Gooseberries are not altogether common today but some gardeners grow a few gooseberry bushes for their own use. Otherwise, the berries are more likely to be found at local farmers’ markets than in large supermarkets.
Gooseberry bushes have different varieties that produce berries that range in color from green to almost black. Generally speaking, the darker the color, the sweeter the flavor with the green berries being unripe and very tart. The ones I used in the pie in the photos that accompany this post were mostly a rosy pink color with a few green ones added in for tartness.
One of the most common uses for gooseberries is Gooseberry Jam – click here for my recipe. Gooseberries also make a great pie filling which is the subject of this post.
The berries are small and somewhat tedious to deal with as they have to be “stemmed and tailed” meaning the ends need to be removed. Because the berries are small to begin with, you don’t want to lose too much of the berry in the removal of the stem and tail ends. I recommend using the tip of a sharp paring knife for this process. Full disclosure – this is a bit of a time-consuming task.
While a 9” pie plate could be used for this pie, the amount of filling is more suitable to a deep dish 8” round pie plate. Use any double-crust pastry recipe you wish or use mine by clicking here. I won’t go into a lot of detail here about making the pastry as I have covered that in my tutorial on how to make pie pastry which can be found at the foregoing link for the pastry recipe.
This is a cooked pie filling that begins with cooking 2/3 cup of the berries with sugar, cornstarch, and a wee pinch of salt. Then the remaining berries are added and cooked over low heat for a very short period. Do not cook the filling into mush. The filling will thicken when it cools and also when the pie goes into the oven.
Some lemon juice, cardamom, nutmeg, and vanilla add flavor to the filling. Be sure to let the filling cool completely to room temperature then refrigerate it until it is very cold before making the pie. This will help to prevent the filling from breaking down the fats in the pastry, causing a soggy bottom crust.
I will stress the importance of chilling the pastry at every step, after it has been made and before it is rolled out, after it goes in the pie plate, and after the filling and top crust have been added. A totally chilled pie will prevent the pie pastry from drastic shrinkage. For best results, I do not recommend skipping these steps.
Baking the Pie
Position the oven rack in its lowest position and preheat the oven to 425°F.
Place the chilled pie on a tinfoil-lined baking sheet for easy clean-up should the filling bubble out. Bake the pie for 15 minutes at 425°F then reduce the temperature to 375°F and bake the pie for a further 40-45 minutes, or until the crust is baked and golden brown and pie shows signs that filling is bubbling. Check the pie after it has been in the oven for 30-35 minutes and, if it is starting to brown too much, loosely tent a piece of tin foil over the pie or, if it is the pie edge that is quickly browning, apply pie edge shields.
After the pie comes out of the oven, place it on a wire rack to cool completely. I recommend waiting at least 4 hours (and longer is even better) to ensure the pie filling is set before cutting pie slices.
This Gooseberry Pie is lovely served plain but a scoop of fine vanilla ice cream (especially French Vanilla) never disappoints, either.
Gooseberry Pie
Ingredients:
Pastry for a double-crusted pie to fit deep dish 8” round pie plate
1 pound (454g) fresh gooseberries, stemmed and tailed
1¼ – 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar (depending on ripeness of berries and taste preference)
¼ cup + ½ tbsp cornstarch
pinch salt
1½ – 2 tsp freshly squeezed and strained lemon juice
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
½ tsp cardamom
½ tsp nutmeg
1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 – 1½ tbsp butter, diced into small cubes
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp cream or whole milk
Method:
Rinse gooseberries in cold water. Dry in tea towel. Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, remove stem and tail ends from berries.
Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside. Place 2/3 cup of the prepared gooseberries in medium-sized heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir in about half of the sugar and cornstarch mixture. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Let mixture sit for about 5 minutes then stir in the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture. Let stand for about 5 minutes longer, stirring once or twice, to allow gooseberries to start to release their juice and the sugar to dissolve.
Cook gooseberry filling over medium heat, stirring frequently, just until mixture barely comes to the boiling point then immediately reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, for approximately 2 minutes. Add remaining whole gooseberries and increase heat to medium low. Cook for 4-6 minutes longer until mixture is slightly thickened (it will thicken more as it cools and when the pie goes in the oven). Remove saucepan from heat and stir in lemon zest, spices, and vanilla. Cool filling completely to room temperature then cover and refrigerate for at least 1½ – 2 hours.
While filling is chilling, prepare double crust pastry, according to pastry recipe directions, for 8” pie plate.
On a lightly floured work surface and using a little more than half the pastry dough, roll pastry about 1/16” – 1/8“ thick into a circle large enough to line the pie plate. Transfer pastry to a lightly greased 8” pie plate, fitting the dough over the bottom and sides of the plate, ensuring there are no air pockets. Trim pastry flush with edge of pie plate. Place pie shell in zippered plastic bag and transfer to refrigerator to chill until ready to assemble pie. Form remaining pie dough into a small disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, place in zippered plastic bag, and place in refrigerator.
About 10-12 minutes before assembling pie, remove pie dough disk from refrigerator and let rest on counter for a few minutes to allow it to become pliable enough to roll out for top crust. Do not, however, bring the pastry back completely to room temperature.
Roll out pastry for top crust, about 1/16” to 1/8“ thick, into a circle approximately slightly larger than enough to cover top of pie to the pie plate edge.
Transfer the chilled gooseberry filling to the prepared pie plate fitted with the pastry dough. Dot with cubed butter.
Lightly moisten the bottom crust edge all around the pie plate rim edge with a wee bit of water. Place top pie crust over gooseberry filling. Trim excess pastry from the pie plate around the pie plate edge. Finish pie edge as desired (e.g., crimp or press the edge of the pastry all around the pie plate rim with tines of a fork to adhere the top crust to bottom crust). Cut a “X” (or several smaller slits) about 1½“ – 2” long in center of top crust to allow steam to escape as the pie bakes. For additional venting, prick the pie in several places with the tines of a fork and cut smaller “X” slits around the pie top.
Place pie in refrigerator for 30 minutes (or in freezer for 15-20 minutes) to allow filling to settle and to chill pastry to reduce shrinkage while it bakes.
While pie is chilling, place oven rack on bottom rung position of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Remove pie from refrigerator. Using a silicone pastry brush, lightly brush egg wash (egg and cream) over top crust of pie. [Note that not all of the egg wash will likely be required; unused portion may either be discarded or, alternatively, frozen in an airtight freezer container for a future similar use, if desired.]
Place pie on tinfoil-lined baking sheet to catch any drips should filling bubble out as pie bakes. Transfer pie to oven. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until crust is baked and golden brown and pie shows signs that filling is bubbling. Check pie after it has been in the oven for about 30-35 minutes – if top crust is browning too quickly, loosely tent pie with tin foil or, if it is the pie edge that is quickly browning, apply pie edge shields.
Remove pie from the oven and transfer to wire rack to cool completely (minimum of 4 hours for the filling to set; longer is better) before cutting and serving plain or with a scoop of fine vanilla ice cream.
Yield: 1 – 8” double-crusted pie
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Gooseberry Pie
Ingredients
- Pastry for a double-crusted pie to fit deep dish 8” round pie plate
- 1 pound (454g) fresh gooseberries, stemmed and tailed
- 1¼ – 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar (depending on ripeness of berries and taste preference)
- ¼ cup + ½ tbsp cornstarch
- pinch salt
- 1½ – 2 tsp freshly squeezed and strained lemon juice
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- ½ tsp cardamom
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 – 1½ tbsp butter, diced into small cubes
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp cream or whole milk
Instructions
-
Rinse gooseberries in cold water. Dry in tea towel. Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, remove stem and tail ends from berries.
-
Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside. Place 2/3 cup of the prepared gooseberries in medium-sized heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir in about half of the sugar and cornstarch mixture. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Let mixture sit for about 5 minutes then stir in the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture. Let stand for about 5 minutes longer, stirring once or twice, to allow gooseberries to start to release their juice and the sugar to dissolve.
-
Cook gooseberry filling over medium heat, stirring frequently, just until mixture barely comes to the boiling point then immediately reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, for approximately 2 minutes. Add remaining whole gooseberries and increase heat to medium low. Cook for 4-6 minutes longer until mixture is slightly thickened (it will thicken more as it cools and when the pie goes in the oven). Remove saucepan from heat and stir in lemon zest, spices, and vanilla. Cool filling completely to room temperature then cover and refrigerate for at least 1½ – 2 hours.
-
While filling is chilling, prepare double crust pastry, according to pastry recipe directions, for 8” pie plate.
-
On a lightly floured work surface and using a little more than half the pastry dough, roll pastry about 1/16” – 1/8“ thick into a circle large enough to line the pie plate. Transfer pastry to a lightly greased 8” pie plate, fitting the dough over the bottom and sides of the plate, ensuring there are no air pockets. Trim pastry flush with edge of pie plate. Place pie shell in zippered plastic bag and transfer to refrigerator to chill until ready to assemble pie. Form remaining pie dough into a small disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, place in zippered plastic bag, and place in refrigerator.
-
About 10-12 minutes before assembling pie, remove pie dough disk from refrigerator and let rest on counter for a few minutes to allow it to become pliable enough to roll out for top crust. Do not, however, bring the pastry back completely to room temperature.
-
Roll out pastry for top crust, about 1/16” to 1/8“ thick, into a circle approximately slightly larger than enough to cover top of pie to the pie plate edge.
-
Transfer the chilled gooseberry filling to the prepared pie plate fitted with the pastry dough. Dot with cubed butter.
-
Lightly moisten the bottom crust edge all around the pie plate rim edge with a wee bit of water. Place top pie crust over gooseberry filling. Trim excess pastry from the pie plate around the pie plate edge. Finish pie edge as desired (e.g., crimp or press the edge of the pastry all around the pie plate rim with tines of a fork to adhere the top crust to bottom crust). Cut a “X” (or several smaller slits) about 1½“ – 2” long in center of top crust to allow steam to escape as the pie bakes. For additional venting, prick the pie in several places with the tines of a fork and cut smaller "X" patterns around the pie top.
-
Place pie in refrigerator for 30 minutes (or in freezer for 15-20 minutes) to allow filling to settle and to chill pastry to reduce shrinkage while it bakes.
-
While pie is chilling, place oven rack on bottom rung position of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Remove pie from refrigerator. Using a silicone pastry brush, lightly brush egg wash (egg and cream) over top crust of pie. [Note that not all of the egg wash will likely be required; unused portion may either be discarded or, alternatively, frozen in an airtight freezer container for a future similar use, if desired.]
-
Place pie on tinfoil-lined baking sheet to catch any drips should filling bubble out as pie bakes. Transfer pie to oven. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until crust is baked and golden brown and pie shows signs that filling is bubbling. Check pie after it has been in the oven for about 30-35 minutes – if top crust is browning too quickly, loosely tent pie with tin foil or, if it is the pie edge that is quickly browning, apply pie edge shields.
-
Remove pie from the oven and transfer to wire rack to cool completely (minimum of 4 hours for the filling to set; longer is better) before cutting and serving plain or with a scoop of fine vanilla ice cream.
Recipe Notes
Yield: 1 – 8” double-crusted pie
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