Tag: gooseberries

Gooseberry delights

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!

Goosberry sweets

 

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A trio of Gooseberries

I had a gooseberry glut this year, first time ever so after over excitedly harvesting them all at once, I had a week of gooseberry themed breakfasts.  These are the top 3 – all very easy and quick and making the most of the tartness and sweetness combo that makes the gooseberry one of those ‘love it or hate it’ type of fruits.

The combo with peanut butter is fab – but be warned, the colour mix doesn’t make for pretty photos!

Gooseberry Smoothie

  • A large handful of gooseberries (approx. 15)
  • 1 banana (fresh or frozen)
  • 150ml apple juice
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup.

Blend it all together. The sweetness of the apple juice and maple syrup is a great foil for the tartness of the gooseberries.

Hot Gooseberry crumpet

  • A large handful of gooseberries
  • 1 teaspoon of coconut oil
  • Nut butter
  • Crumpet
  • Maple syrup

Melt the oil in a frying pan, add the gooseberries until they start to soften and split (about 3-5 mins).  Toast a crumpet and spread with a nut butter of your choice and pile the gooseberries on top. You can swirl some maple syrup over the top for extra sweetness.

Gooseberry and peanut butter compote

  • A large handful of gooseberries
  • 1 teaspoon of coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter

Melt the oil in a frying pan and add the gooseberries for 2-3 mins. Then add the peanut butter and heat through until it all starts to soften.

I’ve eaten this on its own, both hot and cold.  Also lovely stirred through soya or coconut yoghurt.

 

 

 

 

Gooseberry Chia Fool

I’ve just harvested the last of my gooseberries and this time of year they are definitely at their best, soft and sweet – I’ve been eating them directly from the bush.  This recipe requires no cooking, just blended fresh gooseberries with some maple syrup to add a little more sweetness.  It doesn’t quite replace the delight that is the rich gooseberry fool, but even I would struggle with lots of cream at breakfast time.

Gooseberry Chia Fool (serves one)

Goosberry fool

  • 100g fresh gooseberries
  • 100g natural yoghurt (or coconut yoghurt)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • Some coconut flakes to top

Blitz the gooseberries, yoghurt and maple syrup in a blender (save a few gooseberries for the topping to make it look pretty).   Put the mixture into a bowl and stir through the coconut and chia seeds.  Leave for an hour or more (I left mine overnight) – to let the chia seeds do their work to thicken the mixture.  Sprinkle the coconut flakes and some gooseberries on top and enjoy.