Gooseberries!

As most of you know, I am now in Germany. In fact, I am now in Weimar, Germany, labeled in 1999 the "cultural capital of Europe." Besides doing all sorts of sightseeing, which I can update you on in another forum, I have been checking out the food here. I can't say I have yet had traditional German food, but I have investigated all the produce stands outside of the small food shops. Tasting local, unusual fruit is by far one of my favorite things to do when traveling. 

So today I thought I'd share a new summer berry! The gooseberry - or in German, the stachelbeere,  is, according to California Rare Fruit Growers, native to the Caucus Mountains and North Africa. It requires cool summers and winter freezes, hence its predilection for German farms. The berry bushes can't sustain temperatures beyond 85 degrees; therefore, the fact that I wore a jacket today and ate gooseberries makes sense. There are also several varieties of gooseberries. I sampled the red gooseberry today. You might see the green gooseberry in speciality produce aisles. 

Because I was far from my baking equipment, I tried the gooseberries raw, as a pre-dinner snack. I ate them in Park An Der Ilm here in Weimar, and, while I suspect that - surrounded by the garden houses of famous German writers - they may have been particularly sweet, you will love them just as much if you eat them sitting on your own front porch steps. Here are some pictures and thoughts.

They are about the size of a grape tomato, with translucent skin and light-colored veins. They taste something like a cross between a blueberry and a kiwi. The skin is a bit tougher than a grape's but not by much. In order to eat the berry, you'll need to twist off the stems at both ends - easy to do, no knife necessary. This is called "topping and tailing" them.

The flesh inside is juicy and soft. In looks a bit like the inside of a passionfruit, but it tastes totally different. The seeds are easily eaten because they are surrounded by sweet, slippery fruit.

These would make a tasty dessert! After some internet research, it appears that the most common gooseberry dessert is gooseberry fool, a recipe for which you can find here. They would also make a great jelly. My recommendation is that you make strained jelly - not jam - since these berries have thick skins. In order to strain, a cheesecloth or a mesh sieve should work well.