Gooseberry Pie

Now there is one less thing on my “bucket list.” I didn’t grow up with gooseberry pie but where I live it is a popular - some say highly traditional - mid spring treat when gooseberry shrubs produce fruit.

My first awareness of this berry pie was through my father-in-law-at-the time. Weeks before the gooseberries were ready to be picked, he would wax poetic about gooseberry pie. Interestingly enough, he and his wife never shared a piece in the 14 years I was married to their son but that’s a whole different story.

This year, my neighbor Elaine knew someone selling already-stemmed gooseberries so she treated me to 4 cups, just enough to make one pie.

These green gooseberries are face-twisting tart. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

She also said to use half Stevia and half sugar, which I did. One piece made with all granulated sugar is 454 calories so worth trying a sugar substitute.

The pie is supposed to be dusted with sugar but I plan to drizzle with fresh honey.

Gooseberry Pie Recipe

You will need:

Pastry for Double-Crust Pie
4 cups fresh or frozen gooseberries
1 tablespoon water
1 ½ cups sugar or 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup Stevia
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon light cream or milk
Sugar (about 2 teaspoons)

To Make:

Prepare pie pastry. Roll out half of the pastry to a 12-inch circle. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim pastry even with rim of pie plate. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine berries, and 1 tablespoon water. Cook over medium-low heat until the berries "pop," stirring occasionally.
Combine the 1-1/2 cups sugar, the flour, and nutmeg; add to the gooseberries in the saucepan. Cook and stir until mixture just begins to bubble. It will look like mashed potatoes with the gooseberries cooked into mush.
Spread mixture in the pastry-lined pie plate. Roll out remaining pastry. Cut slits to allow steam to escape. Place remaining pastry on filling; trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold top pastry under bottom pastry. Crimp edge as desired. Brush top crust with cream or milk; sprinkle with a little sugar.
I used strips of pastry to make the top.

Fun to play with pie dough, I used a fork to crimp the edges. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Cover the edge of the pie with foil.

Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil.
My center was browning nicely when I removed the foil off the edges so I placed the foil over the center to keep it from over baking. Bake about 20 minutes more or until top is golden.
Cool. Makes 8 servings.

How does it taste? Definitely still tart but grape-like, would go nicely with vanilla ice cream both drizzled in honey.

What about the honey calories? Oh that, at my house honey calories don’t count!

Charlotte