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August 23, 2005
Gooseberries
Unrelated: I have taken to poking around Flickrs groups to see what my keywords might find. This morning's yeild: indie rocker boys with cats and squirrel fishing.
After a long walking tour of Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights with the wonderful J-Yo, I stumbled back to Park Slope sweaty and tired. I stopped by the market on the way home, hoping to find pomegranate seeds (which I learned, thanks to a friend, are currently out of season) and instead discovered a package of gooseberries.
Gooseberries! So pretty. So green. So foreign to me. What does one do with gooseberries? I had to buy them.
Despite my friend's warning that these berries were TART, I shoveled several into my mouth. Indeed, they are quite sour, not unlike unripe green grapes. I like tart things, so this was not a problem, however I could not help but wonder what exactly what kind of recipe one uses with slightly crunchy, mouth puckering fruit.
All I could find were recipes for pie and jam. I don't know about you, but there is something about green pie that I find very unappetizing. Any other suggestions?
Posted by callalillie at August 23, 2005 3:08 AM | Food
Sounds like if they were "crunchy and tart" your berries weren't ripe. When we were kids we'd pick these on the roadside near my grandparent's farm in Ireland. I remember them like hairy grapes too, but more sweet-tart than crunchy. Anyway, I've only eaten them by the fistfull ripe off the hedges, and have only heard of pie and jam myself. Maybe try as a stewed compote w/ Byrd's custard? That would be very Irish.
Posted by: Cynthia at August 23, 2005 9:40 AM
They were actually called "Tart Gooseberries" on the package. Some were a little mushier than others...but there were crunchy. Maybe I'll wait a day or two. The only recipes I've seen require about 6lbs of sugar. Does the pie really look green?
Posted by: corie at August 23, 2005 9:43 AM
Gooseberries are at their very best in pies or jams. They are very tart, even when ripe. They are a very Irish thing.Jam takes a lot of sugar, and costs a small fortune when you find it.
Posted by: Jane at August 23, 2005 10:50 AM
I don't think the pie would be green exactly. I'm thinking more like the yellow-y-brown-y goo you get from rhubarb. And I bet it would be fantastic. What's wrong with 6 lbs of sugar? (Tho' I would do it "to taste" personally.) I wonder more what you do about the hairy-ness of those suckers. Are you supposed to peel them?
Posted by: Cynthia at August 23, 2005 12:32 PM
Posted by: Alexis at August 23, 2005 1:15 PM
Maybe in a hearty wheatberry salad or something? Or with some other fruit and goat cheese in a spinach salad?
Posted by: Liz at August 23, 2005 2:03 PM
I just ate wheatberries last night. I always thought wheatberries would be more berry-like. Interesting combination. I need to do some culinary research.
Posted by: corie at August 23, 2005 3:44 PM
In Trinidad - we didn't have goose berries - but when a fruit was too sour or not quite ripe enough to eat and we insisted on eating it anyway, we would cut it open and sprinkle a tiny bit of salt on it. It actually fools your tongue into tasting something sweet. Try it! It works on mangoes, oranges & grapefruit.
Posted by: jenn at August 23, 2005 6:42 PM
Gooseberry wine - it's a British thing?
Posted by: Josh at August 26, 2005 1:32 PM
