Partridgeberries - sweet life on the frozen barrens

January on the coastal barrens of Newfoundland. It's freezing and blowing to gale. The perfect time for picking partridgeberries!

These little red berries get sweeter with every frost and at this time of year they’re practically bursting with flavour. And because in Newfoundland they grow exclusively on the windswept barrens, they are rarely buried under more than an inch or two of snow. Picking them is like a magic trick: brush away the snow from some rocky outcrop seemingly devoid of life only to uncover bright red little orbs staring back at you - delicious partridgeberries. Sweet life clinging to most remote and desolate of places.

So get your hand warmers and hit the barrens! This post is about partridgeberries - what they are and where to find them. I'll share some inspiration for the kitchen, too. (Even though your best bet is probably just giving them to your nan.)

Partridgeberries and caribou lichen: treats of the barrens. (For the keen observer, yes, there are some cranberries mixed in here, too!)

Identification

• Evergreen shrub growing flat on the ground in exposed areas and up to 10cm tall in sheltered sites
• Thick and glossy oval leaves with a crease in the middle, turning purple late in the season
• Berry is about 1cm in diameter, with a crown at the end

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Where to find them

One reason I adore partridgeberries is because they are native to the two places I grew up: Finland and Newfoundland. The people of the Nordic countries in Europe will tell you these berries are called “lingonberries” in English; indeed, this is the more common name. Newfoundlanders, as they are apt to do, have slapped their own colourful moniker onto these little red delicacies, thus making them their own. The partridges that co-exist in the barrens love snacking on the little red berries, hence their Newfoundland namesake. But one thing we can all agree on - their scientific name: Vaccinium vitis-idaea. This name is the same wherever they grow, which is on headlands, heaths, and Arctic tundra throughout the Northern hemisphere.

Newfoundland is called “The Rock” for a reason - much of the island’s habitat consists of barrens where it seems all but the most stubborn patches of rocky soil have been blown off the face of the Earth. These barrens host a unique ecosystem and it’s one where partridgeberries flourish. Closest to St. John’s you’ll find sub-Arctic tundra perfect for the partridgeberry along the coastal barrens on the Southern tip of the Avalon Peninsula and Burin Pensinsula.

In the kitchen

The partridgeberry flavour is tart and sweet. The most beloved way to prepare partridgeberries is in jams and preserves. But their value in the kitchen doesn't end here; other common preparations include pies, tarts, and breads. They also make a killer sauce with wild game or fowl.

Partridgeberry galettes made from kamut flour

On the barrens

For the past several years during the Christmas break I’ve been heading to out the frozen barrens to hike the hills and pick partridgeberries. Below is a selection of photos from past trips to the Burin and Avalon Pensinsulas, which will hopefully inspire you to brave the cold and discover these sweet winter berries for yourself.