Ingredient: Gooseberries
Category: Fruit - Soft
Season: June to August
The gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa (syn. R. grossularia) is a species of Ribes0, native to Europe, northwestern Africa and southwestern Asia.
The climate of the British Islands seems peculiarly adapted to bring the gooseberry to perfection, and it may be grown successfully even in the most northern parts of Scotland where it is commonly known as a "grozet"; indeed, the flavour of the fruit is said to improve with increasing latitude.
Early imports from France (where, strangely, there isn’t a specific word for gooseberries) and Poland can help extend the season, but home-grown fruits tend to arrive mid-June and last until August.
There are countless varieties in this country , mainly as a result of our passion for local gooseberry competitions in the 19th century, but buyers can discover all they need to know just by looking at the fruit.
Early gooseberries – hard, small and very green – have the best flavour for cooking.
Varieties such as Whinham’s Industry and Careless come into this category, though as they ripen and sweeten the former turns positively red and the latter a milky white.
For a dessert fruit, try the larger, yellowy-green Leveller later in the season.
If not fully ripe, gooseberries can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to three weeks.
For freezing, slightly under-ripe gooseberries are preferable |