The name gooseberry or goosberry (which dates to at least the 15th c.) comes from the fact that the berries were commonly used to make a sauce for roast goose.

Description
Saxifragaceae family (currant family) - The gooseberry bush produces green, amber or purplish-red fruit. Relatives include the golden (or Buffalo) currant with red or white berries, the red currant, and the black currant.

The gooseberry produces small, shiny round berries 70 to 100 days after flowering. The berries grow in strings, are very pulpy, have an acidic taste and are less than 5 mm in diameter. Their flesh contains tiny achenes, or seeds. Unlike its relative the red currant (called groseille à grappes, or grape gooseberry, in French), which grows in bunches, the gooseberry is larger and grows singly on a thorn. It is especially prized in Northern European countries, where it has been grown since the Renaissance.

Nutritional values per 100 g
Calories: 30; Water: 83%; Sugars: 10 g; Carbohydrates: 15 g; Fat: 0.4 g; Protein: 0.9 g.
Rich in vitamin C, citric acid (hence its sour aftertaste), pectin and potassium.

Buying gooseberries
Choose firm, shiny berries that are not crushed or damaged.

Storage
The fruit will last one or two days at room temperature and up to a week in the refrigerator crisper. To keep them longer, destem and seed the larger berries and freeze them flat in a plastic bag. Smaller berries can be cooked into sorbets, coulis, jams and jelly, depending on their pectin content. Wash only just before use.

Cooking tips
Do not soak the berries: rinse them briefly in water. Handle as little as possible.
They freeze well. Excellent for cutting the fattiness of rich fish and meats.

Suggestions

• Add a handful of gooseberries to calf's liver near the end of cooking, along with a splash of sherry vinegar and a little honey.
• Add gooseberries to the pan gravy of a game roast, with a sprig of thyme or rosemary.
• Use in chutneys.
• Combine with rhubarb in pies.
• Mix with raspberries in a clafoutis.
• Gooseberry Crumble - Place a mixture of flour, sugar and butter over a layer of gooseberries and bake.
• Purée them and add to Italian meringue and whipped cream to make a frozen soufflé.
• Pan roast duck breasts. Deglaze the pan with gooseberry jelly and fresh gooseberries. Swirl some butter into the sauce.

The Worldwide Gourmet
USA - Gooseberry tart
Crumb Topping: 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup rolled oats, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup soft butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon