Or gooseberries, but the childish name still seems to fit these sharp little furry berries. You hardly see them in the shops - they are hard to pick as the bushes are so prickly so perhaps they are not commercially viable these days - and they are not always popular. If they are not sweetened carefully or cooked for long enough, they can be sour and have tough skins.
But when picked from the allotment or gathered at a farmers market, or perhaps if you are lucky enough to see them in a greengrocers, gooseberries have a smell and taste which to me means summer, even in this chilly year. You need to top and tail them, put them in a pan with say 4 spoonfuls of sugar to a pound in weight to begin with, and then stew very gently only adding a little water if you think they are going to stick on the bottom. Taste and don't be afraid to add more sugar if they need it.
The resulting mixture, once they have softened and started to meld together, can be eaten straight away, perhaps hot with vanilla icecream, or once cold stirred into whipped cream and custard for a classic fool, or topped with crumble or a quick sponge - all delicious. We freeze any surplus from our allotment, cooked like this, so there are ready summery puddings once their season is over.
One marvellous thing about gooseberries in season is that they ripen just as the elderflowers are appearing as white froth in gardens and hedges. Pick two fresh flower heads for each panful, shake them and rinse quickly under running water, then pop them on top of the fruit. Then take them out when the fruit is ready and you will have a wonderful additional fragrance and flavour - a heavenly partnership.
But when picked from the allotment or gathered at a farmers market, or perhaps if you are lucky enough to see them in a greengrocers, gooseberries have a smell and taste which to me means summer, even in this chilly year. You need to top and tail them, put them in a pan with say 4 spoonfuls of sugar to a pound in weight to begin with, and then stew very gently only adding a little water if you think they are going to stick on the bottom. Taste and don't be afraid to add more sugar if they need it.
The resulting mixture, once they have softened and started to meld together, can be eaten straight away, perhaps hot with vanilla icecream, or once cold stirred into whipped cream and custard for a classic fool, or topped with crumble or a quick sponge - all delicious. We freeze any surplus from our allotment, cooked like this, so there are ready summery puddings once their season is over.
One marvellous thing about gooseberries in season is that they ripen just as the elderflowers are appearing as white froth in gardens and hedges. Pick two fresh flower heads for each panful, shake them and rinse quickly under running water, then pop them on top of the fruit. Then take them out when the fruit is ready and you will have a wonderful additional fragrance and flavour - a heavenly partnership.
Comments