Foodie Blog

Cape Gooseberries

November 2008

You know how it is when you taste something and it feels like you are transported back in time to your childhood. That is how I feel about cape gooseberries. My grandparents used to have a small bush in their backyards that had grown from a wandering seed as if by accident. It climbed out of a pathway but luckily no one weeded it out because the berries were so big and delicious, even we children savoured then.

Naturally I marked out which ones would be ripe on my next visit and made a mental note to reach them on arrival before my brothers and sisters. The yellower the berry, the sweeter the flavour and don’t ask me to compare the flavour to anything because they are so unique! The level of acidity and texture however is similar to a kiwifruit inside and the seeds are similarly easy to chew on without bother. In fact, the seeds add to the experience with their crunchy texture.

Aptly named this marble sized fruit is enclosed by a paper lantern shell otherwise known as a “cape”. Lets face it, if the berry falls from the plant it has its own wrapper to prevent it from getting dirty! They are known by a few other names as well all of them self explanatory: Ground cheery, Golden berry, or Inca berry. Inca berry makes sense because this plant is a Native to Peru and Chile.

This plant is not a cousin to kiwifruit or Chinese Gooseberry, it is in fact a member of the tomato family. Of course the tomatillo (not available in New Zealand) is most closely related which also grows in a paper shell. The shrub itself looks similar to a tomato plant, just smaller and not quite as green. It is available for purchase in the months of high summer but if you grow them they bare fruit from Feb – Oct.

If you can resist scoffing every Cape Gooseberry in sight and have enough to make a recipe, try this one for Cape Gooseberry Jelly. Perfect as a condiment with cheeses this jelly it has all the acidy taste and juices of our favourite gooseberry trapped in it to delight the senses.

Cape Gooseberry Jelly

• 150g hulled cape gooseberries
• 500mls or water
• 1/4 cup caster or white sugar
• 1 drop yellow food colouring
• 2 teaspoons of gelatine powder

Slice the gooseberries in half and set aside. Pour the water and sugar into a pot and bring to a simmer. Add the gooseberries and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Sprinkle on the gelatine powder, then stir into the liquid until all the gelatine has dissolved.

Pass the liquid through a fine mesh strainer but leave the seeds in the bottom of the pot. Pour liquid jelly into 6 small dariole moulds then distribute the seeds between them.

Leave to cool to room temperature then chill for a minimum of 3 hours. Serve as a condiment with blue cheese and crackers or bread.

Serves 6

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Food photos and article © Genevieve Knights