Thursday 14 July 2022

Gooseberries

 It's funny how the hot days of July can almost make you completely forget about the cold of winter, not that the one we just had was particularly bad. 

But I think a lot about winter during these hot days. I think about the abundance of summer and about preserving food for winter and spring. Of course this is still on a small scale, and would not be enough to see us through, but it all helps. 


July brings lots of soft fruit. Just two years ago I put in 10 extra gooseberry bushes and 10 blackcurrants and they have produced in abundance this year. It's incredible how much they have cropped. 

The gooseberries have been super sweet and perfect for snacking on raw (the kids take them to school as snacks). But I have also used some to flavour a vodka liqueur and put some with salt to create their own brine to make a salty and sharp berry that I'll then dehydrate. Some have gone into the freezer to be used later as well. 


I've kept on with the canning. Using the water bath method I have canned 15 jars of gooseberries to sit beautifully on my shelf and be used for pies and crumbles later on. 


The children have also used them for baking. I came in the other night and the boy was top and tailing some while his sister made a banana muffin recipe - gooseberries to be used in the place of chocolate! 


Sharp and sweet at the same time, they go amazingly well in baking. It makes me wonder why they have fallen out of favour over the years? Is it the processing time of topping and tiling them? Or have tastes changed so they're too sharp for most modern palettes? These cakes were incredible and we'll be making them again! 

I have about 3kg left that I've just picked this morning, it's the last of them and I think they'll end up in the dehydrator for long term storage. I love them like this, they taste like super sharp sweets and are very moreish! 

What's your favourite use for gooseberries?

10 comments:

  1. I think you're right about the time it takes to process them or maybe they've just fallen out of fashion. Same for blackcurrants and rhubarb which is a shame as they are all easy to grow in the UK and don't need transported halfway round the world like mangoes/pineapples etc. Gooseberry jam and compote are my favourites!

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    1. They are so easy to grow! I can't believe what a crop we've had already off these young bushes!

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  2. Replies
    1. Sounds good - confession though - I've never cooked a souffle!

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  3. When you top and tail them, cut them in half. Saute in butter; add some brown sugar and serve as a sauce with pork. I wish I had more but I have a moth problem which results in wormy berries. We make wine from our black currants.

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    1. Sounds good, I imagine the sharpness would work well

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  4. i like to eat them fresh off the bush. they are one of my favorite fruits and you rarely see them here. i grew my own but the bushes died so i will have to plant more.

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    1. they're easy to take cuttings from so if you can find someone with a bush take some cuttings this autumn.

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  5. My father used to grow both gooseberries and blackcurrants - neither needed netting against the birds and were heavy croppers. My mother used the blackcurrants to make a vitamin C drink for my brother and I which we had daily throughout the year.

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    Replies
    1. I think the number of bushes I've got mean I don't have to net them - although they have been stealing the raspberries!

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