All About Gooseberries

Things You Never Knew About… Gooseberries

Bright green or dusty pink, these hairy little gems are a real British treasure

Translucent and incredibly juicy, the gooseberry is a beautifully seasonal fruit. It is one of the oldest British berries – grown on our island since the 13^th century and prized for its sharp, Sauvignon Blanc flavours.

Who’s for fool?

Like apples, there are two types of gooseberry – the sweet ‘eaters’ and tart ‘cookers’. Whereas you will get a bitter shock if you eat a ‘cooker’ straight from the bush, the sweet and juicy eaters are bulging, honeyed and utterly glorious! There’s little point in cooking an eating variety of gooseberry though, as the flavour won’t survive.

To make a classic fool, crumble or pie – throw your cooking gooseberries into a pan with a little water and sugar and gently stew down, bringing out the tart green flavours and softening the hard flesh. Add a sprig of elderflower, or even a little orange zest to enhance the heady flavours that should now be filling your kitchen.

3 Ways With Goosegogs:

Sweet Wine & Gooseberry Sorbet

Baker Ruby Tandoh has a wonderful recipe for this sweet and tangy sorbet. Simple stew the berries with a good glug of pudding wine, strain and add sugar before freezing. Break up any large ice crystals every 30 minutes for the first couple of hours and then leave to set overnight.

Gooseberry Cheesecake

The tart berry works so well with a thick, rich and creamy cheesecake base. Cook your berries in butter and sugar to form a shiny, syrupy sauce. Lightly mash the gooseberries, leaving a few lovely chunks, before topping your classic cheesecake base.

Salmon with Gooseberry Stuffing

Traditionally paired with mackerel, the berries go well with many fish. Sophie Grigson’s gooseberry-stuffed salmon is a wonderful June party dish. Stew the fruit in butter then add breadcrumbs, diced onion and parsley. Fill your whole fish and then roast. Sophie suggests serving with a jug of melted butter.

It ain’t easy being green!

The short gooseberry season is threatening its future – and this wonderful fruit is in danger of disappearing from supermarket shelves. Over the last twenty years there has been enormous investment into British soft fruit production, but money has largely been ploughed into more mainstream berries.

As a slightly ‘niche’ product, the supermarkets are less willing to take a gamble on the short seasons and uncertain demand for gooseberries. Even when they are stocked, the price is often too low to make it worthwhile for farmers. If you’re a gooseberry fan then let your local supermarket know – the more demand, the less likely it is that this very British berry will slip into obscurity.