Gooseberries: What They Taste Like, How to Serve Them, and More

Co-authored by Dev Murphy

Last Updated: November 7, 2022 References

If you’re looking to literally bring something new to the table this week, consider the humble gooseberry. Gooseberries are a tasty treat on their own or in a dessert, though they remain less common than other fruits like apples or strawberries. Before you take the plunge and add this tart little fruit to the day’s menu, you might be wondering: What does it taste like? Wonder no more, because we’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about the sweetly sour little fruit known as the gooseberry—from taste and texture to purchasing and serving your very own gooseberries for all to enjoy.

Things You Should Know

Pop a gooseberry into your mouth for a pleasant sweet-tart zing. Gooseberries are often compared to sour grapes, lemons, or green apples.
Snack on gooseberries if you are a fan of sour flavors. Many love this berry, but some may find the fruit too tart to enjoy.
Eat ripe gooseberries (which are red-purple) if you want a sweeter flavor profile. For a tart gooseberry, go green. Green gooseberries are less ripe and more sour.
Enjoy gooseberries raw, canned, or cooked in sweet or savory recipes.

Section 1 of 4:

What do gooseberries taste like?

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Gooseberries taste like sour grapes, lemons, and green apples. No, they do not taste like geese. They have nothing to do with geese, really. Gooseberries are about the size and shape of cherry tomatoes, but these juicy little guys are often compared to grapes, lemons, and apples for their sweet-tart flavor profile, which many food-lovers appreciate, but which some may find too sour to enjoy.
- Gooseberries are also commonly compared to currants, to which they are closely related. Both gooseberries and currants make up the genus Ribes. If you’re in a pinch, currants often make an acceptable substitute for gooseberries when cooking and vice versa.^{[1]
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- Gooseberries, which grow on gooseberry shrubs, come in two main varieties—American and European. Note that the Indian gooseberry, also known as Amla, is not technically a gooseberry (though it is delicious in its own right, if you are considering trying it).^{[2]
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- Cape gooseberries are also often mistaken for gooseberries. They’re not real gooseberries, either!^{[3]
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Less ripe berries are sourer, while riper berries are sweeter. Riper gooseberries are red-purple in color, while younger berries are green.^{[4]
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Research source} If you're wondering whether you will like the taste of gooseberries, keep in mind that a gooseberry’s ripeness will affect its level of sourness: the riper the berry, the sweeter the juice, as they say.^{[5]
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- Less ripe gooseberries are green and resemble very tiny watermelons, while riper gooseberries are purply-red, similar to a red grape.
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The texture of gooseberries resembles a cherry tomato. Bite into a gooseberry and you can expect the sweet-sour zing of a lemony grape and the texture of a cherry tomato. The juices have the same consistency of a tomato, as well. The primary difference in texture between a gooseberry and a cherry tomato is the seeds: the seeds of a gooseberry are a bit more noticeable and add a little crunch to your snack.^{[6]
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- The skin of a gooseberry (which is edible) is firm but easily puncturable with your teeth, and bursts just like the skin of a cherry or grape tomato.

Section 2 of 4:

How to Eat Gooseberries

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The easiest way to eat a gooseberry is straight from the shrub. You can eat gooseberries raw. Gooseberries are ripe in the middle of the summer—around July—and though their season is short, they make up for it by being pretty unfussy when it comes to diving right in and chowing down.^{[7]
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Research source} If you see a gooseberry in the wild, treat yourself to a refreshing snack.
- Before eating, make sure to rinse your gooseberry, and “tap and tail it”—that is, cut the hard stem off the berry with a paring knife.^{[8]
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- As a reminder, green berries are less ripe and therefore more tart, so if you want a tart snack, green is your go-to. For a sweeter flavor, go for purple or red.
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Serve them in mouth-watering recipes, both sweet and savory. Gooseberries are delicious when paired with other foods—and contrary to what you may assume, they’re not only fit for sweet treats. Gooseberries make wonderful additions to savory recipes.^{[9]
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- Use gooseberries in pies, tarts, galettes, and other desserts. They also make delicious jams, jellies, and compotes.^{[10]
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- Gooseberries can also be used in savory recipes like relish or meat dishes. Their tartness and acidity makes them especially yummy in seafood, chicken, and pork recipes.^{[11]
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Add gooseberries to your favorite beverage. Gooseberries can be drunk in a variety of different forms, from cocktails to juices to syrups to smoothies. Their sweet-tart flavor makes them a delicious addition to any meal.^{[12]
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- Muddle your berries and add them to your favorite boozy drink.^{[13]
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- Or make them into a basic syrup to flavor your tea, cocktail, or soda.^{[14]
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Section 3 of 4:

How to Find Gooseberries

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Buy gooseberries at the grocery store. You can find gooseberries in farmer’s markets and in the produce sections of many grocery stores, though they still have not gained that much traction in the United States. While gooseberries are beloved across Europe, they are still relatively unknown in North America, but they are gaining in popularity.^{[15]
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- Gooseberries are still a well-kept secret in the United States due to the federal ban placed on growing currants and gooseberries, members of the genus Ribes, in the early 20th century. The ban was to prevent the spread of white pine blister rust, a fungal disease affecting white pines and Ribes.^{[16]
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- The ban on Ribes was lifted in the 1960s, but gooseberries remain rather unknown in the United States, and some states still prohibit the growing of black currants, which are particularly susceptible to white pine blister rust.^{[17]
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Pick them yourself. You can find gooseberries on bushes in North America, Europe, and Northern Africa. They have a short growing season, but they make up for that by being so tasty.^{[18]
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Research source} Pick a gooseberry straight from the branch and treat your tastebuds to a medley of sweet and sour goodness. Just make sure you pick a berry that’s slightly soft to the touch and not rock-hard—if it’s hard, it’s not ripe enough to eat.^{[19]
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- Remember, green berries are less ripe and therefore more tart. For a sweeter berry, go for the riper red-purple ones.
- Love gooseberries? Why not grow them yourself?

Section 4 of 4:

How to Store Gooseberries

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Store gooseberries in the fridge. Gooseberries have a short shelf life, but they last longer when refrigerated. Store them in a sealed container in the fridge, and you’ll be able to enjoy fresh, crisp gooseberries for about a week.^{[20]
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Freeze them to keep them longer. Fresh gooseberries can be frozen for up to three months. This way, you can enjoy delicious berries long after the gooseberry season has ended!
- Before freezing, remove the stems and place all berries on a cookie sheet, spaced apart so that they aren’t touching. Once they have frozen individually, add them to a freezer-safe bag and return them to the freezer.^{[21]
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Can gooseberries. Can your gooseberries to preserve them for a really, really long time.^{[22]
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Trustworthy Source
National Center for Home Food Preservation
Publicly-funded center dedicated to educating consumers about research-backed safety practices for preserving food
Go to source} Canning gooseberries extends their shelf life up to a year and a half.^{[23]
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