
Gooseberry Fool is like a British summer in a bowl. This easy to make, creamy, sweet-tart dessert is a delicious treat, keeps well in the fridge, and is perfect for entertaining. It’s also naturally gluten free!
What on Earth is a Gooseberry?
Gooseberries have funny little stems (tops and tails) on each end and they can be kind of fuzzy. Normally a bright, jewel-like green, you can also find red, pink and even purple gooseberries from time to time. Green gooseberries are very tart, however, pink, red or purple gooseberries (often called dessert gooseberries) are fairly sweet. The gooseberries I used for the recipe in the photograph were red, but green gooseberries work just as well.
Properly prepared, gooseberries are a gorgeous summer treat, redolent of a beautiful British summer day. Gooseberry Fool is one of my favourite summer desserts. Gooseberry jam is also absolutely delicious, and I will happily abandon my healthy eating resolutions for a good gooseberry pie.
How do you Pronounce Gooseberry?
The Canadian in me would pronounce the name of this fruit as ‘Gooseberries’, saying ‘goose’ like the bird and ‘berry’ as, well, ‘berry’. However here in England it’s pronounced ‘Guzburry’.
I have never quite understood this. Okay, ‘berry’ is pronounced ‘burry’ in most parts of England, but we say ‘goose’ similarly to North Americans when referring to the species of bird. It’s just one of those great British mysteries – like why ‘Derby’ is pronounced ‘Darby’, ‘shire’ as ‘sheer’, ‘Birmingham’ as ‘Birmingum’ and Reading, as Redding.
How to Prepare and Eat Gooseberries
To prepare the gooseberries, start by washing and draining them. Then cut the tiny brown stem from the top and the little green ‘tail’ from the bottom of the berry. This is easily done with scissors and is referred to as “topping and tailing” the gooseberries.
Raw gooseberries can then be cooked whole in pies and crumble recipes just like blueberries. Alternatively you can gently stew or poach them on the stove top and use them in fools like this, or stir them through yogurt or porridge.
Gooseberries are extremely tart so I don’t recommend eating them raw.
What’s the History of Gooseberry Fool?
Gooseberry fool is a classic English dessert traditionally made with sweetened cream and pureed fruit. Fruit fools been around since the sixteenth century and are a great way to use up fruit that it is a bit over ripe or on the tart side.
How To Serve Gooseberry Fool
Gooseberry Fool is pretty easy to make, and the only labour intensive part is topping and tailing the gooseberries (see the preparation section above). The thing I love about this kind of dessert is that you can make it ahead of time and have it ready to serve in the fridge for stress free entertaining.
I like to serve Gooseberry Fool in cut glass dishes, martini glasses or (my favourite option) vintage teacups.
The fools will keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours, although I prefer to serve them within about 4 to 6 hours of making them.
Gooseberry Fool – Printable Recipe
Gooseberry Fool
Ingredients
- 2 cups gooseberries, topped and tailed
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- ¼ cup St Germain liqueur or undiluted Elderflower cordial
- 1½ cups double or heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ cup vanilla yogurt
- fresh mint to garnish
Instructions
- Place the gooseberries in a saucepan.
- Stir in the sugar and the water.
- Heat over low heat, stirring frequently, until the fruit begins to break apart. This will take between ten and fifteen minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir, breaking any remaining pieces of fruit down so that the fruit is a rough puree. Don’t worry about the seeds.
- Put the gooseberry puree in a heat-proof bowl.
- Let the mixture cool and then refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.
- Remove the gooseberry puree from the fridge. Drain away any runny liquid using a sieve.
- Stir the St Gemain liqueur or Elderflower cordial into the gooseberry puree.
- Whip the cream and the tablespoon of sugar in an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
- Whip in the yogurt.
- Fold the gooseberry puree very gently into the cream and yogurt mixture. It’s okay if you can see ripples of puree.
- Spoon gently into 6 serving dishes.
- You can serve the fools immediately but it is best if you can refrigerate them for at least an hour before.
- Garnish each fool with a couple of mint leaves.
- Any leftover Gooseberry Fool will keep for about 24 hours in the fridge.
Notes
did you make this recipe?
Make sure to tag #apriljharris on Instagram and follow @apriljharris for more.
Other Summer Desserts You May Enjoy
Raspberry and Rose Jelly and Cream
Easy Individual Almond Trifles
More British Classics
SaveSave
Comments & Reviews
Looks yummm !
We get these berries in India but not in Brazil.. Will definitely try to make when I visit India.
Thanks for liking my Orange Tutti Frutti bread 🙂
Thank you, Shobha. That is interesting to hear that gooseberries are available in India but not Brazil – I hope you enjoy the recipe when you try it!
What an interesting dessert. I have never seen a gooseberry. I wonder if their available around my parts. Im going to have to ask around.
Thank you, Christine. I hope you can find some as they really are delicious!
OMG this sounds awesome, I really have not tried many recipes for Gooseberries, but I see one I would love to today!!
Thank you, Heidy! I hope you enjoy it if you do try it 🙂
This looks delicious April! I see gooseberries in the market all the time and had no idea what to do with them!
Pinned and shared!
Thank you, Joanne. Do give gooseberries a try as they can be really delicious 🙂 Thank you for pinning and sharing!
I cant wait for our gooseberries to come so I can make this.
I hope you enjoy it, Bintu – it really is delicious!
It’s sad but I don’t expect my kids would even now what a gooseberry looks like as you just don’t see them in the shops any more. Your fool looks wonderful and I am now longing for the taste of gooseberry which reminds me of my childhood!
I love gooseberries so I know I will adore this dessert 🙂
April, this sounds so good, but to be honest, this is the first time I hear about this fruit. The Gooseberry Fool sounds so refreshing and tasty. Pinning!
Thank you, Hadia, and thank you for pinning too!
My mom use to find gooseberries when we would go hunting, or hiking in the woods. This looks like a delicious dessert!
That is so cool, Cindy 🙂 I’ve never seen gooseberries growing wild here – although I think there are pick your own farms. Thank you!
April, we actually do get gooseberries occasionally here in Florida, but I have never tried making any type of dessert with them. Your Gooseberry Fool looks so light and summery…I must give it a whirl!
I hope you enjoy it, Linda! It really is perfect for summer 🙂
I’ve heard of gooseberry but never tried it before. I’m super curious as this dessert really looks inviting!
Thank you, Winnie. I hope you can find some gooseberries locally 🙂
Oh yummy April!
I’m so glad you like it, Nancy 🙂
It sounds like a lovely dessert! I have never actually seen gooseberries here, although I had heard of them. I’m always game to try things that are new to me though! Hopefully they will show up around here at the Farmer’s Market one of these days!
Thank you, Michelle. I hope you are able to get hold of some gooseberries – Farmer’s Markets are a great place to find them 🙂
We sell gooseberries at the farm and I was thrilled to see this recipe. It looks splendid. Thank you for sharing at the Recipe Swap.
I’m so glad you like the recipe, Kathy! Gooseberries are one of my favourite fruits 🙂
April, this goes onto my must-make list for when I can get hold of some “guzburries.” I would take your pronunciation of Birmingham even further by eliminating the “r” — Buh-ming-um — though that isn’t exactly right either! 😀
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do, Jean! You are right, some people do say it Buh-ming-um 🙂 There are so many accents here in the UK, it’s amazing for such a small country!
Oh – I think I’ve only ever had green gooseberries, and didn’t like them at all. I had no idea there were other, sweeter, varieties…
I’ve only just tasted the sweeter variety this year, Pauline 🙂 I had heard of them, but had never been able to find them. Then suddenly this summer, there are ‘dessert gooseberries’ available almost everywhere here!
I never made anything with gooseberries, I just enjoy them fresh. Pinned this recipe so I can make it next summer when they come back (I already ate them all, lol)
Thank you so much for pinning, Jas! Gooseberries really are a wonderful fruit 🙂
What a lovely presentation in your Mothers Tea Cups for the delicious Gooseberry Fool. This is a perfect summer dessert for a seasonal fruit like the Gooseberries. Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen
Thank you, Miz Helen!
Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared.
I appreciate you sharing, thank you, Marilyn 🙂 Have a lovely week!
Congratulations! Your post was featured this week on Full Plate Thursday,489. Thanks so much for sharing you talent with us and come back to see us soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you so much for the feature, Miz Helen! That’s so kind of you! Take care and have a lovely rest of the week!
Rhubarb fool is also a very nice summer dessert. Thank you for the great recipe. I will have to try it today. Our Guz berries are ripening 🙂
I like rhubarb fool as well, David. How lovely to have homegrown gooseberries! I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Can I use the picture of your gooseberry fool in tea-cups for the recipe-list I make? I do super-basic simple recipes only, for people who grow berries and other fruit on their own land. It is NOT a cook-book
Hi Madelon,
Where will the picture be appearing? If it is on your website, then I am happy for you to use the photograph provided it links back to the recipe here https://apriljharris.com/how-to-make-gooseberry-fool/ and is credited to me with the words, “photo ©April J Harris”. If it elsewhere, in any form of printed matter, please clarify this with me first. Thank you!