Make the most of a summer fruit glut with this delightful gooseberry compote recipe. Easy to make, it is refreshing at breakfast and delicious in desserts.
Gooseberry compote
Fresh fruit is one of the great joys of summer, but gooseberries are often a little too tart to enjoy raw. A little sugar and gentle cooking produces this wonderful sweet and tart gooseberry compote, fresh and delicious and hard to resist.
See also
- Gooseberry jam, a delicious classic that’s perfect on your morning toast
- Use your gooseberry compote in a delicious gooseberry fool
- Cranberry compote, a less sugary alternative to classic cranberry sauce
- Enjoy a simple plum compote alone or in so many desserts
Lightly stewed gooseberries are good in so many ways. We like them chilled, as a simple breakfast on warm days.
You can stir them into yogurt or in cream to make a lovely light fool, cover them with a crumble topping for a hot pudding. You can even serve your gooseberry compote as a relish with fish or poultry (one of the French names for gooseberries is groseillier à maquereau – mackerel currants – as the combination is so popular).
Why make stewed gooseberries
- a light and easy breakfast or dessert
- full of flavour
- just two ingredients and a splash of water
- it’s so easy!
Gooseberry compote ingredients
- Gooseberries – washed and topped and tailed
- Sugar – I like golden caster sugar but white granulated or caster is fine
- Water – just a splash of tap water
More about gooseberries
Gooseberries are a deliciously tart summer fruit and often overlooked in favour of the sweeter summer berries. This is a shame, because goosegogs are delicious in pies, crumbles, tarts, fools and so much more.
The more traditional green gooseberries are often far too tart to enjoy uncooked. These gooseberries should be stewed lightly with some sugar to get the best from them.
Dessert cultivars are often pink or red in colour and sweet enough to eat raw, but the level of sugar in the fruit varies a lot. Adjust the sugar to the fruit and to taste.
How to make gooseberry compote – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this gooseberry compote recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Start by preparing your gooseberries. Top and tail them, removing all signs of leaf and stem, and wash them well.
Step Two – Put the gooseberries in a saucepan along with a splash of water (no more than a tablespoon) and the sugar.
Step Three – Put the lid on and bring to a gentle simmer.
Cook the compote over a low heat so that the sugar dissolves and the berries start to break down. Use a spoon against the side of the pan to burst the more stubborn gooseberries.
This can take 10–15 minutes depending on the ripeness of the fruit. Check the flavour and add a little more sugar if necessary, cooking until it is fully dissolved.
Step Four – Transfer to a jar or tub, cool and store in the fridge.
A microwave method for stewed gooseberries
To make this gooseberry compote recipe in the microwave, cut the trimmed gooseberries in half and place in a microwavable bowl or jug along with the water and sugar.
Cover and cook for 3 minutes on half power.
Stir. Cook for a further minute if necessary.
Serving suggestion
Serve the chilled gooseberry compote as a light breakfast, perhaps with yogurt on the side.
Use your stewed gooseberries cold in a trifle or as a filling for pies and crumbles.
Make gooseberry fool or cover with meringue topping for gooseberry snow.
Use as a fruit sauce alongside meat or fish.
Variations
- Enhance this gooseberry compote recipe with a drop or two of elderflower cordial or a splash of elderflower liqueur.
- Adding a touch of vanilla extraact balances the tartness of the fruit.
- Use red dessert gooseberries for a reddish compote with a sweeter flavour.
Storage
Fridge – Get the stewed gooseberries into the fridge as soon as they are cold. Cover and store for up to 5 days.
Freezer – Freeze in a suitable sealed container and store for up to 6 months.
Hints and tips
- Go easy on the water. You want a little so that the gooseberry skins don’t catch and to help the sugar melt until the juices are released from the fruit. You don’t want a soggy compote. It is better to start with too little and add some if necessary.
- Adjust the sugar to the sweetness of the fruit and your own taste. Again, it is better to start with a little less, as you can add but you can’t take it out.
FAQs
Absolutely. Just cool, seal in a suitable container and keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.
A fruit compote is pieces of fruit stewed with sugar that forms a syrup with the juices. It may make soft fruit last a little longer than it might raw but is not a preserve in the way that jam is.
This compote will last up to five days in the fridge.
More fruit compote recipes
- Rhubarb compote – a simple way to use another tart fruit and delicious in so many ways
- Blueberry compote – a simple way to make the most of a superfood!
- Mango compote – sweet and delicious tropical fruit
Gooseberry Compote
Ingredients
- 200 g gooseberries (topped and tailed)
- 30 g sugar
- splash of water (up to 1 tbsp)
Instructions
- Top, tail and wash the gooseberries.
- Place all the ingredients in a pan, cover and set on a low heat.
- Cook over a low heat so that the sugar dissolves and the berries start to break down. Use a spoon to break more stubborn gooseberries against the side of the pan. This can take 10–15 minutes depending on the ripeness of the fruit.
- Check the flavour and adjust the sugar if necessary, cooking until it is fully dissolved. Then transfer to a storage jar or tub, cool, and store in the fridge or freeze.
Notes
A microwave method for stewed gooseberries
To make this gooseberry compote recipe in the microwave, cut the trimmed gooseberries in half and place in a microwavable bowl or jug along with the water and sugar. Cover and cook for 3 minutes on half power. Stir. Cook for a further minute if necessary.Storage
Fridge – Get the stewed gooseberries into the fridge as soon as they are cold. Cover and store for up to 5 days. Freezer – Freeze in a suitable sealed container and store for up to 6 months.Hints and tips
- Go easy on the water. You want a little so that the gooseberry skins don’t catch and to help the sugar melt until the juices are released from the fruit. You don’t want a soggy compote. It is better to start with too little and add some if necessary.
- Adjust the sugar to the sweetness of the fruit and your own taste. Again, it is better to start with a little less, as you can add but you can’t take it out.
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