Gooseberry: benefits, harm, composition, recipes

2024 Author: Arianna Cook | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:23

Composition and calorie content of gooseberry fruits. The benefits of the product for the body, possible harm and contraindications. How to choose the best quality berries? Storage conditions. Northern grapes in cooking.

Gooseberry is a small shrub belonging to the Currant genus and its edible fruit. Scientific name: Ribes uva-crispa. Other names: common gooseberry, rejected or European, northern grapes. The homeland of this plant is Western Europe and the countries of North Africa. Currently, it grows both wild and domesticated in many countries of the northern hemisphere. The harvest season is June, July, August. The fruits have a pleasant taste and are characterized by a high nutritional value, thanks to which they are widely used in cooking and folk medicine. Jam, compotes, various desserts, sauces, as well as various decoctions to improve health are prepared from berries. Further, a detailed description of gooseberry, its composition and beneficial effect, features of use in cooking.

The composition and calorie content of gooseberries

In the photo, gooseberry berries

Like most fruits and berries, northern grapes have a capacious composition, regardless of the variety, and include the most necessary biological active substances to maintain health.

The calorie content of gooseberries per 100 g of product is 45 kcal, including:

Proteins - 0.7 g;
Fat - 0.2 g;
Carbohydrates - 9, 1 g;
Sucrose - 0.6 g;
Glucose - 4, 4 g;
Fructose - 4.1 g;
Organic acids - 1, 3 g;
Dietary fiber - 3, 4 g;
Water - 84.7 g;
Ash - 0, 6 g.

Vitamins per 100 g:

Vitamin A - 33 mcg;
Vitamin B1 - 0.01 mg;
Vitamin B2 - 0.02 mg;
Vitamin B4 - 42.1 mg;
Vitamin B5 - 0.286 mg;
Vitamin B6 - 0.03 mg;
Vitamin B9 - 5 mcg;
Vitamin C - 30 mg;
Vitamin E - 0.5 mg;
Vitamin H - 500 mcg;
Vitamin K - 7, 8 mcg;
Vitamin PP - 0.4 mg.

Macronutrients per 100 g:

Potassium - 260 mg;
Calcium - 22 mg;
Silicon - 12 mg;
Magnesium - 9 mg;
Sodium - 23 mg;
Sulfur - 18 mg;
Phosphorus - 28 mg;
Chlorine - 1 mg

Microelements per 100 g:

Aluminum - 33.6 mcg;
Boron - 11 mcg;
Vanadium - 1.2 mcg;
Iron - 0.8 mg;
Iodine - 1 mcg;
Cobalt - 0.9 mcg;
Lithium - 0.4 mcg;
Manganese - 0.45 mg;
Copper - 130 mcg;
Molybdenum - 12 mcg;
Nickel - 6 mcg;
Rubidium - 19.3 mcg;
Selenium - 0.6 mcg;
Strontium - 20 mcg;
Fluorine - 12 mcg;
Chromium - 1 mcg;
Zinc - 0.09 mg;
Zirconium - 1.3 mcg.

Saturated fatty acids are present in a volume of 0.038 g.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids per 100 g:

Omega-3 - 0.046 g;
Omega-6 - 0.271 g.

The stated composition of gooseberries indicates that the product contains a huge amount of vitamin H - exceeding the lower value of the daily norm by 10 times. By consuming these berries, you can get the lion's share of the body's daily needs for vitamin C, potassium, silicon, manganese.

Useful properties of gooseberries

Northern grapes have a wide range of beneficial effects on the human body. The berry normalizes the digestive tract, has a choleretic, hematopoietic, cleansing, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, regenerating, protective effect. Gooseberries should be consumed at any age. In addition, it is useful to everyone, regardless of gender.

The benefits of gooseberries for women

Juicy and very tasty berries have a positive effect on the female body. By eating them, the fair sex can not only improve their health, but also improve their appearance - all this is the merit of tannins, antioxidants and other important biological substances contained in gooseberries.

The benefits of gooseberries for the female body:

Reproductive system … Improves the functioning of the female genital organs - the ovaries and uterus. Normalizes the monthly cycle: helps with irregular menstruation, controls the volume of blood secreted, neutralizes spasms and relieves characteristic pain. Eases the condition with premenstrual syndrome and menopause.
Nervous system … Helps fight stress, increases resistance to psycho-emotional stress. Normalizes sleep.
Skin … Gooseberry is a source of nutrients that take part in collagen synthesis. This protein, in turn, maintains the normal structure of the skin tissues, making the relief smooth. The product also improves color and eliminates flaking. In addition, it normalizes the work of the sebaceous glands, reducing the volume of sebum secreted. Thanks to this, the skin becomes more matte and clear. Therefore, many women often use berries not only as a food product, but also as a natural cosmetic product, making various masks and scrubs on its basis. Northern grapes improve hair condition.
Gastrointestinal tract … Northern grapes contain fiber, pectin and are low in calories. Thanks to this, they activate the process of digestion of food, stimulate the emptying of the intestines and, with a high nutritional value, do not burden the body with excess calories. All this allows you to use this product for weight loss.

Useful properties of gooseberries for men

Sweet and sour berry is an excellent dietary food. Women add gooseberries to their menus to speed up weight loss. In the meantime, men can use it to replenish the reserves of minerals and vitamins necessary to maintain male strength and health.

The benefits of northern grapes for men:

urinary system … Northern berry has a mild diuretic effect. By stimulating the excretion of urine, it helps to alleviate the course of urethritis and prostatitis in men, as well as prevent the development of gout.
Respiratory system … In addition to enhancing immunity and preventing colds, gooseberry cleanses the lungs and removes phlegm when smoking, reducing the risk of cancer.
Musculoskeletal system … The product allows you to build muscle mass and increase endurance, restore energy after long and exhausting workouts.
Reproductive system … The ability of gooseberries to improve blood composition and beneficially affect tissue trophism allows this product to have a good effect on potency - improves erection, stimulates the production of motile spermatozoa.

Useful properties of gooseberries for pregnant women

The absence of serious contraindications and the high nutritional value of northern grapes allow pregnant women to evaluate the beneficial properties of gooseberries. These berries are an excellent natural remedy for the prevention and treatment of many diseases, while in most cases they do not have any negative effect.

The benefits of northern grapes during pregnancy are manifested as follows:

Cardiovascular system and blood circulation … During gestation, a woman may not feel an attack of hypertension, which causes a certain risk to her health and the health of the baby. Berries allow you to gently normalize blood pressure levels.
urinary system … The product stimulates the outflow of urine, which helps to eliminate stagnation and prevent the development of cystitis, pyelonephritis or ease the course of the disease and speed up recovery. An important fact is that normal urination allows you to eliminate the stagnation of fluid in the soft tissues and thereby prevent the development of fetal hypoxia.
The immune system … During pregnancy, the female body suffers from a reduced immune status. The product helps to strengthen the immune system without harming the baby growing in the womb.
Balance of nutrients … The vitamin and mineral composition of gooseberries allows you to replenish the reserves of many substances important for health. This, in turn, is extremely important for maintaining the health of the mother and the full development of the fetus. Berries prevent the development of anemia. The substances present in the composition are involved in many metabolic processes, allow the assimilation of proteins, carbohydrates, iron, normalize blood flow, improving the supply of nutrients to the fetus. By eating fresh ripe fruits with the skin, you can get a large amount of folic acid, which allows the nervous system of the unborn child to form correctly, preventing developmental defects.
Gastrointestinal tract … The product, through fiber, cleanses the intestines, prevents overeating, normalizes digestion and relieves constipation without medication.

The benefits of gooseberries for children

In childhood, the body's need for vitamins, minerals, polyunsaturated fatty acids is great. Their constant intake into the body in sufficient quantities ensures normal growth and development, both physical and mental. To do this, the child must eat right, and the diet must include a large amount of fruits and berries, including gooseberries, because they are a valuable source of nutrients.

Benefits of northern grapes for children:

Musculoskeletal system … The product restores muscle tone, increasing endurance.
The immune system … Ascorbic acid, vitamin E, zinc and other biologically significant elements enhance the immune defense, increasing the body's ability to resist viruses, bacteria, fungi and other pathogens. The use of gooseberries is a valuable measure for the prevention of colds.
Balance of substances … Replenishes manganese reserves, thereby preventing growth retardation.
Nervous system and brain … With the use of this berry, brain activity and resistance to stimuli of the nervous system increase, which is important for the cognitive process.
Hematopoietic and circulatory system … The product increases the level of hemoglobin, fights against anemia, improves blood supply to all tissues, and thins the blood.
Skin … Northern grapes in adolescence reduce the secretion of oil from the sebaceous glands, which helps prevent the development of acne, leaving the skin cleaner and healthier.
Oral cavity … Useful biologically important elements help to maintain the health of the gums at an early age, preserve the structure of their tissues, support milk teeth and ensure the normal growth of molars.

As an allergen, gooseberry rarely causes harm, but it is recommended to introduce it into the diet no earlier than when the baby is one year old. For the first time, it is enough to give a few drops of juice diluted with water. In the absence of an undesirable reaction, you can gradually increase the portion, and then offer mashed potatoes.

Contraindications and harm of gooseberry

Northern grapes are a very healthy berry - it's hard to argue with that. However, even he has contraindications for use and, under certain conditions, can harm the body.

The restrictions on the use of gooseberries are as follows:

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract … Organic acids, which are present in the composition of berries, adversely affect health if a person has a stomach ulcer, gastritis, enterocolitis. Due to the weakening effect of the product, it is not recommended to use it in case of diarrhea.
Urolithiasis disease … Gooseberries can harm health in case of urolithiasis, if the product is consumed in large quantities, because it sets in motion calculi, which provokes the occurrence of severe pain.
Blood clotting disorder … The product is capable of thinning blood, which is unacceptable if a person is diagnosed with hemophilia, disseminated intravascular coagulation, von Willebrand disease or purpura.
Individual intolerance … When tasting berries for the first time, you need to monitor the reaction of the body. If an allergic reaction occurs, you should refuse to eat this product.

How to choose a gooseberry?

Most often, northern grapes are eaten fresh. This allows you to fully enjoy the sweet and sour taste of gooseberries and get the maximum amount of nutrients. But if it is not possible to grow these berries on your own, then you should know how to buy the highest quality and healthiest product.

First of all, it is important to choose the right place of sale. This can be a large store or any retail space where the quality of the goods sold is checked. But in spontaneous markets there is no guarantee of quality, tk. berries can be harvested from wild plants growing near highways or areas with poor ecology, which makes them not only less useful, but also more hazardous to health.

Outwardly, the fruits can be green, yellow, purple, red-green - the color depends on the gooseberry variety. The skin is often translucent, which allows you to see the bones. The berry must be firm and free from dents or any other damage. The size is different - from 0.7 cm to 2 cm in diameter. The shape is round.

When buying frozen gooseberries, you should give preference to the product where the fruits are crumbly. The presence of frozen lumps, frost and ice in the package indicates that the re-freezing was carried out, and this negatively affects the quality of the product. In addition, you must definitely pay attention to the expiration date. If more than 3 months have passed since the moment of freezing, then the amount of nutrients begins to decrease.

At room temperature, plucked gooseberries are stored for no more than 5 days. Fruits with a stalk are kept fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Without it, the shelf life is shorter. Dried berries, placed in sealed jars or paper bags, should be stored in dry, ventilated places for 20-24 months. It is important to constantly monitor the microclimate so that no foci of mold appear on the product.

Gooseberry recipes

Many people do not add northern grapes to their diet. And completely in vain. The berry tastes good and is healthy in any form - fresh, baked, boiled, so you can cook a lot of different dishes with it - desserts, drinks, meat dishes, sauces, where it solos or complements other products. Not every gooseberry recipe describes one trick that will help you cook food that is not just tasty and healthy, but also beautiful in appearance. So, if you want to cook the fruits whole, then they must be pierced. So a more elastic skin will soften faster during heat treatment, while the fruit itself will not break apart. Below we offer several popular recipes using this delicious and healthy product.

Gooseberry desserts

The sweet and sour taste of the berry makes it possible to prepare numerous desserts with its participation. These can be pies, casseroles, pies, jellies, ice cream, preserves, jams, cream for pastries and cakes, fruit salads and much more. Gooseberry goes well with fruits, berries, baked goods.

Sweet gooseberry dishes:

Gooseberry jam with vanilla … Ingredients: northern grapes (1 kg), sugar (1.1 kg), water (200 ml), vanilla (1 pod). First, we wash the berries, remove their tails and pierce them with a thin needle. We also sterilize the required number of jars in advance. We heat up the water. Pour sugar into a saucepan and pour boiling water over it. We put on the stove and stir until completely dissolved. Bring to a boil, add vanilla and boil for 3 minutes. Pour the berries into the finished syrup, bring to a boil again, reduce the heat and boil for 15 minutes. In this case, you need to constantly stir and remove the foam formed on the surface. At the end of cooking, remove from the stove, cool slightly and pour into jars. We twist it tightly and put it upside down on the table, cover it with a warm blanket or blanket on top. When the gooseberry jam has cooled, you can store it in a cool place.
Gooseberry jam with raspberries … Ingredients: raspberries (500 g), gooseberries (500 g), sugar (800 g). We wash the berries. Cut off the tails of northern grapes and turn it into puree. We place it in a refractory container with a thick bottom and put it on a quiet fire, do not forget to stir. The mass will gradually become thicker. At this time, we make juice from 250 g of raspberries to reduce the number of seeds in the finished jam. Add sugar, raspberry juice and raspberries to the saucepan. Stir and boil until tender. Before preserving, jars of hot jam must be pasteurized for 10-20 minutes.
Almond and gooseberry pie … Ingredients: flour (125 ml), sugar (150 ml), butter (75 g), lemon juice (10 ml), egg (2 pcs.), Gooseberries (400 ml), starch (1 tsp.), cream 40% (100 ml), almonds (35 g). First, turn on the oven to heat up to 175 degrees. Next, combine the softened butter with a mixer with 100 ml of sugar. Then add 1 egg, flour, lemon juice. We knead the dough. We take a baking dish, grease the bottom and walls with oil. We spread the dough on the bottom and make low sides out of it. The layer should be pretty thin. Pour berries on top, sprinkle with a mixture of starch and 50 ml of sugar. Beat the chilled cream separately, carefully combine them with 1 egg and pour the resulting mixture over the berries. Finally, sprinkle the cake with almonds. We send it to the oven and bake for about 40 minutes. Serve chilled, without removing from the mold.
Banana and gooseberry jam … Ingredients: mint (2 sprigs), gooseberries (500 g), banana (2 pcs.), Sugar (650 g), gelatin (10 g), mint liqueur (4 tablespoons). We wash and knead the berries. Pour gelatin with 100 ml of water so that it swells, and then dissolve. Add it along with sugar and mint leaves to the berry mass and leave for 12 hours. After that, mix with banana slices. After an hour, put on the stove, boil for 4 minutes, pour in the liquor and stir. Then we lay out in jars and preserve.

Meat dishes with gooseberries

The sweetness and sourness of certain northern grape varieties well complements various dishes of pork, lamb, duck, chicken, goose. Each familiar product will sparkle with new flavoring colors. In addition, the acids in northern grapes help to marinate the meat better to enhance the flavor and speed up cooking.

Gooseberry meat recipes:

Duck legs with gooseberry sauce … Ingredients for the sauce: dry wine (150 ml), meat broth (150 ml), gooseberry jam (3 tablespoons), fresh gooseberries (50 g), butter (1 tablespoon). You will also need duck legs (4 pcs.), A mixture of spices for poultry (2 tablespoons), coarse sea salt (to taste). To prepare the sauce in a small saucepan, boil the wine 2 times, pour in the broth and boil it in half again. Add jam, salt and cook for a couple of minutes. Then we filter, combine with butter. Boil fresh berries in sugar syrup. We remove the excess fat from the duck legs, make several cuts on the peel with a knife and rub with salt and spices crushed in a mortar. If desired, you can leave to marinate for 1-2 hours. Next, pour a little vegetable oil into a cold frying pan and spread the duck with the skin on the bottom. We turn on a low fire and cook, slowly melting the fat. We drain the main part of the fat and remove it for other dishes. And fry the legs for a couple of minutes on both sides and put them on a baking sheet. We bake in a hot oven for about 20 minutes at a temperature of 200 degrees. Put the duck on a plate, pour over the sauce and decorate with boiled gooseberries.
Bone loin with gooseberry … Ingredients: pork (2 kg), ground cinnamon (2 tsp), ground chili pepper (1 tsp), salt and pepper (to taste), gooseberries (300 g), butter (40 g), vegetable oil. Rub the pork with flavors and marinate for at least 4 hours. Fry the loin on all sides in well-heated oil so that a golden brown crust forms. This will keep the meat juicy while baking. We spread the meat in a mold with high sides, fill it with berries next to it. The oven should be preheated to 180 degrees. We put the form on and bake until done. Then pour all the juice and berries into a blender, make mashed potatoes and boil it in a saucepan for several minutes, add butter. Put the meat on a large dish in one piece or cut into portions. Serve the sauce separately or pour it over the meat.
Chicken in gooseberry sauce … Ingredients: chicken breast (1.5 kg), gooseberries (300 g), red currants (100 g), hot pepper, sugar, salt (to taste), starch (1 tablespoon), tomato paste (2 tablespoons) l.) and vegetable oil. Fill all the berries with water and boil a little. Then grind in a blender and filter, ridding the puree of the cake. Add sugar, salt and pepper. Fill the breasts with this sauce and marinate for about an hour. Cut the chicken fillet into large cubes and fry in a pan. Add tomato paste and gooseberry pickle, boil until the meat is tender. Add starch and heat until the liquid part thickens. Serve with your favorite side dish.
Lamb rolls with gooseberry sauce … Ingredients: lamb (800 g), sugar (4 tablespoons), gooseberries (500 g), vegetable oil (3 tablespoons), butter (30 g), thyme (1 bunch), egg (1 piece.), parsley and dill (40 g each), salt and pepper (to taste). Put the peeled berries in a saucepan, add a couple of tablespoons of water, put on high heat and bring to a boil. Then cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, cool slightly and rub through a sieve. Add sugar and butter immediately. Beat the egg separately and, with the mixer turned on, pour in the gooseberry mass, bring to homogeneity. Season to taste. We wash a piece of lamb and beat it gently to make a thin layer. Rub with salt and pepper. Finely chop the herbs, mix it with vegetable oil and evenly apply to the meat. We roll up the roll and cut it into small rolls with a width of up to 2.5 cm. We fasten them with toothpicks or a thread and fry in a pan until tender. Serve with warmed sauce.

Gooseberry drinks

The juicy berry is great for making various drinks. Compote is prepared from gooseberries, juice is squeezed, added to tea, wines and liqueurs to give them an exquisite sourness and berry flavor. Drinks refresh well, quench thirst on a hot day and saturate with vitamins.

Northern Grape Drink Recipes:

Gooseberry berry wine … Ingredients: gooseberries (800 g), raspberries (400 g), strawberries (500 g), blueberries (500 g), red currants (500 g), sugar (2 kg), water (3 L). We sort out all the berries, removing the spoiled ones. Then we pass them through a meat grinder or grind them in a blender. Pour the puree into a large wine bottle, filling it no more than 9/10. Cooking sugar syrup: boil water, add sugar, boil for another 3 minutes until sugar is completely dissolved, cool. Pour the syrup into a bottle, stir it and leave it in the room for 7 days, stirring the contents every day and checking the fermentation. It is also worth not allowing mold and the mixture to turn into vinegar. After the expiration of the period, pour the liquid part into another bottle, trying to leave a maximum of cake at the bottom. We close the new container with a lid with a tube directed into a vessel with water, or pull on a rubber glove by making holes in it with a needle. We leave it for 7 days so that a precipitate falls out and the liquid becomes transparent. We pour the pure juice into bottles, cork and leave to ripen for 2 months in a cool place.
Strawberry compote with gooseberries … Ingredients: strawberries (1 kg), gooseberries (2 kg), sugar (600 g), water (1 l). We pierce the round fruits so that they do not boil, put them in jars together with the strawberries. Pour sugar, fill with water and set to sterilize for 15-20 minutes. We roll up the lids and set it upside down until it cools completely.
Gooseberry juice with cherries … Ingredients: gooseberries (200 g), water (1 l), sugar (70 g), cherries (100 g). We wash and clean the berries: gooseberries from the tails, and I blame from the seeds. We make juice with the help of a juicer. You can also grind the berries with a blender and then pass through a sieve. Combine the cake with hot water and bring to a boil. Dissolve the sugar. Then we combine with juice, cool and pour into glasses.

Watch a video about gooseberry berries:

Northern grapes are not an exotic product, but at the same time they are rarely eaten in our country. Basically, it is eaten by those people who grow berries on their own on their backyard farms. At the same time, nutritionists strongly recommend, if possible, to include gooseberries in your diet in any form.