The fuzzy term berry falls far short of designating the rich and complex variety of fruits associated with its definition, botanically more complex to limit. Sticking to edible varieties, the popularity of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and currants has relegated other fruits such as prickly pear or grape crispa to oblivion. almost forgotten in Spain but that unleashes passions in Europe.
Known in English as gooseberry and in german Stachelbeere, its popular character and the assortment of varieties that have been developed over time mean that they can be found under different names, generating some confusion when searching for them. In Spain we can find it as currant or gooseberry, thorn, crispa or agranzónand the best known are clearly identified by their hairy appearance and somewhat translucent color.
what is gooseberry
It is identified as currant or European prickly grape to a plant of the family of the Grossulariaceae to which also belong the common currants, genus Ribessubgenre Grossular. Thus, the Ribes grape-crispa either Ribes grossularia it’s a bush It can reach up to three meters in height, although it rarely exceeds a meter and a half.
It has a very thick bearing also in width, with wide ramifications densely populated with trilobed or pentalobed leaves, with marked ribs, rounded or heart-shaped profile and toothed edge. The thin branches are covered with thorns, usually very sharp and prickly, in the style of blackberries.
![What is the gooseberry, thorn or grape crispa, a sweet berry almost unknown in Spain Currant](https://i.blogs.es/11c108/grosella-espinosa/450_1000.jpg)
Its flowers open in spring and are not aesthetically very striking, with an elongated bell-shaped shape, growing alone or in pairs, with about five well-marked lobes and discrete shades of color between greenish yellow and pink. The fruit is a false edible berry that does not grow in clusters, and that matures in late spring or early summer, and inaugurates the season of wild fruits in much of Europe and some areas of America.
With a globular shape, more elongated in the younger specimens or certain varieties, it is not usually a very large fruit, although it is usual for it to exceed the common currant. Cultivated gooseberries usually reach a larger calibersometimes even surpassing strawberries and strawberries.
![What is the gooseberry, thorn or grape crispa, a sweet berry almost unknown in Spain red currants](https://i.blogs.es/d7e1de/grosella-rojas/450_1000.jpg)
The best-known fruits are pale green, with a somewhat translucent and smooth skin, often revealing internal lines They look like tiny nerves. There are also varieties that are more pink, reddish and with purple tones, as well as some more yellowish berries and others that are almost completely white.
In fact, it is the wild green currants that are more reminiscent of grapes due to their color and shape, somewhat longer, and they also have small seeds inside, which when eaten are perfectly edible.
Origin, production and cultivation
Native to the European continent and Southeast Asia, this shrub is widely spread throughout central and northern Europe where it grows naturally in the wild, spontaneously, often in mountain areas, forests and, in general, cold and humid climates with mild summers.
![What is the gooseberry, thorn or grape crispa, a sweet berry almost unknown in Spain Red Gooseberry2](https://i.blogs.es/fb8cc6/grosella-espinosa-roja2/450_1000.jpg)
In recent decades, their popularity has declined in favor of other more commercial forest fruits, but they are still fervently collected and cultivated on the continent, especially in United Kingdom, where it is a fruit of long tradition. British settlers brought this shrub and its varieties to the United States, where it still survives as an ornamental crop and a much more local and specialized consumption berry.
It is a plant that is relatively easy to grow if a well-drained moist soil is maintained and safe from droughts, very dry atmospheres or extreme heat, although it is capable of withstanding strong winter frosts. This has led to the development of different varieties of gooseberry in recent centuries, which today have also spread wild, especially in the British Isles, where they come to compete for the best specimens and larger-sized fruits.
![What is the gooseberry, thorn or grape crispa, a sweet berry almost unknown in Spain Green Currant](https://i.blogs.es/30e813/grosella-verde/450_1000.jpg)
In Spain It is a very marginal plant whose berries are practically unknown commercially, although there is some interest in recovering it as a complement to the popularity that all berries and fruits of the forest have gained in recent years. The bush grows wild in parts of the peninsular northeastespecially in Aragon, Catalonia and the Betic System, almost always associated with mountainous and forest areas.
Nutritional properties and benefits
Due to its scarce presence in the market and the Spanish culinary tradition, the BEDCA does not have nutritional data on this berry, but we can establish similarities regarding its benefits with other currants and similar fruits. In this sense, we emphasize that they are a food of low energy intakepractically without fat, with a moderate content of carbohydrates and low in sugars, great source of micronutrients.
![What is the gooseberry, thorn or grape crispa, a sweet berry almost unknown in Spain Gooseberry Still Lifejpg](https://i.blogs.es/2e461b/grosella-espinosa-bodegonjpg/450_1000.jpg)
According to the Swiss food composition database, we find that the gooseberry barely provides us with 35 kcal per 100 g of raw edible berries, just over 6 g of natural sugars and about 88 g of water. It is also a source of antioxidant vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, beta-carotene, very rich in potassium and also contains vegetable calcium and phosphorus.
It is therefore a fruit very healthy suitable for all types of diets and stages of life -with specific exceptions for medical reasons-, moisturizing and satiating, naturally sweet in the most mature specimens and very refreshing, with properties antioxidantsanti-inflammatory and antibacterial.
How to use gooseberries in the kitchen
With a bit of luck, we will find gooseberries or gooseberries in specialized greengrocers, farmers markets, more local food markets or seasonal markets, although we can also grow our own plants on the terrace or balcony. Another option is to go out in search wild in the areas where it usually grows naturally, forests and mountains of colder and more humid regions.
![What is the gooseberry, thorn or grape crispa, a sweet berry almost unknown in Spain Gooseberry Box](https://i.blogs.es/8877e7/grosella-espinosa-caja/450_1000.jpg)
In addition to eating them raw, these berries can be used in the kitchen in the same way as common red currants, blueberries or table grapes. You have to check the specific sweetness of the specific variety, as they are usually sweeter than the common currant, but more acidic than a raspberry.
It is convenient to save them chilled unwashed once at home, trying not to pile them up excessively, where they will hold up well for a few days if the fruit is not too ripe. In addition they can to freeze raw without problems, spreading them first on a tray to, after a few hours, store them in an airtight bag.
![What is the gooseberry, thorn or grape crispa, a sweet berry almost unknown in Spain Cultivate Forest Fruits (Gardening And Plants) (Gardening And Plants)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Cy9Ad7YIL._SL500_.jpg)
Cultivate Forest Fruits (Gardening And Plants) (Gardening And Plants)
Ideas and recipes to enjoy at home
Central Europeans and British people are very fond of cooking and baking with these berries, with which they make jams, jellies, compotes, syrups and fruity liqueurs, as well as juices and preserves in syrup. They are also very grateful biscuits and cakes with creamy fillings and toppings, cream, pastry cream or cheese, in tartlets, more rustic galettes or enriching ice creams and semifreddo.
![What is the gooseberry, thorn or grape crispa, a sweet berry almost unknown in Spain currant jam](https://i.blogs.es/13a413/grosella-mermelada/450_1000.jpg)
A less sweet sauce or compote with these berries wonderfully enriches meats and roasts, as well as salads in the form of vinaigrette or grilled fish. They are often added to triffles, pavlovas, puddings and fools of cream, alone or with other seasonal fruits.
The greener, more acidic specimens are great for pairing with sweeter fruit and create a rich, balanced contrast that brings out all the flavors, and work great in spicy and hot sauces like chutneysor combined with cheeses and pate.
Pictures | iStock – Kev Wheeler – kahvikisu – 46137 – Maja Dumat
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