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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!.

KEY POINTS

INGREDIENTS

WHAT SPECIAL KITCHEN EQUIPMENT?
Oven proof pie dish.

CLICK ANY PICTURE BELOW TO ENLARGE IT

COOK'S NOTES
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.

PREPARATION
Top and tail the gooseberries by pinching out the stalk and tail with your fingers.

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 ad show in the left hand picture. Taste the mixture, it should be sweet but still sharp. Add a little more sugar if it tastes too tart.

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 your hands, a fork or a food processor. Now add the sugar and mix it in well. Note that if using a food processor, stop mixing immediately the breadcrumb texture is reached. Too much mixing and you will loose the breadcrumb feel.

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. Serve hot or cold with ice cream for a superb desert.

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