and pâté, or stirred into a salad with grains and kale for a more savoury twist.
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Words: Jo Anne Butler
Photography: Jo Anne Butler and Gearoid Muldowney
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Further Reading:
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Know, Love, Protect.
At Superfolk, we strive to help people know the natural world, fall in love with its beauty and complexity, and feel a shared responsibility to protect it for generations to come.