In this post: Candied Gooseberries

We are balancing just on the very edge of gooseberry season right now. The last of it, that is, seeing as how they’re a love child of the hot summer months. Like a sweet summertime fling, these small glowing orbs are somewhat of a mystery to a lot of people, as they aren’t as common on our tables as some of summer’s more popular produce. But we are here to tell you that gooseberries are not to be overlooked – they’re so so delicious and really have a knack for bettering just about anything with which you choose to serve them. Take these candied gooseberries, for example. Their tart sweetness, bolstered thanks to the aforementioned candying, is truly lovely when paired with some salty, crunchy veggies (pictured below with the fresh and roasted radishes with blistered green beans). 2-ingredient recipes make our hearts go pitter patter over here …

In This Post

What is a Gooseberry?

Rising in popularity on tables the world over (particularly in the US in recent years) gooseberries are cousins of the currant – they’re members of the same genus. Tomatillos are also members of the same family. Ripe gooseberries, while they can be found in a variety of warm-toned hues, often have a reddish-yellow look, while unripe gooseberries tend to be greener, carrying a decidedly more defined “tang” and sour flavor. We find these are a bit easier to come by in stores, and they are often admired for the wonderful brightness they add to pies and jams. Speaking of which, gooseberries do tend to require some sweetening in order to make them palatable, and to temper some of their inherent sourness. But a spoonful of sugar absolutely does help the gooseberry go down, and we think you’ll find these candied gooseberries to be incredibly flavorful, delightfully different, and a wonderful accompaniment to so many things. Typically available from specialty grocery stores (we find them at Whole Foods), these berries may very well become your new favorite fruit.

What’s more, not only are gooseberries delicious, they’re full of health benefits as well. They are low in calories while also providing plenty of beneficial vitamins and minerals. One cup of berries provides nearly half of your daily requirement of vitamin C, around 1/4 of your dietary fiber needs, plus vitamin A and manganese.

How do you cook with Gooseberries?

Gooseberries, particularly the greener, less ripe ones, aren’t really meant to be eaten raw, however in certain applications, they can be. They benefit greatly from a little cooking, to help tenderize their skins and flesh and mellow out some of their sourness.

Red gooseberries are riper and decidedly more sweet, but still carry that sour flavor. They are delicious when used in typical berry-filled dishes, such as crisps, pies, jams, etc. Because it also has an inherent tang and sourness, gooseberries can also be be substituted for rhubarb in baking.

Green gooseberries aren’t as ripe and are much more tart. Try making a gooseberry pie, following the same directions in your favorite apple pie recipe, but simply replacing the apples with gooseberries, or going half gooseberry, half apple. In a more savory application, you can finely chop or dice some gooseberries and add them to a salsa, compote, or relish.

Here, though, we’re going sweet and simple. By cooking the gooseberries with a little sugar and some water, they tenderize and get all soft and jammy – their sour notes giving way to a nice burst of sweetness. We love to spoon these over ice cream, oatmeal, frozen (or unfrozen) yogurt, and they’re especially wonderful layered in yogurt parfaits.