The gooseberry is a relation of the currant, although there are several key differences between the two, principally the gooseberry's spinous stems and the way in which its' flowers grow singularly, or in twos or threes, rather than in the racemes found on black and red currant plants.
Gooseberry varieties are available which produce red or white fruits, although the traditional yellow/green berries are much more widely grown. The fruit can be pureed and made into the gooseberry's most famous recipe - gooseberry fool - but can also be used sweet in jams, crumbles and pies of made into a chutney to accompany fish, cold meats and cheese. The gooseberry was a favoured accompaniment to mackeral in Victorian times, and the sharpness of the fruit is still delicious when paired with oily fish today.
Gooseberry nutritional information
| Nutrient | Amount/100g | RDA of nutrient |
| Water | 90.1g | |
| Energy | 19kcal | 2000kcal (women) 2500kcal (men) |
| Protein | 1.1g | |
| Fat | 0.4g | |
| Carbohydrate | 3 g | |
| Glucose | 1.3 g | |
| Fructose | 1.6 g | |
| Fibre | 2.4 g | |
| Folate (Folic Acid) | 8 micrograms |
200 micrograms |
| Vitamin C | 14 milligrams | 60 milligrams |
| Vitamin E | 0.37 milligrams | 4 milligrams (men) |
| 3 milligrams (women) | ||
| Potassium | 210 milligrams | 3500 milligrams |
| Iron | 0.3 milligrams | 8.7 milligrams (men) |
| 14.8 milligrams (women) |
Nutritional information from The Composition of Foods (5th Edition); Holland, Unwin, Buss
Recommended Daily Amount
as recommended by the Foods Standards Agency (UK)