Two ways with gooseberries, one fairly easy and the other super simple. The glut of gooseberries continues, the early hot sunshine this year has ripened them a month earlier than usual and I can’t eat them quickly enough. I have a few portions of gooseberry crumble in the freezer and couldn’t face any more, so instead I’ve made flapjacks. Easy and freezable – so a bonus. I also have a glut of tahini as I went into mad lockdown panic in April and stock piled tahini! – so I’m using it with everything and it works brilliantly with gooseberries.
Then, as I really couldn’t eat any more, I tossed the the remaining gooseberries in a freezer bag, added some sugar to coat them and froze them. I have discovered they are delicious eaten straight from the freezer like sweets.
I’ll keep experimenting as I still have a lot to pick and eat.
Gooseberry and Sesame flapjacks
- 250g gooseberries – topped and tailed
- 100g castor sugar
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 200g oats
- 50ml sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 100g vegan spread melted (or butter)
Toss the gooseberries in the sugar and then add the sesame seeds and oats. In a bowl, whisk together the oil, tahini and spread. Then add this to the gooseberry mixture and mix well. Use a baking dish to spread and flatten the mixture – you want to keep it looking quite chunky, so about an inch high.
Cook for 30 minutes at 200c, 400f or Gas 6. It should look browned on the top but will still be a little soft. Leave in the dish until cool and then divide into slices. Mine always crumble a bit, so don’t expect perfect slices! The crumbly bits are nice mixed in yoghurt or just eaten immediately.
Gooseberry sweets
Top and tail your gooseberries. Put in a freezer bag, toss with some sugar. Freeze. Eat frozen. As an additional option, also toss in some desiccated coconut with the sugar before freezing and/or some cinnamon. You now have a bag of healthy sweets to dip into every time you go into the kitchen!
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