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Maybe you just g ot some spiky green thing in your CSA box and you’re a little afraid to touch it, let alone put it in your mouth. Or maybe you really wanted to try that purple globule thing at the farmer’s market but had no idea what it was called. Or maybe you’re just really sick and tired of potato salad and apple crisp. Whatever the reason, check in with us to receive guidance and recipes for some in-season produce you may not have worked with before.
I have a confession...gooseberries make me kind of angry. Now, don’t get me wrong, I realize that my hostility against these harmless fruits is completely unfounded. I am perfectly aware that these pretty little fruits, about the size of a blueberry and ranging in glorious color from green to red to purple with a grape-like translucent interior, bear me no ill will. I know that I should thank them for the simultaneously sweet but tart and tangy flavor they impart. I should honor them for the deliciously unique dry wines they create, the pies and tarts they fill, and the fruity glazes they give to meat. I would quite happily do all this—if only I could find them. I bitterly admit, my experience with gooseberries is quite limited. It began at a young age; I watched Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and quickly learned that if only I could make gooseberry pie, seven little miners would lovingly invite me into their home. Alas, that not only began, but in large part ended my experience with the elusive fruit. But don't worry, I intend to remedy this deficiency as soon as possible.
Let me preface by saying that gooseberries can be confusing. There are a number of types of “gooseberries” including the cape gooseberry (similar to a tomatillo), the Chinese gooseberry (better known as a kiwifruit) and the Indian gooseberry (a very sour tree fruit). There’s even a Barbados gooseberry! (But it’s a cactus, so please don’t eat it.) The gooseberries that I am referring to are those of the genus Ribus, which also includes currants. They are very popular in Europe, having long been a staple of British summertime desserts and are readily found growing wild throughout the English countryside. These gooseberries grow on scraggly bushes ranging in height from about 3 to 9 feet tall. The fruits share the deciduous bushes with dark green lobed leaves, flowers of pink and white, as well as a bunch of thorns- so be careful if you try to pick them! There are two main varieties of gooseberries, the American gooseberry and the European gooseberry. American gooseberries tend to be smaller and sturdier, but the European gooseberry has better flavor so it is often preferred by American planters. Gooseberries are not particularly difficult to grow nor cultivate; in fact, they are quite hardy in dealing with cooler temperatures and soil acidity. They do need to be pruned to allow air and sunlight to access the flowers equally and the bushes are best grown in moderate climates such as Oregon where they can enjoy a lot of sunshine to ripen the fruit without the risk of burning. Gooseberries are typically harvested when they are slightly under ripe (to maintain their tart flavor) during June and July, but an orchard’s season generally only lasts about 3 to 3 weeks. A single bush can produce up to 11 pounds of berries. 
When buying gooseberries, they are usually sold in quantities of about six to twenty-four ounces. To make a nine-inch gooseberry pie would typically require about 2 to 3 cups, or 16 oz, of the fruit. For the greatest longevity, choose berries that are firm with a golden color. They can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, during which they will become softer and darker. (Their life can even be stretched to three weeks if you intend on making a puree or jam, but it will be quite a squishy product.) To store them for periods longer than this, one should freeze them in a plastic bag or make a jam (recipe below) to enjoy gooseberries year round. The fruits are great sources of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and fiber so indulge in them for your health. (Well, except that because of their tartness they are usually combined with sugar...oh well.)
Why aren’t gooseberries more popular? Well, there was this little issue about a hundred years ago when the plants were found to transmit white pine blister rust, which was killing other pine trees. As such, there were federal restrictions placed on their growth. (Read more about that here.) Since then, several strains of safe gooseberries have been created and most restrictions have been repealed, but it means that people aren’t generally aware of them and don’t notice the culinary treat they’re missing out on. Admittedly, they are readily available in the canned foods sections of many supermarkets, but where’s the fun in that? We’ll have to chalk it up to a lack of consumer interest, which luckily we can change. The season has arrived for fresh gooseberries so keep your eyes open as you do your grocery shopping, and if you do find them, be sure to try some of these great recipes.
Gooseberry Jam
Ingredients
- 2 lb gooseberries (about 5 cups)
- 5 cups of sugar
- Juice of 1 Lemon
- 1 ¼ cups of water
Directions
1. Remove and discard all the stems
2. Place the gooseberries in a jam pan or wide sauce pan. Add the water; cook over medium heat until gooseberries are just tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add sugar and lemon juice and keep stirring until the sugar dissolves.
4. Turn up the heat; bring mixture to a boil.
5. Continue to cook rapidly until setting point is reached, about 45 minutes.
6. Ladle into warm sterilized jars and seal.
Sour Cream Gooseberry Pie
(The creamy tartness of the sour cream combines perfectly with the fruity tartness of the berries.)
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups fresh gooseberries
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 recipe pastry for double-crust pie
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, gently stir together the gooseberries and sugar. Let stand for 15 minutes.
3. Press one of the pie crusts into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate.
4. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Mix in the sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Add the gooseberry and sugar mixture, and stir to coat evenly.
5. Spoon into the pie crust, and place the second crust over the top. Crimp the edges to seal, and cut some decorative slits in the top to vent steam.
6. Bake for 55 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until serving.
Gooseberry Fool (Classic English Summertime Dessert)
Ingredients
- 3 cups pink or green gooseberries
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup well-chilled heavy cream
- 1/4 cup crème fraîche
- 1/4 cup superfine granulated sugar
Directions
1. Pull off tops and tails of gooseberries and halve berries lengthwise.
2. In a heavy skillet cook berries and granulated sugar over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until liquid is thickened, (about 5 minutes).
3. Simmer mixture, mashing with a fork to a coarse puree, (2 minutes more).
4. Chill puree, covered, until cold, (about 1 hour, and up to 1 day).
5. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat heavy cream with crème fraîche until it holds soft peaks.
6. Add superfine sugar and beat until mixture just holds stiff peaks.
7. Fold chilled puree into cream mixture until combined well. (Can be made up to three hours in advance and kept chilled.)
Recipes courtesy of epicurious.com, allrecipes.com and recipezaar.com, Information courtesy of Wikipedia and Connecticut Rare Fruits Growers, Inc., Images courtesy of Boxted Berries and Moblog.net
-Lauren Smith
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