Gooseberries! Just picked my first crop...now what?

[ilove]

There aren't enough to make jam, so I'm thinking of cooking and freezing some crumbles for winter. How do I cook the gooseberries to start? In a little water with sugar?

[Lilymaid]

To cook gooseberries you need very little water - about 2 tablespoons per pound of gooseberries and around 4oz sugar, though that depends on your taste.
However, you can freeze them raw - best method is to top and tail them and then open freeze them on trays, then put into bags so they aren't too stuck together. If you then want to make a crumble, take the gooseberries out of freezer and let them defrost in the dish you'll use for the crumble, sweeten to taste and then put on a crumble topping and bake.
A little elderflower cordial in with the gooseberries is delicious (and gooseberry ice cream with elderflower is fantastic).
Oh - and a mixed Strawberry & Gooseberry jam is also delicious and will set more easily than normal strawberry jam.

[ilove]

Ooh...can I freeze them and then make jam when the strawberries come out later? They are just starting to flower at the moment. And do you have a recipe for the ice-cream? I don't have an ice-cream maker though...

[HolidaysQueen]

I'd love the icecream recipe too! I love gooseberries

We made a delicious gooseberry meringue pie last summer. Basically just stew the gooseberries in a little water and sugar and then just follow a lemon meringue pie recipe but put the gooseberries in instead.

My mum used to freeze gooseberries whole like Lilymaid says and then use them in jam later with other fruits so I think that would be fine.

[ilove]

more good ideas! Does anyone know if the gooseberry bush will fruit again this year or is that it now?

[ilove]

Bumping!