Charcoal Kiln 2016

Every other year the members of Gålä Gärsar builds a Charcoal Kiln, a "kolmila", at Noors täppa out on the Gålö peninsula, which today is a nature reserve. The process of producing coal like this is not something that people of today know anything about so there's always a big interest in learning about it. The kiln usually burns for two weeks. I was there on the last day and when we arrived the kiln was already cold. The "kolare" lives near the kiln 24/7 in a wooden hut (first photo). We got a guided tour at the miniature kiln,(second photo), and then decided to try the traditional thick pancake with added bacon locally known as Kolbullar. It was cooked just like they did it way back when, and then served with lingonberry jam (third and fourth photo). Our chef of the day, seen here is Agneta. They use birch wood that is heated up to around 600 C. The kiln here produced 17 Cubic Meters (m³) of high quality coal (kol in Swedish). This was the sixth kiln that the historical association had made. Historically there are a few places in Haninge that were known for their kilns, namely Kolbotten at Dalarö and Kolartorp in Handen, hence the names.