Gooseberry Pie: Many Ways To Make This Old
Im happy to report that the gooseberry pie is not extinct. It is still enshrined in the hearts and the private recipe collections of a lot of people.
In answer to our recent plea for a recipe for gooseberry pie, we received no less than 35 letters, all assuring us there is a large army of gooseberry pie lovers still alive in the nation, and most of them enclosing their favorite recipes.
Some were moved to nostalgia. Like Mrs. A. W. Higgason of Xenia, Illinois. Gooseberry pie! You take me back at least 60 years, she wrote. I have known gooseberries from the time I set the thorny starts, and hoed them for two years, through the Paris-green dusting for the two-toned green looper worms that ate all the leaves.
The sitting on the rag rug to pick all the berries, the trying in vain to get all the thorns out of my fingers. And the slow stemming job that was worst of all . . . By the time we had stemmed 10 or 15 gallons of berries, with thumb and forefinger throbbing, we could hardly wait to eat the berries until theyd been made into pies in the winter.
We stewed gooseberries with sugar and poured them over hot soda biscuits. We made preserves and jelly after they had ripened a little.
We played a game where we tried to see who could put the most berries into his mouth at once. Twenty was my limit, and I was always bested by some other kid who had a larger mouth or a greater resistance to acid.
Anyone who can make a fruit pie can make a gooseberry pie, like this:
Handmade From The Freshest Ingredients
Here at Iowa Orchard, we have built a reputation on our wonderful quality, from the customer favorite Dutch Crumb Apple to the newer flavors like Black Raspberry or Chocolate Pecan. We are very particular with our top crust, which is made with an actual rolling pin, floured cloth, and delicate technique. Our top crust is very flaky no one, except maybe Gramma, could match it.
The real secret to the best pie from us is our frozen unbaked pies. No thawing required, just pop it in the oven and make your house smell like heaven! They are good for 6 months in the freezer.
For those watching their sugar intake, we offer LOW SUGAR PIES made with sugar substitute . Made by order only.
Pies are kept at room temperature. They can be refrigerated to prolong their shelf life, but it affects the flakiness of the crust. Pumpkin and Chocolate French Silk are always stored refrigerated.
To place an order call us at 515-276-0852 or .
ONLINE ORDERS REQUIRE 24 HOURS ADVANCE NOTICE.
Here at Iowa Orchard, we have built a reputation on our wonderful quality, from the customer favorite Dutch Crumb Apple to the newer flavors like Black Raspberry or Chocolate Pecan. We are very particular with our top crust, which is made with an actual rolling pin, floured cloth and delicate technique. Our top crust is very flaky no one, except maybe Gramma, could match it.
For those watching their sugar intake, we offer LOW SUGAR PIES made with sugar substitute . Made by order only.
Dutch Crumb Apple
Recommended Traditional Gooseberry Jams
We’ve selected the one that has less added sugar and a good amount of berries in it.
Why you should buy it
It’s light on the sugar and heavy on the gooseberries, just as we like it!
Gooseberry jams have a light, slightly sour, slightly sweet green grape flavor.
We like to have gooseberry jam on our pancakes but also in various desserts. Try it out for yourself!
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What Is Gooseberry Pie
Gooseberry pie is a pie that is comprised of a traditional pie crust and a fruit filling of gooseberries mixed with sugar. Gooseberries are native to Europe, northwestern Africa and southwestern Asia. They usually are hairy and green, although they occasionally can be found in smooth and red or purple varieties as well. Gooseberries are most often described as tasting like very sour grapes, which is why sugar is considered to be a crucial ingredient for a gooseberry pie.
It is not clear how gooseberries first received their name, although many people believe that the name originated from the German word krausbeere or the French word groseille, both of which are used as loose names for the berry. There is some evidence that the berrys name derives from the fact that the plant was once commonly grown on the same grounds that geese lived on. Gooseberries thrive best in coastal and lakeside environments but also can be found in drier plains environments. The plants flourish as far north as Scotland and Norway, and many people believe that the berrys flavor becomes sweeter with increasing latitude.
Recommended Amla Gooseberry Juice
This Juice is an Indian gooseberry juice.
Its made from the Amla fruit and its pure#ad. Its not made from a concentrate and does not contain a lot of water. This one is USDA Certified Organic.
The juice can actually survive open in your refrigerator for 30 days. That’s quite long for a juice. Especially one with no additives!
The juice is not very sweet, it has a citric sour taste, that has a resemblance to lemonade. Its really tasty!
Why you should buy it
We recommend juice made from pure Amla because of the Amla berries amazing health benefits. The juice has an amazing shelf-life.
The juice can last in its container for up two years if you dont open it. You dont even have to have it in your refrigerator until you’ve opened it.
The taste is a bit sour as there is no sugar added. But if you like lemon juice, you’ll probably like this!
Please don’t hesitate to Contact Us if you have any questions or comments about our recommendations.
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Our Recommended Frozen Gooseberries
There are frozen gooseberries to buy online. We recommend this brand of frozen berries#ad because they are true gooseberries.
The small European gooseberry comes in both green and red varieties.
Why you should buy it
We recommend that you buy these frozen gooseberries, because of the above mentioned fact that it’s all true gooseberries and that they have no additives.
They’ve been frozen after picking just as they are. When you have frozen berries, your imagination is the only thing that sets the limit of what you can do with them. To eat them as they are or make a nice gooseberry jam yourself is really cool. That way you can control all ingredients that you have in your jam.
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- Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus chilling
- Cooking time: 35 minutes
460g Cooks’ Ingredients frozen shortcrust pastry sheets, defrosted800g gooseberries, stemmed150g caster sugar, plus extra for topping2 tbsp elderflower cordial1 egg, beaten
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Recommended Amla Dried Gooseberry
This means that there are no additives, just all natural berries#ad
They can be a bit hard to chew, but if they are too hard for you a trick is to leave them in some water for a while, to soften them up.
They are also quite sour. Not like the fresh product but the sourness is there.
We like the sour flavor with that sweet touch at the end.
Why you should buy it
We recommend dried Amla gooseberries because of their great health benefits.
Dried berries are perfect too make tea of, especially if you think that they are hard.
I like to soften them up a bit.
This is also a very popular product that’s very versatile.
You can use them for eating them as they are or even to wash your hair!
How To Cook With Gooseberries
Before incorporating gooseberries into recipes, you need to “top-and-tail” them, which means removing the dark, tough stalk from one end and the dried flower remains from the other. The stem pops off easily but the tails need to be cut off with a knife. The gooseberries then need to be washed.
The fruit is best known for gooseberry pie, which calls for green, unripe gooseberries. The berries are halved, cooked in a skillet along with some sugar and butter until the sugar dissolves, and then thickened with some type of starch, such as tapioca.
Gooseberries are also a wonderful choice for making a sweet and savory chutney. The gooseberries can be combined with onions, vinegar, and various seasonings and then simmered until thick . Once cooled, the chutney is served with cheese and crackers or as a condiment.
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What We Look For When Choosing A Juice
Juices are often very sweet and some manufacturers add sweeteners and other additives that we try to stay away from.
There are also juices that are made from concentrate and if that’s the case, they often have a very high content of water.
I am not a fan of buying water with taste, when Im looking to buy juice. I like it when it’s made from 100% berries or fruits.
What Do They Taste Like
Gooseberries have a tart flavor, although they do sweeten somewhat as they ripen. Compared to the green gooseberries, the red and purple varieties are significantly sweeter, and they take on a winey, grapelike flavor as they ripen. In general, gooseberries taste like a sour grape, or a bit like rhubarb, which is itself highly prized in baking and desserts, but on its own is too sour for most people’s palates.
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What Does Gooseberry Pie Taste Like
A great gooseberry pie is equal parts SWEET and SOUR. The buttery taste of the crust, and the sweetness of the filling help tame the unripe gooseberries sour flavor.
So, have you ever had gooseberry pie? I’d love to hear any memories that you have of this sweet and sour pie!
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DONNA ENDRESEN
Monday 13th of September 2021
Gooseberry pie is one of my favorites from my Grandmother. When I had to drive gross country fo the Army, I would make sure I would stop in Salinas, KS at a certain truck stop that had Gooseberry pie! I now have two Gooseberry bushes that are 2-3 years old and loaded w/ ripe gooseberries. I will pick, freeze then make Gooseberry pie this winter or this fall after all produce is in from the garden! I cant wait to try your recipe!
Michelle Goth
Wednesday 15th of September 2021
Funny enough, I am about an hour away from Salina Kansas where I live right now! Gooseberries are one of those things that you just have to have a source We grow our own now. I really hope the recipe turns out well for you, Donna!
Lena Potyondy
Thursday 9th of September 2021
I made this over the weekend with gooseberries from our bush! Very good, much more like a custard type pie than what I’ve made before. I did find that I needed many more gooseberries than the recipe called for. I would recommend about 6-8 cups of gooseberries , depending on how much you cook them down and how deep your pie pan is. Thanks!
Robin K
Michelle Goth
Recommended Amla Gooseberry Powder
This Amla powder is organic.
Amla powder is usually imported from India and this one is made of 100% raw berries#ad with no additives.
Amla powder is very popular and lots of people use it in various way for instance in smoothies or even as a skin and hair treatment!
Why you should buy it
We recommend this powder because of its health benefits.
We choose Amla gooseberry powder over another gooseberry powder because the Amla berries are exceptionally high in anti-oxidants and vitamin C.
This powder has a very sour and astringent flavor, but to mix this in your smoothie or sprinkle some on your food, it doesn’t take over, it adds to the flavor.
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Our Recommended Gooseberries In Syrup
We recommend these gooseberries in syrup#ad available through Amazon.
We like gooseberries in syrup because you can have them in your cupboard for a long time.
These are an excellent staple food, for that time when you suddenly want to make a gooseberry pie! Its not always you have fresh gooseberries at hand.
Why you should buy it
Gooseberries in syrup is a great alternative when you can’t get fresh gooseberries.
These gooseberries havent been prepared in any way. They’ve just been canned with water and sugar. This is something we appreciate. They have an amazing long shelf-life if you dont open the jar.
These berries are quite sweet. So if you have a sweet tooth, these are perfect. But they also work wonders in for instance a sauce to chicken or pork.
Where To Buy Gooseberries
If you live in a state with no restrictions on gooseberries, you can find them at farmers’ markets or possibly at the supermarket. Gooseberries may also be found in Indian grocers, where they are known as amla, in the produce and freezer sections. The gooseberry season runs from May until August, with the peak coming during the month of July.
You may come across canned gooseberries, as well as gooseberry pie filling and syrup, which will contain added sugar.
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Where Can I Buy Gooseberries
Health Benefits: fresh frozen organic green gooseberries are a good source of bioflavonoid plant pigments that help prevent cancer and other diseases.Cape Gooseberries Also known as Ground Cherry or Physalis, 2021 · Amazon.com: fresh gooseberryOregon Fruit Gooseberries, thin skinned, but takes a few years to produce and may not yield as high as currants or gooseberries., When fully ripe, and highly productive, in a bushy flourish of leaves atop a single stem they can also be grown in pots, soft, thin skinned, easy to grow, is somewhat smaller than European gooseberries , They have an amazing long shelf-life if you dont open the jar, 2020 Havent been able to find any available, edible pips.Farms Selling Gooseberries, Applebarn & Estate Cidery, These berries are quite sweet.Cross between a gooseberry and black currant, Going into the fourth generation, Disease resistant shrub, sweet-tart fruit for fresh eating and processing, Produces delicious large, Gooseberries in syrup is a great alternative when you cant get fresh gooseberries, These gooseberries havent been prepared in any way, Taves Family Farms,The truth is I hate most gooseberries: they have horrible thorns and get mildew and leafspot so even the delicious ones are a pain, high in Vitamin C,500-10,000 feet.Gooseberries can be trained as standards, the plants have very few