Högtorps Gård is revealing the secrets within the Swedish Forest.
A virtual gourmet treasure trove of previously little-known or harvested gems.
With the increased interest of late in Högtorps Gård products I thought it only fitting to delve in and gain a little more firsthand knowledge and background information.
Högtorps Gård “högtorps farm” is a leading producer of foraged and forest harvested Swedish delicacies, they have been established and producing bespoke niche products for around for ten years or so.
Their products have been available to us in the hotel and restaurant kitchens through some of our general suppliers for some time. Högtorps Gård’s range is also available through their shop in Hällenforsnäs, Södermalmsland and online sales direct through
A shelf of Syrups at Högtorps Gård's shop in Hällenfors, to a pastry chef or mixologist a treasure trove of flavours
The Swedish forest, a safe haven for many more than just foragers.
Högtorps Gård is harvesting the bounty.
Högtorps Gård is gaining notoriety not just in the local Swedish market but they are also making international waves with some regular shipments being dispatched in all compass directions.
The forest farm and production centre are situated in a rural Sörmland ca. one and a half hours drive south of Stockholm. The 70+ hectare bio diversified forest farm that is the seasonal harvest horn of plenty is situated in rural Sweden. If you’ve never been to this area in Sweden this means forests, lakes both big and small, farming areas and rocks, lots of rocks and more forests. But it also means clean, well-managed and progressive properties and naturally diverse forests and flora. This is the perfect place to source a multitude of near to nature resources or to forage after them, this allows Högtorps Gård gourmet processing ambitions to be realistic.
Foraging has over the past years become a popular pastime here in Sweden with every man and his dog having a crack at it, and of course there are more experts than you can point a stick at as well. The popularity of foraging as well as Sweden’s everyman’s Iaw “allemansrätten” and the abundance of people walking covid dogs have created a greater interest and need in our local forests and general forest produce. I feel that one of Högtorps Gårds strengths and future is that the forest and flora showcased by their products are not only native to Sweden or Scandinavia but Europe in general so these products can fit in anywhere.
My guide through the Högtorps Gårds bounty is Lena the passionate driving force, creating new and reinventing long forgotten delights to heighten even the most ambitious Michelin starred restaurant menus in Sweden. Lena with her background as a chemical engineer in the bio tech field explained the ingredients, fermentation and diverse processes she uses in her array of “lab” equipment to squeeze out the natural traits and flavours she works with. I just nodded and smiled as one often does when realising that you are in deep water.
Tar flavoured apple juice, fresh and smokey, the Laphroaig of apple juice.
Hard to translate, try some of the following
The list below represent many of the commercially available products, before you read it, I would like to apologise for the many spelling and grammatical mistakes with my translations.
Oils.
Granskottsolja
Spruce shoot oil
Fichten sprossen öl
Huile de pousse d’épinelles
Karl Johanolja
Porcini mushroom oil
Steinpilzen Öl
Huile de cepes
Björk olja
Birch tree oil
Birkenöl
Huile de bouleau
Enskottsolja
Juniper shoot oil
Wacholder sprossen öl
Huile de pousse de genévrier
Tallskottsolja
Pine shoot oil
Kiefern sprossen öl
Huile de pousse de pin
Maskrosblomsolja
Dandelion flower oil
Löwenzahn Blütenöl
Huile de fleur de pissenlit
Silvergranolja
Silver fir tree oil
Weisstannen öl
Huile de sapin argenté
Traditional and new wave preserves.
Prunella
Pickled plums
Pflaumen gurken
Fruit d’un prunet savage
Plommon oliver
Olive pickled plumbs
Pflaumen Engelegt vie Oliven
Prunet marinées a la olive
Smågranskott
Pickled spruce shoots
Eingelegt tannensprossen
Pousses d’épinette marinées
Ramslökskapris
Ramson capers
Bärlauch kapern
Câpre de ail des ours
Granbarrssylt
Spruce needle confit
Tannen Marmelade
Confiture de aiguilles de sapin
Fläderbärskapris
Elderberry capers
Holunderkapern
Capre de sureau
Rönnbärskapris
Rowanberry capers
Vogelbeere kapern
Capre de sorbier des oiseleurs
Gran blommor
Pickles Spruce flowers
Eingelegt tannen Blüten
Fleur de sapin marinées
Gran vinäger
Spruce vinegar
Fichtenessig
Vinaigre d’épicéa
Björksavs vinäger
Birch sap vinegar
Birkensaftessig
Vinaigre de sève de boleau
Syrups, the forests natural sweethearts.
Granskottssirap
Spruce shoot syrup
Fichtensprossen Sirup
Sirop d’épinette
Gröngransskottssirap
Green spruce shoot syrup
Grüner fichtensprossen Sirup
Sirop de pousse d’èpinette vert
Björk sirap
Birch tree syrup
Birken Sirup
Sirop de bouleau
Älgörtssirap
Meadow sweet syrup
Großes Mädesüss Sirup
Sirop de la reine-des-prés
Tjarsirap
Tar syrup
Teersirup
Siropde goudron
Maskrossirap
Dandelion syrup
Löwenzahnsirup
Sirop de pissenlit
Lindblomssirap
Linden flower syrup
Lindenblütensirup
Sirop de fleur de tilleul
Slånbärssirap
Sloe berry syrup
Schlehe Sirup
Sirop de baie de prunelle
Häggblomssirap
Dogwood syrup
Hartriegels Sirup
Sirop de cornowiller
vårbroddssirap
Sweet vernal grass syrup
Süßes Frühlings Grass Sirup
Herbe printamière odorante
Rönnbärssirap
Rowanberry syrup
Vogelbeeren Sirup
Sirop de sorbier des oiseleurs
Kådasirap
Resin syrup
Harzsirup
Sirop de résine
Drinks from the forest.
Björkadmust
Birch sap juice
Birkensaftsaft
Jus sève de bouleau
Älgörts saft
Meadow sweet juice
Mädesüss Saft
Jus de la reine-des-prés
Rabarber dricka
Rhubarb drink
Rhabarber trank
Boisson à la rhubarbe
Björk dricka
Birch drink
Birken trank
Boisson au bouleau
Björksav
Birch sap juice
Birkensaft
Sève de bouleau
Slånadmust
Sloe berry and apple juice
Schlehen-apfelsaft
Jus de prunella et de pomme
tjaradmust
Tar flavoured apple juice
Teer aromatisiert Apfelmost
Moût de pomme aromatisé au goudron
Högtorps Gård's oils
Spruce shoot oil:
One of Högtorps gårds more market established products lurking in many professional kitchens, adding flavour and forest freshness to any dish aspiring to show off its Scandinavian roots. I used it extensively in Dubai during the last world expo where we wanted to offer Swedish touches to our banquet and catering season there. It works well with game meat, vegetarian, forest mushrooms and salads.
Porcini mushroom oil:
Sweden exports truckloads of porcini to Italy where they are dried and processed some come back to us in the form of porcini flavoured olive oil. Högtorps Gård’s porcini oil is made on site with fresh porcini giving it a bigger bolder taste bomb. Picking mushrooms in Sweden is a pastime/hobby for many the Karljohan as it’s called here is one of the absolute favourites, use the oil in everything.
Birch oil:
Light green with forestry tones, “sounds like a wine tasting”. Use it on full fat white mould cheese, or to enhance poached delicate white fish.
Juniper shoot oil:
Built on gin and greenery flavours. Works well with game and a building block for finishing of sauces. Keep it in the kitchen pass to spike up the WOW taste.
Pine shoot oil:
Bring the forest onto the plate, the citrus tones work well with vegetables and tomatoes.
Dandelion flower oil:
We experimented with dandelion wine when we were kids, and the young leaves add tartness to a salad now Högtorps Gård have developed an intense yellow oil to drizzle on salads.
A forest of oils.
Traditional and new wave preserves
From the raw materials of the forest and meadow, Högtorps Gård pick and ferment flower buds and berries from their forests and bushes. These bounties are made into jams and pickles and exclusive, exciting wild garnishes suited to Nordic cuisine.
Prunella:
Small, unripened plums fermented
Högtorps Gård's unripened pickled plums
and processed as olives, the pip becomes edible, so they don’t need pitting. A great story telling product when served with local charcuterie or why not in a Swedish martini, there’s great local gin here now and we’ve been absolutely swimming in vodka for decades.
Small pickled spruce shoots:
One of the forages favourites offering a great result. Works well as the tart additive to fat or high protein food like pate, game, full fat cheese or to a cold sauce flavour bomb.
Ramson bud capers:
Ramson, one of springs early risers, a common forage in many European countries and a favourite ingredient with its garlicy taste and ease of use. Högbergs Gård’s ramson buds are ferment seed capsules from Gotland, vinegared they become a real flavour bomb. Use as a salty-sour flavour enhancer in fish dishes, salads, etc.
Spruce jam:
Spruce shoots with a little sugar
Högtorps Gård spruce needle jam
cooked into a wild jam, they retain their original resin and acidity. Use it for meat instead of jelly. Fantastic with cheese, salty or white mould cheese. The Jam can also be mixed in with ice cream to make your own spruce shoot ice cream or other turn other classical desserts into a foraged delight.
Elderberry capers:
Unripe wild-picked elderberries, pickled like capers with sea salt and apple cider vinegar. They have a crunchy texture, clear elderberry flavour with the cider vinegar acidity.
Pickled rowanberries:
Rowanberries from the Mountain ash tree, one of the forests more underutilised harvests. They are so sour and stringent that even the birds won’t eat them until after the first frost. Pick them after the frost, the berries make a great jelly that can be served with game and pate. Högborg gård’s rowanberries are pickled like capers with a fruity bitter, salt, acid sting. Good for creamy salads, sauces or as an accompaniment to meat and fish.
Spruce flavoured ice cream, the possabilities are endless.
Syrups, the forests natural sweethearts.
Natural syrups made from wild, Swedish trees, berries, herbs and grasses. They are the new flavouring agents for desserts, cocktails and drinks, a pastry chef or mixologist treasure trove.
Spruce shoot syrup:
Fresh and fruity taste with a hint of
Högtorps Gård spruce shoot syrup, 100ml
resin. Serve it drizzled over a scoop of good vanilla ice cream with some roasted pine nuts. The syrup also goes well with salty cheese, on pancakes or cheesecake. But also, as a flavouring in drinks.
Birch syrup:
Birch sap bottled at Högtorp Gård is flavoured with birch leaves and reduced together with sugar to a syrup consistency. A definite favourite. Good with cheese, ice cream or yoghurt.
Meadowsweet syrup:
Meadowsweet grass, the first time I encountered Meadowsweet was during the early 1990´s during a Canadian promotion, in Canada as in some other English speaking it’s commonly called sweetgrass. Back then we used it to flavour smoked buffalo and as a flavouring in a sorbet. Meadowsweet is also known as buffalo grass and can be found in the Polish Zubruwka vodka. Meadowsweet has a summery long grass scent with hints of bitter almond and tonka beans. This aromatic sweetener suits many desserts and is a favourite agent as a drink mixer.
Tar syrup:
Högtorps Gård burn their tar from
Högtorps Gård tar syrup 100ml
resin-rich pine stumps from their own forest. They simmer their tar syrup until it reaches the correct consistency and develops a smoky aroma and floral taste. A super WOW ingredient that exceeds guest expectations and gives an edge to drinks as well as desserts and compliments to game meats.
Dandelion syrup:
The yellow flowers of the dandelion are boiled into a syrup with a clear and fine taste of honey. Great with peaches and ice cream.
Linden flower syrup:
Linden is one of the last trees to bloom during the summer. The flowers attract countless bumblebees and bees. The flowers boiled into a syrup taste like honeyed linden blossoms. Drizzle over ice cream, yogurt or serve with fresh cheese.
Drinks from the forest pantry.
Högtorp gård's drinks are made from birch sap, wild berries, flowers and herbs. Delicious as non-alcoholic alternatives with Nordic flavours.
Birch must:
Birch leaves and sap in combination
Högtorps Gård birch flavoured apple juice 25cl
with tart apples for a pleasant and complex taste experience with a long and dry aftertaste. Excellent to drink as is or as a non-alcoholic alternative.
Birch sap:
Birch sap has been drunk by many for a long time as a strengthening and health drink. It contains vitamin C, minerals, antioxidants, trace elements and various sugars such as xylitol. Högtorps Gård tap their birch sap in their own forest.
Meadowsweet juice:
The flowering meadowsweet with its lovely aromatic flavour carries the scent of midsummer. Makes an easy to appreciate quencher.
Rhubarb drink:
Rhubarb flavoured with lemon and herbs makes for a refreshing drink. The rhubarb juice is cold pressed to capture the fresh taste.
Sloeberry and apple juice.
Högtorps Gårds producter are a continuation of the living of the land practice and food preservation techniques which have formed the building blocks of our Swedish food culture, That its all local and ecological are mere bonuses to its genuality.