Of berries and buckets

Partridgeberries are one of my favorite berries, certainly among my top five. Tart and tangy, they're a quintessential Newfoundland treat. (In your part of the globe, you may know them as lingonberries or cowberries.)

Not only do partridgeberries carry a lovely deep-red color, but they smell fantastic when heated. Sincerely, conjuring that smell in your kitchen is one of those must-do experiences, worth adding to your bucket list.

Speaking of buckets, every year, I harbor intentions of marching across the barrens to pluck bucketfuls of partridgeberries, right after the first frost, which is prime picking time. But I rarely follow through, and fall back on picking my berries from the grocery-store freezer.

Whichever way you get them, here's how to turn 'em into sauce:

• dump 2 or 3 cups of berries into small saucepan
• add water (a few Tbsps)
• place on stovetop at low-medium heat
• stir intermittently, dialing back heat (as necessary) to keep a slow bubble
• remove from heat once sauce has thickened to desired degree (many of the berries will have broken up)
• add sugar/sweetener (to taste).

Berry sauce is best served warm, as a topping on frozen yoghurt, for example. If your sauce is thick enough, you can spoon it onto toast, like you would jam.

As for my bucket list, I'm going to add "actually get out on the barrens come berry season". Maybe next year.  :‍-‍)