Goosberry is a green or red currant (depending on the varieties) and it’s found under several names. Or at least it was found, since the gooseberry have the name ‘mackerel berries’ because in the Middle Ages, it was frequently used as a topping of mackerel fish. This name has been rarefied in recent years. Unlike common redcurrants, small, red and tasty, Ribes uva-crispa does not grow in clusters but in a slightly larger individual fruit with a thick, fluffy skin.
Information about gooseberry
Cultivated for its summer fruit, the gooseberry tree produces sweet and translucent gooseberries being very tasty. It is easy to tend because it’s sturdy and sturdy, but picking requires some precautions because of the thorns.
The species Ribes uva-crispa or Ribes grossularia belongs to the genus Ribes and the family of Grossulariaceae, formerly Saxifragaceae. Originating from the temperate regions of Europe, it is very prosperous in temperate climates. It is commonly called mackerel gooseberry in old French or thorny gooseberry. It should not be confused with redcurrants.
It is a bushy shrub grown in tufts, often thorny and vigorous, whose height reaches between 0.50 and 1.50 meters. Its deciduous leaves are green more or less dark, toothed and covered with fine downs bear a thorn at the base of their petiole. It gives discreet white-green flowers in early spring in March-April. Its fruits or berries, mostly yellow or red, but also green and white, appear from the end of May to the month of August, on 2-year-old twigs. They are oval, globose, translucent and measure between 2 and 3 cm. Their taste is both slightly sweet and tangy.
The gooseberry is very rustic. It is cultivated in the ground, in hedges or borders, in trellis, in pergola, but also in containers. It is used for its raw or cooked fruit, to accompany the fish or meat, to make pies, jams, marmalades, jellies, compotes, canning and making syrup. It is rich in vitamins C, A and B and mineral salts. This fruit is given digestive, diuretic, and laxative qualities.
Note: the common name gooseberry refers to the fact that the berries of this species are often used in the kitchen to accompany the fish, and in particular the mackerel.
The benefits of gooseberry
Vitamins and Benefits
Provided with vitamins C, the gooseberry has a count of 27.7 mg/100 g, thanks to the presence of flavonoid pigments. This gooseberry is necessary for the circulation of blood and also protects your blood vessels and capillaries.
Containing up to 12% water and little sugar, this fruit is not very caloric. Gooseberry also has citric acid, pectin and malic acid. It’s full of vitamins A and B that will give you the energy you need in the day. Did you know that this fruit has 5.18 g/100 g more carbohydrates than redcurrant?
With its 4.3 g/100 g fiber, the gooseberry contains diuretic and digestive properties. However, for people with fragile intestines, it is advisable to remove the skin beforehand.
On the other hand, the presence of trace elements in the gooseberry is quite significant. It’s also the case of potassium (198 mg/100 g), calcium (25 mg/100 g) and mainly iron (0.31 mg/100 g).
Natural remedies
Fighting against any type of constipation:
Crush the leaves and fruits of the gooseberry and pass the juice obtained in a sieve. Pour the preparation into a glass container and keep cool. Drink regularly, namely twice a day and outside of meals.
Harvesting and conservation of gooseberry
The gooseberries are small berries which is delicious to taste at the foot of the shrub like so many deliciously tart candies. Summer is the right time for harvesting, so the fruits are easily detached from their support.
When to harvest gooseberry?
The harvest ranges from mid-June to mid-August depending on the varieties of gooseberry. You can harvest 3 to 4 kg of fruit per foot on a well installed shrub, the two-year-old branches being the most productive. The fruits must be well colored, juiced, suppled under the pressure of the fingers and easily detached from their supports.
• Early varieties will be harvested from mid-June and early July: ‘Winham’s industry’, ‘ White Smith ‘, ‘ May Duke ‘, ‘Tocade’.
• Seasonal varieties in July: ‘ Careless ‘, ‘ Varianta ‘.
• Late varieties, harvest late July-early August: ‘ Resistenza ‘, ‘ Hinnomaki ‘, ‘ Invecta ‘.
How to properly store gooseberry?
Gooseberry does not keep very long after harvest, it will have to be consumed fresh fairly quickly.
In the refrigerator: unwashed and dried fruits are kept about a week in an unsealed container in a layer placed on bubble paper.
Freezing: stalk fruit, then put in a bag or trays. It is also possible to freeze the grout.
Conservation: 12 months.
Other conservation methods: jams, chutneys, syrups, liquors, several months or even years.
