Newfoundland Partridgeberry Squares

This weekend past had beautiful weather, despite the fact that Saturday morning had a touch of frost. When I woke up, I went out to have a look around and noticed that the blueberries were still firm and in good condition so I grabbed a cup and went out to pick a few to be able to make blueberry pancakes for breakfast.

While out there, I noticed that the partridgeberries finally looked ripe. Partridgeberries are red berries that grow close to the ground and taste somewhat like cranberries. Some countries, such as Norway and Sweden, call them lingonberries. They are usually good after one or two good frosts sweeten them up a bit. Despite the fact that I don’t always enjoy partridgeberry desserts, I do enjoy the squares I make with them- a recipe I got from my Great Aunt Nora. So, once breakfast was over and the day had warmed up significantly, I grabbed another measuring cup and went out to pick a few. They are plentiful on my property and within 15 minutes I had two cups, in an hour I had a bucketful. I didn’t really mean to dedicate much time to partridgeberry picking but it was just so quiet and peaceful out there that the time flew. I enjoyed the warmth of the sun and the company of the squirrels busy eating their cones in the trees overhead. To me, picking berries, especially blueberries and partridgeberries, is one of the most meditative exercises I can do, which is probably why I enjoy it so much. Many Newfoundlander and Labradoreans make a day out of picking partridgeberries, including taking a lunch and having a boil up out in the woods- I can think of no better thing to do to celebrate the crisp and sunny days of Fall.