Gooseberry Picking and Pie

Are gooseberries making a comeback? I've gone to battle against several gooseberry plants in my life, in an attempt to collect the delicious fruit from the thorny briars. Usually, I pick without gloves, because I find wearing gloves cumbersome. But I do wear long sleeves, slacks, and tennis shoes. Gooseberry canes are sharp with thorns, and you pay the price for claiming the fruit. If you're not familiar with gooseberries, read on to learn more about them and how to cook with this tasty fruit.

Green Gooseberries Vs. Ripe Gooseberries

Most gooseberry pickers pick gooseberries when they are green and under-ripe for use in pies. I've always wondered why, since the ripe ones are so tasty. Then it dawned on me--birds, squirrels, and a few daring dogs like ripe berries too. If you want to have gooseberry pie as well as fresh ripe berries, you pick the green, rather tart berries, a few weeks before the ripe ones. But you should consider netting if you want ripe ones to harvest.

What to Make with Gooseberries

Most of the berries I've picked have been green and tart for gooseberry pie. Although I've never made gooseberry jam or gooseberry crunch with gooseberries, you can make an assortment of culinary dishes with gooseberries. Think rhubarb--anything you can make with rhubarb, you can make with green gooseberries. Think strawberries--anything you can make with ripe strawberries, you can make with ripe gooseberries.

Where to Get Gooseberries

Gooseberry canes, if not well-tended, can grow long and arch. They can intertwine and spread out for feet, making gooseberry picking a real pain. If you're not into growing your own plant, you can often find gooseberries at larger supermarkets, at a roadside stand, or a farmers' market. They are in season from late May through late August, depending upon your location.

What to Expect from Gooseberries

Ripe American gooseberries range in color from slightly pinkish-yellows to deep purples. Generally, the more color, the less tart. American gooseberries have vein-like stripes on their skin, and you will probably pucker from eating one--unless it's fully ripe. Some folks don't eat the tart skin; they suck out the tiny seeds and the eat the inside only. European gooseberries are more oval in shape. Both types of gooseberries range in size from half an inch to an inch in diameter.

If you are brave or daring enough to pick at least a quart of gooseberries, you have enough for a 2-crust gooseberry pie. I don't have my mother's recipe, but after browsing the internet for an hour looking at gooseberry pie recipes, I found most recipes call for the same ingredients in varying amounts, with the only real differences being the type of thickener used and the cooking process used. Since I prefer things easy, here is my no-fuss version of gooseberry pie.

Easy Gooseberry Pie

In a mixing bowl add 4 cups rinsed green gooseberries with tails and tips removed, 1¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup flour, 1 teaspoon orange zest, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of nutmeg. Toss ingredients, lightly crush the berries with a potato masher--just enough to moisten the flour, and set bowl aside. You can leave the tails and tips on your gooseberries for more fiber, but most folks remove them.

Use a purchased pie crust for a 2-crust pie or prepare you own. Swipe the bottom crust with egg white to prevent a soggy bottom. Pour berry mixture onto bottom crust. Dot tip of berries with 2 tablespoons butter. Add top crust, seal, flute edges, and vent top. Swipe top crust with 1-2 teaspoons whole milk or cream for nice browning, and if you like, dust with a bit of raw sugar. Cook at 450 degrees for 15 minutes with a foil edge-liner, and reduce oven temperature to 350 for another 30 minutes without liner. Remove gooseberry pie from oven and cool on a rack.

If you've never tried a gooseberry before, it's time to give it a try. A ripe gooseberry tastes like a strawberry/pineapple mixture. It's full of Vitamin C and fiber, and it's a fruit that deserves to make a comeback. What do you think? Can you see yourself experimenting with a gooseberry pie, a gooseberry fruit salad, or a ripe gooseberry you pick fresh from the patch?