Gooseberry

About

Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) has a tart, distinctive flavor more complex than most table grapes, and like rhubarb, cooking apples, black currants and elderberries, it develops its best character when cooked with sugar. Historically many cultivars were grown in the UK, some noted for particularly good flavor; red and yellow varieties are generally sweeter and can be eaten raw as dessert fruit. Gooseberries freeze well but hold up poorly to canning.

Pairs well with gooseberry

• CiLemonGooseberry carries a hint of green apple along with a sharp, spritzy acidity.
• FrAppleGooseberry's flavor is itself apple-like, green, grassy and sour, similar to a more herbal, musky Granny Smith.
• CiGingerGinger adds sweetness and a floral-lemony lift to gooseberry, in moderation -- it's a common addition to the gooseberry sauces served with…
• BeMintClassic gooseberry sauces cook the fruit first, but at River Cottage in Devon raw gooseberries are briefly macerated with mint, cider…
• FfVanillaA classic pairing in a gooseberry fool.
• GrFennelA sauce of strained, lightly sweetened gooseberries with butter was once a classic accompaniment to rich fish such as mackerel, though it…
• WoOatGooseberry and oat should be a natural Scottish pairing, and though no single dish claims them exclusively, they turn up together often:…
• WoPecanAn 1906 American farming journal, The Western Fruitgrower, suggested chopping small green gooseberries with celery, cabbage and nuts into…
• FrYogurtThick Greek yogurt makes the best gooseberry fools, since its neutrality lets the fruit's flavor lead while its acidity complements the…
• GrGreen teaChef Anna Hansen pairs green tea scones with a gooseberry and vanilla compote, noting that tea's grassy, savory aroma suits scones well.
• GrSorrelChef Richard Corrigan considers sorrel the best wild pairing for gooseberry.
• SpBay leafBay leaf amplifies the herbal note that emerges in cooked gooseberries; a compote simmers berries with sugar and bay leaves (removed after…
• BeElderberryCooked together, elderberry and gooseberry approximate the flavor of black currant, or of the jostaberry, a hybrid of black currant and…
• FfElderflowerA now-classic pairing that was little known before Jane Grigson popularized it in her 1971 book Good Things.
• FfLycheeGooseberry and lychee notes turn up together in pale ales made with New Zealand Nelson Sauvin hops, which yield gooseberry, lychee,…