DaltTT

Pine cones? They make very interesting and unusual jam (to be noticed - here jam is usually made with whole berries/fruits, not macerated).  Pine cones becomes soft and crunchy during the process. Also, "birch juice" is a thing here.

Pickling... Pickling is a long-standing trend in Russian cuisine, since, I guess, Imperial times. Along with long-standing tradition of having vegetable garden whenever you can (as they say here, becoming fond of gardening is a sign of adaulthood). So, yes, the art of pickling is a thing here, on a scale you can hardly imagine - for example, my home region's unique product is pickled watermelons. However, my favourite are cucumbers, pickled with dill and garlic, made by my aunt.))) Today it became a bit less common, since you can buy them at store. Anyway, it's hard to find someone here, who is older then 25 - and has no gardening expirience.