I read that you should take off some unripe gooseberries in late May and they can be used for cooking. Any good recipes on how to do this ?
One possibility might be to make some gooseberry sauce (like apple sauce) to serve with pork or with mackerel. It'll freeze well.
Gooseberries have plenty of pectin Rhubarb has none so the two should marry for jam making.
However, I have never heard of picking them unripe. Perhaps it is one of those myths which occurred when there was little fruit about and some was needed.
Do we know the origin of the theory?
I think it is to thin the fruit a bit.
cj :)
MMMMMMMMMMmmmm the thought of mackerel and goosegog sauce . Can't beat the combination. have never tried it with pork but am going to.
Quote from: Melbourne12 on May 12, 2008, 10:45:34
One possibility might be to make some gooseberry sauce (like apple sauce) to serve with pork or with mackerel. It'll freeze well.
Do you have an easy recipe ?
Quote from: carolinej on May 13, 2008, 06:55:30
I think it is to thin the fruit a bit.
cj :)
Let them grow, they do not need thinning. But if you must pick early.
Just stew them with sugar and very little water. You can blend them and add a little chopped mint when they are cool. This would be a nice sauce to serve with lamb.
A basic guide:- Jam needs equal weight in sugar added to fruit. So 1lb fruit 1lb sugar
Stewed fruit 25% sugar. 1lb fruit 4oz sugar. You can add more sugar if you find it needs more, to suit your taste.
If you are adding sweeteners instead of sugar to stewed fruit always do it when the fruit is almost cold (because sweeteners taste bitter cooked into fruit).