Nature’s treasures Come spring, come autumn, you’ll find folk festivals out in the countryside, where farmers and producers will welcome you to their farms during the Åland in Greenery festival and Åland Harvest Festival. You can start by tasting the tender firstlings in May and then buy jams, juices, cheeses and freshly harvested produce in September.
From spring sowing to autumn harvest Åland has a favourable climate for budding farmers and growing producers. And, the ground is not the only place things are growing. Just like the apples, onions and potatoes, fresh new ideas are sprouting everywhere. Growers appreciate the summers with lots of extra hours of sun and the long, mild autumns. Åland is currently Finland’s largest apple grower - three out of every four domestic apples are grown in Åland. In addition to this, 30% of all Finnish onions and 90% of all asparagus come from Åland. The super-berry, sea buckthorn, also thrives along the coasts. WITH SUCH AN ABUNDANCE of outstanding raw ingredients, it’s no surprise that artisanal foods are flourishing. There’s no shortage of local food and drink to fill both glass and plate. Many farms refine their own raw ingredients. Milk is used to make cheese, meats are used to produce
delicious sausages and organically grown grains are milled into meals. Apple growers such as Grannas, Snäckö Frukt and Öfvergårds have refined their ability to make use of the entire harvest by producing fresh-pressed apple juice, chutney and pickled “äppelskott” (unripe windfall apples). At Öfvergårds, you can even go on an “apple safari”, where you hire your own apple tree, thus taking the self-pick concept to a whole new level. Amalias Limonadfabrik and Peders Aplagård transform fruits and berries into sparkling, non-alcoholic ciders, while the Open Water Brewery brews beers and ciders with an alcohol content.
SOME FOOD PRODUCERS welcome visitors to their farm shops or offer guided tours, while others sell their products in supermarkets or handicrafts shops. There are several taste experiences to be had in the area surrounding Kastelholm Castle. In addition to Smakbyn’s restaurant, you’ll find the Åland Distillery, Rosteriverket coffee roastery and Karamelleriet confectioners, which succeeded in capturing the flavour of wild strawberries in its Ålandskaramell candy.
ROSTERIVERKET, micro-coffee roastery at Jan Karlsgården. ÅLANDS KARAMELLERIET, handcrafted candies, Kastelholm. PEDERS APLAGÅRD, farm shop and summer café, Kökar.
GRANNAS, SNÄCKÖ FRUKT, ÖFVERGÅRDS, Apple orchards, north Åland.
TASTE OF ÅLAND AMALIAS LIMONADFABRIK, farm shop, Lemland. MARSKOGENS LAMM, farm shop and café, Finström. OPEN WATER BREWERY, brewery and shop, Lemland.
ÅL A N D T R AV E L M A GAZ INE 2022
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