For years I had seen the formidable gooseberries in the forest. Green with long spines, they looked like berries from a far-away planet. No one I knew did anything with the gooseberries so I opted to hike on by and leave the berries to the brave wildlife that had learned to manage all those prickly things on the outside of the berry. Have I made my point that the berries do not look friendly?
With our expanding interest in foraging, Amanda and I decided that we needed to try out ALL the edibles in our locale. Gooseberries, here we come!
When the student is ready, the teacher will come. Our teacher was Pat Rickert who has lived in the area for many more decades than we. She coached us on how to get the berries off the bushes and where to go for the best harvest.
It turns out that the green intimidating objects I knew as gooseberries were simply not ripe. When the berries ripen to shades of ruby red and magenta the sugar is high and the prickers soften considerably. Harvesting the berries was much easier than we anticipated.
Are wild Sierra gooseberries worth the trouble?
Not being in survival mode right now, we want our food to taste good and be worth the effort. I admit that we are spoiled. Now we are spoiled even more. Those ripe gooseberries cooked up into a most amazing syrup – unique, earthy, and addictive. The little bit of work required to make the syrup is well worth it. And the work of harvesting? How can you call it work as you stroll among the ancient forest of trees at 6500 foot elevation, birds singing, breeze cool and clean? Work? You get my drift.
How do you make gooseberry syrup?
- Wash the berries a couple of times in cool water. Use a large container that will hold the berries along with enough water to cover them. Gently swish the berries around and drain off the water. Do not let them soak or they may start releasing their precious juice into the rinse water.
- Pick out any stray leaves, sticks, and remnants of the forest.
- Put the berries in a large enough pan to leave 2 inches of headspace. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. You do not want to overdo the water and dilute your juice. This small amount of water keeps the berries from sticking to the bottom of the pan in the initial cooking. In a few moments the gooseberries will begin to release juice and create their own swimming pool.
- Place a tight-fitting lid on the pot and keep the berries on low heat until you find the perfume of the berries begin to fill the kitchen. Remove the pot to another surface where you have access to electricity.
- Sprinkle sugar over the berries in a 1 to 2 ratio. If you had 2 cups of berries, use one cup of sugar.
- Using an immersion blender, crush the berries and mix in the sugar. You could use an old-time potato masher for this job, but the immersion blender does a more thorough job, releasing more of the juice.
- Return the pot to the stove and simmer for another 20 minutes or so, stirring frequently. You do not want the sugar to begin to burn.
- Put the cooked berries through a sieve to strain out the roughage. We use an old cone-shaped sieve like my grandmother used for her elderberry jam. I love the sieve and the nostalgia that comes with it. I find it easier to manage than a Foley food mill.
If you have enough syrup you could can it like jam. We’ve done small batches that hardly call for canning. Our syrup is frozen in ice cube trays and then bagged for longer storage in the freezer.
Enjoying the end product
Having a limited amount of this marvelous syrup, I’m already making plans about how to best use it. The gooseberry flavor marries well with cream, hence we have had gooseberry ice cream. It also blends with many fruits. How about thawing out a cube of syrup to add to a pint of homemade applesauce? Magic! You will not run out of ways to enjoy this antioxidant-rich addition to your menus.
FAQs
Gooseberry (/ˈɡuːsbɛri/ GOOSS-berr-ee or /ˈɡuːzbɛri/ GOOZ-berr-ee (American and northern British) or /ˈɡʊzbəri/ GUUZ-bər-ee (southern British)) is a common name for many species of Ribes (which also includes currants), as well as a large number of plants of similar appearance.
What is gooseberry called in English? ›
The most common commercial fruits are the English gooseberries (Ribes uva-crispa), popularly called grossularia, which are native to the Old World and have long been cultivated. In Europe the large-fruited cultivated gooseberries became naturalized.
Are gooseberries sweet or sour? ›
What Does a Gooseberry Taste Like? The flavor of gooseberries depends on how ripe they are, with green gooseberries being more sour and red/purple gooseberries being more sweet. Most describe them as similar in taste and texture to grapes, but more acidic.
Can you eat raw gooseberries? ›
Early in the season they are bright green, with a veined effect on the skin, and quite hard and tart – they are best for cooking with, in particular to make the classic English pudding, gooseberry fool. Later on, softer, sweeter varieties become available, often yellow or red coloured – they are good eaten raw.
What country grows the most gooseberries? ›
- Sep 13, 2023, 01:11 PM IST. Top 10 gooseberry-producing countries in the world. ZeeBiz Webdesk.
- Here's a list of the top 10 gooseberry-producing countries in the world: Production Value (in tonnes)
- Indonesia. 18,300,000.
- Philippines. 15,354,334.
- India. 11,930,000.
- Brazil. 2,890,286.
- Sri Lanka. 2,513,000.
- Vietnam. 1,303,826.
Also known as Indian gooseberries, this walnut-sized fruit has 40 times more antioxidants than blackberries or blueberries. The tart berries also have up to 20 times more vitamin C than oranges.
Is gooseberry good for kidney? ›
Amla, also known as Indian gooseberry, may contain powerful nutrients that could improve kidney health. In fact, the powerful polyphenols and high vitamin C content, may keep kidney stones, high creatinine levels, and blood pressure issues away.
How much gooseberry should I eat a day? ›
Amla (Indian Gooseberry) Nutritional Value
For adults, a recommended amount of daily amla consumption is 75-90 mg per day. If you are not already convinced, read this long list of amla's health benefits and you would know why you should indulge in this sour treat daily.
Can dogs eat gooseberry? ›
Gooseberries, despite their nutritional value for humans, are a no-go for dogs. They're related to grapes, notorious for their toxicity to canines. Avoid feeding your dog gooseberries to prevent potential health risks.
Can you eat gooseberries right off the plant? ›
Gooseberries begin producing fruit one year after planting, and are generally very dependable every year following. The 'Hinnonmaki Red' gooseberry has a unique tart and sweet taste combination. They're great for making pies and jams, but are also tasty when eaten fresh from picking.
Why? Amla contains lot of salts, ellagitannins in addition to polyphenols, citric acid and ascorbic acid. Initially when amla is eaten, these constituents coat the tastebuds giving a sense of bitter & sour taste. Later as the water /saliva washes out this coating, the actual taste of the fruit- sweetness is felt.
When should you not eat gooseberries? ›
You should also stop taking Indian gooseberry prior to surgery because of this bleeding risk. There's also some evidence that it may lower blood sugar levels, so if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes or other blood sugar management conditions, you should be mindful of this ( 17 ).
Does gooseberry help hair growth? ›
Amla, also known as Indian gooseberry, is a fruit commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine for its numerous health benefits. It is believed to have a positive impact on hair growth, making it a popular ingredient in various hair care products.
Is gooseberry good for your hair? ›
Amla or the Indian gooseberry can treat hair loss effectively. This edible fruit is considered as a miracle cure for hair care. It stimulates hair growth and improves the quality of hair. It contains calcium, which promotes healthier hair.
Do gooseberries have another name? ›
Gooseberries are also known colloquially as feabes, feaberries, carberries and wineberries – the latter name coming from the fact they make excellent wine.
What is another name for gooseberry fruit? ›
Physalis peruviana is a species of plant in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) native to Chile and Peru. Within that region, it is called aguaymanto, uvilla or uchuva, in addition to numerous indigenous and regional names. In English, its common names include Cape gooseberry, goldenberry and Peruvian groundcherry.
Are gooseberries legal in the US? ›
But in 1966, the total federal ban was lifted and now you can buy gooseberries in stores like Trader Joe's or online.
Can you buy gooseberries in the United States? ›
WHERE CAN YOU BUY GOOSEBERRIES IN THE UNITED STATES? It may be a lesser known fruit, but nowadays you can buy gooseberries everywhere. Shops like Trader Joe's, Walmart and even Amazon sell these berries. Indian grocery stores usually also sell amla, Indian gooseberries, in the fruit and vegetable or frozen departments.
