Red Gooseberries
Gooseberries produce fruit from late June to July. The season is only about 4 weeks long so buy them while they are cheap in the shops and make this delicious crumble. A very British fruit, gooseberries thrive in our wet and slightly cool climate. Serve with ice cream or custard for a great British desert.
GOOSEBERRY MIX
Gooseberries 500g / 1lb 2 ounces
Granulated sugar 100g / 3½ ounces
Water 50ml / 2 fl oz
CRUMBLE
Granulated sugar 180g / 6 ounces
Self-raising flour 150g / 5 ounces
Cooking margarine (e.g. Stork) 60g / 2 ounces
Butter 60g / 2 ounces
Top and tail the gooseberries by pinching out the stalk and tail with your fingers.
Turn your oven on now so that it's pre-heated ready to cook later on. Heat settings are 180°C / Fan 160°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 5.
Gooseberries vary considerably by variety. Some are almost sweet, others are extremely tart. The water content varies as well. For information, we used gooseberries from our allotment which were the variety "Hinnomaki Red".
The variety of gooseberry "Hinnomaki Red" retains its rich red colour even after cooking, most gooseberries are green. A trick to get the red colour is to add a splash or two of the blackcurrant juice "Ribena"!
Because of this variation in sweetness we suggest you add roughly ¾ of the suggested amount of sugar at first. Taste the mixture when the gooseberries have broken down and add more sugar until the mixture is sweet but still tart.
Put the gooseberries, sugar and water in a pan on a medium heat. Stir frequently and cook for about 15 minutes until the gooseberries have broken down.
Taste the mixture, it should be sweet but still sharp. Add a little more sugar if it tastes too tart.
Cooking gooseberries for Gooseberry Crumble
While the gooseberries are cooking, place the butter, cooking margarine and flour in a bowl and mix until you get a bread crumb like texture. You can use the tips of your fingers, a fork or a food processor to do the mixing. Now add the sugar and mix it in well with your fingertips. Stop mixing immediately the breadcrumb texture is reached. Too much mixing and you will loose the breadcrumb feel.
Crumble topping mixture
Add the gooseberry mix to an oven proof dish and then cover with the crumble mix. Even out the surface with a fork and put in the pre-heated oven for around 40 minutes.
Gooseberry crumble ready for cooking
Serve hot or cold with ice cream or custard for a superb desert.
Gooseberry crumble served with ice cream
OTHER CRUMBLE RECIPES