Previous
The country fair sounds like a quaint event, with images of pie-eating contests and food and craft stalls as far as the eye can see. These kind of fairs aren’t just a vision of times past; country fairs happen all over the country, celebrating what makes each place special. In some places, that special feature is the gooseberry.
If you’ve never eaten gooseberries before, you should really give them a try. If you live in a region where planting gooseberries is banned, you can get them dried, canned, or even frozen online. Sometimes you can find them at a farmers’ market or even at the grocery store, if they grow near you. They sort of resemble grapes, but they’re more delicate and don’t travel well—which is why it’s rare to see them at the grocery store. Some gooseberries, like the Pixwell Pink gooseberry, are sweet/tart; others, like the Invicta White gooseberry, are sweeter.
They all taste great in pie. For this recipe, if you have fresh gooseberries, that’s great; we really want to hear how your pie comes out! If your gooseberries aren’t ripe yet, try using canned or frozen gooseberries.
When you bake a gooseberry pie, you’re baking a piece of history. The British have been baking gooseberry pies for hundreds of years and Gooseberry pie has been on the American menu since the 1800s.
Good luck with your gooseberry pie baking. Please let us know how the recipe turns out for you—and if you have any recipes you’d like to share with us!
Print
Gooseberry Pie
A country fair classic—and often the source of spirited competition—gooseberry pie is as American as, well, apple pie. Enjoy a hearty slice of Americana with this time-tested recipe.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6-8 1x
- Category: Bakery
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh gooseberries
- 3/4 cup of sugar (or to taste, depending on your gooseberries)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
- Pastry for a double-crust pie (pre-made or homemade; your choice)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F with rack in the middle of the oven.
- Remove stems and any dried flower ends from the gooseberries and wash them thoroughly but gently. Drain them and put them in a large mixing bowl.
- Combine the sugar, flour, and salt in a small mixing bowl.
- Add the sugar mixture to the gooseberries, stirring gently to thoroughly coat them.
- Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry.
- Pour the gooseberry mixture into the lined pie plate.
- Sprinkle the small pieces of butter over the berry mixture.
- Add the top crust. Seal and flute the edge, and cover the edge of the crust with foil to prevent burning.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil from the edge of the crust and bake for another 25 minutes, until the crust is a golden brown
- Cool on a wire rack.
Notes
The key to a successful gooseberry pie is to know your gooseberries; some are sweeter or tarter than others, depending on the cultivar and when they’ve been harvested. You may want to adjust your sugar level depending on the sweetness/tartness of your gooseberries and the taste preference of your judges—or guests.
Planting and growing gooseberries is easy, and the harvest is delicious! There are terrific, disease-resistant varieties to choose from, and you only need one gooseberry bush to start! So, what are you waiting for? With this collection, you get all the details that go into growing and harvesting plump, juicy gooseberries. Get recipes that make the most of the flavor of your gooseberries so you can enjoy the fruits of your harvest all year long! Get it all in our Triumphant Gooseberries Collection right now!
Have you ever made gooseberry pie? Do you serve anything with it, like ice cream or a slice of cheese? Please tell us how it turned out for you.
