Picking bilberries is without doubt a labour of love. These tiny wild blueberries, usually found in mountainous areas, hide under the leaves of low bushes & to be honest they are best eaten in little handfulls as you walk along. However, last year my friend Tara produced a jar of her homemade bilberry jam (after we'd been dipping in a magnificent waterfall) & I realised I would have to add this to my list of seasonal gastronomic rituals.
From our back garden here in Eifionydd we can gaze at the spectacular peak of my new favourite bilberry picking location. Said to be the most impressive iron age hill fort in North West Europe, Tre'r Ceiri still has the side walls of many of its ancient homes and the incredible perimeter ramparts are up to 3.5 metres high. Breathtaking views in every direction mean you can take in the Llŷn Peninsula, the North Coast, Anglesey, the mountains of Snowdonia, castles, estuaries, the West Coast to Pembrokeshire & even across the sea to the hills of Ireland.
After 3 happy afternoons, buried in the rocks, heather & bushes with family & friends, these Tre'r Ceiri billberries have been made into scrumptious jars of jam. The amount of flavour gathered from such tiny berries is extraordinary and there are also some pleasing health benefits.
High in vitamins C & K, bilberies also contain anthocyanins, a powerful anitoxidant responsible for many of the health benefits, such as inflamation. These incredible berries are suspected to improve vision for people with glaucoma and reduce eye fatigue/dryness from screens. They may also improve older adults' memory, fight off certain bacterias and reduce the symptoms of ulcerative colitis.
Truly a hidden gem of this lushious green landscape.
