Red crowberry

What it is

The round berries measure about 0.7 cm (0.3 in) across. They are juicy, red and bittersweet, and you can eat them raw or cooked.

The plant's scientific name is Empetrum rubrum. It is closely related to black crowberry, Empetrum nigrum; here it is the red fruit that goes into the jam pot.

Where it comes from

Red crowberry grows in southern South America, including Chile, Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. In Chile its range stretches from Valparaíso south to Magallanes. Across the sea, it covers large tracts of the Falkland Islands. There, diddle-dee heath dominates grazed inland ground, making this fruit-bearing shrub part of the everyday landscape. In Chile it is also called murtilla; diddle-dee is the name to know in the Falklands.

How it's eaten where it grows

In the Falklands, diddle-dee jam belongs to smoko, the mid-morning or afternoon break with tea, coffee, cakes and cookies. Jam, scones and fresh cream are a local pairing. The fruit has a place beside meat too: diddle-dee jelly goes with lamb, while Bluff Cove cook Hattie Kilmartin pairs the relish with sliced smoked upland goose, bread and salad.

In the past, country households made a year's supply of jam, jelly or bottled fruit from the easily picked berries, and jam is still a favourite way to use them.

How it's grown

This evergreen shrub creeps close to the ground, about 25–40 cm (10–16 in) high. It grows in moist, peaty soil and tolerates exposed coastal positions. At Bluff Cove in the Falklands, wild bushes grow on peat banks and among stone runs, where the berries are picked by hand.

When and where you'll find it

In the Falklands, flowers appear in October and the berries usually start ripening in January or February. Fresh fruit comes from gathering the wild bushes. In Stanley, diddle-dee jam is sold at many outlets.