Pink Thornless Gooseberries
Estimated Inventory, 1 Lb : 0
Description/Taste
Pink Thornless gooseberries are a medium-sized variety with a round to oval shape. The skin is smooth, taut, and translucent, ripening from green to dark red, and may bear a waxy bloom along with a few faint vertical stripes. Underneath the surface, the flesh is soft, dark red, tender, and aqueous, encasing many small, brown, and oval seeds. Pink Thornless gooseberries have a sweet-tart flavor with subtly sour, earthy, and berry-like notes reminiscent of black currants.
Seasons/Availability
Pink Thornless gooseberries are available in the summer.
Current Facts
Pink Thornless gooseberries, botanically classified as Ribes uva-crispa, are an early-ripening variety belonging to the Grossulariaceae family. The sweet-tart fruits grow on moderately-sized bushes reaching up to one meter in height and are further classified as a type of European gooseberry. Pink Thornless gooseberries are sometimes known as Besshipny gooseberries and Besshipny Rosea and are favored as a specialty cultivar grown in home gardens. The bushes are considered both ornamental and functional, providing edible fruits in the summer, and the variety is known for its thornless branches, making the berries easier to harvest. Growers also favor the cultivar for its frost tolerance, disease resistance, and high yields, with one bush capable of producing over 9 kilograms of fruit. Once harvested, Pink Thornless gooseberries can be eaten fresh, or they can be utilized in a wide variety of cooked applications.
Nutritional Value
Pink Thornless gooseberries are a good source of vitamin C to strengthen the immune system and provide vitamin A to maintain healthy organ functioning. The berries also contain copper to promote strong bones, fiber to regulate the digestive tract, and lower amounts of phosphorus, manganese, and iron.
Applications
Pink Thornless gooseberries can be consumed fresh when ripe, but the berries are more popularly incorporated into cooked applications, including simmering, baking, and boiling. When fresh, the gooseberries can be tossed into salads, sliced and displayed on cheese plates, or used as a fresh topping over ice cream. Beyond raw preparations, the berries are primarily cooked into jams, jellies, marmalades, and compotes and are used as a sweet-tart spread over baked goods, sorbet, and crackers. Pink Thornless gooseberries are also favored for use as a filling in pies, crumbles, and cakes, or they can be simmered into sauces and poured over roasted meats and oily fish. In mixology, Pink Thornless gooseberries can be warmed, pressed, and strained to make syrups and juices for cocktails, sparkling water, teas, and sodas. Pink Thornless gooseberries pair well with fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries, elderflower, honey, cucumber, avocado, ginger, roasted meats such as pork, poultry, and beef, and oily fish such as mackerel. Whole, unwashed Pink Thornless gooseberries will keep up to four days when stored at room temperature and up to one week in the refrigerator.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
In 19th century Russia, respected poet and writer Alexander Pushkin had a passion for food and was credited with the saying, “Never put off till dinner what you can eat for lunch.” Pushkin was known to discuss his favorite culinary dishes and snacks in conversation with friends, and gooseberry jam was one of his favorite condiments. The jam was primarily made by his nanny Arina Rodionovna, considered to be the most famous Russian nanny in history, and the gooseberries were harvested from their home garden each summer. Legend has it that Pushkin kept a jar of gooseberry jam on his deck and frequently consumed the spread on blinis or Russian-style thin pancakes. Gooseberry jam was also a popular addition to afternoon tea, providing a sweet contrast to black tea. In the modern-day, a Pushkin restaurant was created to honor the Russian poet’s legacy, serving his favorite dishes, including gooseberry jam and blinis.
Geography/History
Gooseberries are native to regions spanning across Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa and have been growing wild since ancient times. The fruits began to be extensively cultivated sometime before the 13th century, and with increased cultivation, many new varieties were developed for improved size, flavor, and appearance. The exact origins of Pink Thornless gooseberries are unknown, but the hardy variety belongs to the European gooseberry species and is favored by growers and home gardeners for its frost and disease resistance. Today Pink Thornless gooseberries are available in the northern areas of Europe, especially in the Caucasus region, and can also be found in Central Asia.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Pink Thornless Gooseberries. One
is easiest, three is harder.
