Kitchen Garden Forum

Serves 8, Calories per serving 240, Fat per serving 20g.

350g (12oz) gooseberries, fresh or frozen
6 cardamom pods
60g (2oz) caster sugar, to taste
284ml pot double cream
200ml cold ready-made thick fresh custard
Dill or Mint leaves to decorate

1. Put the fruit in a pan over a medium heat - add 1 tablespoon water with fresh gooseberries (don't bother topping and tailing), don't add water if using frozen berries. Bring to simmer, shaking pan occasionally, cook for approx. 10mins or until soft.
2. Mash fruit with a potato masher or fork, then press through a nylon sieve to remove pips. You should be left with 200ml (7floz) puree.
3. Crush the cardamom pods to open, remove the husks, crush the seeds with a little sugar and add to the warm puree with the remaining sugar. It will taste quite sharp, but don't be tempted to add more sugar. Cool completely.
4. Whip the cream to soft peaks, fold in the custard, then fold in the goosberry puree - keeping it marbled if possible. Serve chilled.

Not suitable for freezing but the puree could be frozen, use within 3 months.

Hi Belinda,
I have had a wonderful crop of Gooseberries this year and some I have cooked, (just) weighed out and frozen into portions.
I made some Gooseberry Crush the other day and that is to cook as you did and push through a sieve and then, when cold, simply added large pot of Jersey Cream and whipped together. As usual I made too much using 11/2lbs of Gooseberries and quite a lot of golden granulated sugar pop through the sieve then add cream and whip together and put into fridge to cool and simply serve. I can make a bowl of this last for about an hour by using a teaspoon just placed on the surface and licking the back of the spoon. Piglike I know!!
I do exactly the same with Strawberries but simply put in the blender, add sugar and then the cream.
The cream is produced on the farm next door to me and is of course wonderfully fresh. BTW I also have Jersey Milk every day and Butter every week.
I also made a very tasty Raspberry Crumble last week which was super and for that I needed Custard and I am not too good at making that but I'm getting better at it.
How do I best make a Summer Pudding? I would be very appreciative if somebody can help me. I only have home made Bread which is 50/50 Wholemeal and Strong White flour. Does it need to be made with White Bread?

I've PM'd you a recipe JB. It's usually made with day old white bread, but it might be worth an experiment with a 50/50 mix.

Hi Tigger,
Boo Hoo!! no PM to date!

Well, where's that gone then?

I'll do it again.