Gooseberries

[Lindsey]

Due to unseasonable weather here in Scotland, i.e. heat, have a glut of wonderful gooseberries flooding into my workplace. I would be so grateful for any ideas to use this fruit in a new and interesting way. We are mainly a local fish and seafood eatery so have used the fruit with Mackerel and as a desert with crumble and a fool(!!).

Thanks all, new here so please bear with me.

[rickster]

Not that exotic an idea, but I recently made a gooseberry tart. Prebaked a tart shell, added a layer of pastry cream and then added a layer of gooseberries that had been stewed with sugar and some cornstarch, It was delicious.

[mhjoseph]

Not that exotic an idea, but I recently made a gooseberry tart. Prebaked a tart shell, added a layer of pastry cream and then added a layer of gooseberries that had been stewed with sugar and some cornstarch, It was delicious.

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There's an ancient Hungarian recipe for roast beef with gooseberry sauce that I made which was very good. Google revealed that it can be found here http://books.google.com/books?id=ujkMntRNL...ngarian&pg=PA98

in Google Books.

[david goodfellow]

Thanks for reminding me.

I had a bush full from the garden a couple of weeks ago, too many to eat up so I stewed them with lots of sugar and some elderflowers from one of the paddocks, they were totally delish.

Had loads left over so I froze a big tub full.

Will have some tomorrow

[Tri2Cook]

I really like gooseberry jam so that would probably be my vote. Maybe less exciting than you had in mind though, and definitely not new. Maybe replace the tomatillos in a recipe with gooseberries and see what happens? Pickled gooseberries? Gooseberry salsa? Gooseberry sorbet? Dry 'em into gooseberry raisins? Gooseberry summer pudding? A gooseberry gastrique? Sorry, just kinda brainstorming a bit.

[nibor]

Welcome Lindsey. I would love to hear more about berries in Scotland. Some years back I stayed at a bed and breakfast near Fort William. At breakfast we shared our blueberry muffins with a pine marten named Millie. She came in the window, and took them home to her kittens.

[djyee100]

I've never tried gooseberries. I'll have to keep an eye out for them at the farmers market.

Meanwhile, here are some ideas from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Best of Shaker Cooking by Amy Bess Miller and Persis Fuller.

- Gooseberries in a batter pudding. Sounds like a clafoutis with gooseberries.

- Gooseberry catsup. Pick over, wash, and drain 10 cups gooseberries. In a large pot, combine the gooseberries, 8 cups sugar, 2 cups cider vinegar, 1 1/2 TB cinnamon, 1 TB cloves, 1 TB allspice. Simmer for 2 hrs. Pour into sterilized jars and seal. (Or--as I do sometimes with preserves--don't seal & keep it in the fridge. It should be good for a few weeks. I give the extra to friends.)

- Gooseberry Cream. Stew 1 quart gooseberries with 2 cups sugar. Strain & set aside to cool. Make a custard: Heat 1 quart milk, then add 3 beaten eggs and 2 TB sugar. Stir constantly over low to moderate heat until it thickens. Remove from heat. Add 2 tsp rose water. Let cool. Combine the custard and the gooseberries. Pour into a serving dish, and refrigerate. To serve, garnish with dollops of whipped cream (1 cup total of whipped cream).

[HappyLab]

Last weekend, I made a gooseberry chutney that I served with seared duck breasts. I've posted the recipe on my blog: http://culinarystudio.blogspot.com/2009/07...ry-chutney.html

[Meanderer]

We use currants for making a syrup to put on pancakes and waffles. I would think gooseberries would work just as well, although I don't think I've run across any pancakes or waffles on my visits to Scotland so you might need something else to put it on.

[Lindsey]

We use currants for making a syrup to put on pancakes and waffles.  I would think gooseberries would work just as well, although I don't think I've run across any pancakes or waffles on my visits to Scotland so you might need something else to put it on.

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Actually the Scots love pancakes in any shape or form and they can be bought at all local bakers. Thanks for the idea.

[Lindsey]

Welcome Lindsey. I would love to hear more about berries in Scotland. Some years back I stayed at a bed and breakfast near Fort William. At breakfast we shared our blueberry muffins with a pine marten named Millie. She came in the window, and took them home to her kittens.

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That sounds like a lovely B and B you found!! We live not far from Fort William, beautiful area and lucky you to have seen a pine marten, that is something I have never seen. The first of our Scottish Raspberries and Strawberries are coming in now - they are truly delicious with a wonderful depth of flavour and I await the arrival of the currants for a huge Summer Pudding

Thank you everyone for your replies - the ketchup sounds wonderful.

[slacker]

I really like gooseberry jam

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I adore gooseberry jam. It seems to go pink sometimes....

Fondest memory is of freshly baked scones (ace recipe ;-)) with GJ and clotted cream. The zip of the fruit v. the sweetness of the sugar v. the pastry-crunch of the scone v. the cream.... wow.

[lapin d'or]

I don't know if you will still have elderflowers around but if so you could serve elderflower fritters with roasted gooseberries and thick greek yogurt.

[Jossa]

I grew up with a grandfather who had a glut of soft fruit every year, my grandmother used to stew the gooseberries with a little sugar and we would have them warm with ice cream! Still brings back childhood memories!

Gooseberry jam is another one she always made and always had a freezer full of fresh ones frozen straight from the bush.

[David Ross]

I absolutely love gooseberries, yet sadly, they have pretty much fallen out of favor in my neck of the woods. It seems as though a lot of people haven't even heard of a gooseberry. (Maybe it's just a sign of my age group). It's too bad since our climate is perfect for growing gooseberries.

In late June of every year I get a gallon bag of fresh green and pink gooseberries near my Mother's home in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. The pink berries seem to be a bit sweeter.

While we typically associate gooseberries with baking, jams and preserves, last week I made both a sweet dish and a savory dish.

I made my Grandmother's traditional gooseberry pie with the green berries--and a savory dish--gooseberry chutney using a combination of green and pink berries. (I did the same thing with some fresh rhubarb-both a sweet pie and a savory chutney).

I wasn't sure if gooseberries would work in a chutney as I'm not that experienced in cooking with them. I worried that maybe I wouldn't get the liquid ratio correct, so I just went ahead and used the same chutney recipe I use for rhubarb--fruit, onion, currants, golden raisins, onions, garlic, brown sugar and a good lick of apple cider vinegar--all stewed down into a chutney.

I plan on using the gooseberry chutney throughout the Summer on grilled chicken, duck, quail and a nice rack of lamb.

[Lindsey]

I have actually unearthed an interesting looking chutney recipe with Indian spices and lots of Cardamon which looks interesting, will post recipe if anyone interested. Think I will now make both Ketchup and Chutney - Goosesberry jam sounds wonderful but if I made it I would have to eat it and Heaven knows I have enough troubles with sweet things as it is

[djyee100]

If you have a chance, let us know how it goes. I'm curious how the ketchup turns out. Maybe I can make it with red currants if gooseberries aren't available here.

[Darienne]

I grew up with a grandfather who had a glut of soft fruit every year, my grandmother used to stew the gooseberries with a little sugar and we would have them warm with ice cream! Still brings back childhood memories!

Gooseberry jam is another one she always made and always had a freezer full of fresh ones frozen straight from the bush.

Do you think that freezing the gooseberries before you make them into jam changes the the nature of the pectin in any way?

Thanks.