Description of the fruits of the exotic plant Barbados gooseberry. What useful elements are included in its composition, what role do they play in the life of our body. What can be prepared from a product we are not used to. However, the use of the Barbados gooseberry in folk medicine is not limited to the prevention and treatment of anemia. It is also actively used to repair the skin after burns. It is worth noting that not only gooseberry berries have healing properties, but also its leaves. It is noted that they contain essential oils with pronounced anti-inflammatory activity. They, like berries, as well as young shoots of culture can be eaten, however, they should not be abused.
Contraindications and harm of the Barbados gooseberry
However, despite all the above useful properties of the product, if this tropical berry falls into your hands, you should not immediately think about how to eat it. First you need to make sure that the contraindications of the product and the possible harm of the Barbados gooseberry do not apply to you.
First of all, allergy sufferers should be on the alert. It is worth remembering that here we are dealing with a tropical berry that is not typical for our region, which means that the likelihood of developing an allergic reaction is very high. So if the individual intolerance of certain products is a frequent practice for you, you should not take risks at all and taste the exotic fruit.
It is not recommended to try the Barbados gooseberry for vulnerable groups of the population - pregnant and lactating women, as well as small children. In this case, an allergic reaction can lead to extremely negative consequences.
Caution should be eaten by both those who seek to lose weight and those who suffer from excessive appetite. Although the food is high in protein (compared to other berries, vegetables and fruits) and can satisfy hunger well for a short time, it also stimulates the appetite. And, of course, it is worth recalling that you cannot abuse the fruits of an exotic culture in order to avoid unpleasant symptoms from the gastrointestinal tract.
Note! It is not recommended to try exotic berries for those who have certain health problems, especially if there is a serious illness from the gastrointestinal tract. If you really want to try a tropical fruit, be sure to consult your doctor first.
How to eat the fruits of peresky prickly
Well, if you are convinced that the exotic berry is not contraindicated for you, it's time to learn how to eat the Barbadian gooseberry.
Fruits are usually eaten fresh - both ripe and unripe. Just as in the case of the gooseberry we are used to, ripe berries will be sweeter, the second - sour, and then everyone chooses for himself what he likes best. Berries can be eaten as a separate dish, or you can supplement them with a fruit or vegetable salad.
The product can be heat treated. Unripe fruits are dried, crushed and used as a seasoning to add subtle sourness to dishes. Especially well they complement sauces for fish and meat dishes. Fruits, leaves and shoots of exotic gooseberries can be simply stewed, adding spices - you get an original side dish.
And also the Barbados gooseberry is a real find in canning, it can be added to a jar to any vegetables, fruits and berries, or it can be used to make "pure" jam, compote or even wine.
Barbadian gooseberry recipes
In our country, the Barbadian gooseberry is rarely used in cooking, but due to its taste similarity, it can be used in almost any recipe that includes the gooseberry we are used to.
Let's take a look at some interesting use cases for Barbados gooseberry recipes:
- Berry manna … Pour semolina (200 grams) with kefir (120 ml) and leave for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, beat egg yolks (2 pieces) with sugar (100 grams), add melted butter (100 grams) to them. Combine the resulting mass with the swollen semolina and stir well until smooth. Whisk the whites separately (2 pieces) and gently fold into the dough. Put the berries on the bottom of the mold - cherries (100 grams), black currants (50 grams) and Barbados gooseberries (200 grams). Pour the dough on top. Bake the pie in the oven for half an hour at 190 degrees.
- Mackerel with gooseberry sauce … Cut the fish (4 pieces), make deep cuts on the sides, brush with oil, rub with salt and pepper to taste. Place the mackerel on a baking sheet and grill at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes (if the fish is large, it may take longer). In the meantime, prepare the sauce: in a saucepan of water (100 ml), put finely chopped gooseberries (250 grams), add sugar (2 tablespoons). Cook, stirring occasionally over low heat, until the sauce turns into a smooth paste. Add 1 teaspoon grainy mustard, salt, pepper and mix thoroughly. Cool the cooked fish slightly and pour over the sauce - an ideal side dish will be country-style potatoes.
- Confiture … Grind the gooseberries (500 grams) in a blender, transfer to a saucepan and cook over low heat for 7-10 minutes (you do not need to add additional water). Strain the cooked puree through a sieve and mix with a banana chopped in a blender (1 piece). Transfer the resulting mass to a saucepan and put it on the fire again, adding sugar (400 grams), a gelling mixture (1 sachet), if desired, a sprig of mint and basil. Cook until thick, usually 15-20 minutes. You can eat the confiture right away, but it is better to put it in sterilized jars, roll it up and let it brew for a while.
- Pickled cucumbers with Barbados gooseberries … Pour cucumbers (4 kg) with water for 3-4 hours. Greens (cherry leaf - 10 pieces, currant leaf - 5 pieces, dill branch with an umbrella, horseradish leaf - 1 piece) rinse thoroughly, chop finely and dry. Do the same with garlic (1 head) and horseradish (1 small root). Sterilize the jars, cut off the tops and bottoms of the cucumbers. Put a little greens, garlic and horseradish on the bottom of each jar, then put cucumbers, and on top - a handful of gooseberries, a couple of black peppercorns and a couple of cloves. Prepare the marinade (proportions for 3.5 liters of water: 2 tablespoons of salt, 3 tablespoons of sugar and 80 grams of vinegar 9%) and fill the jars with it. Roll up the cans, place them with the lids down and wrap them up with a warm blanket. Transfer to permanent storage after 3-4 days.
As you can see, the fruit of a tropical vine can perfectly complement any dish, and therefore culinary experiments with it are truly endless.
Interesting facts about the Barbadian gooseberry
Barbados gooseberry is a very thermophilic crop, but in temperate zones? including in our country, it can be grown in indoor or greenhouse conditions.
It is noteworthy that warmth is practically the only condition for the favorable growth of culture, but otherwise it is extremely unpretentious. This fact became the reason for the ban on its cultivation in a number of South African states, since it grew very much and displaced other species.
In Brazil, cattle are fed with the fruits of the Barbados gooseberry. The fruits of the plant contain more protein, calcium and magnesium than spinach, cabbage and salads. From the leaves of the creeper, drugs are made for the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, however, all these drugs are created by folk medicine and are not used officially.
Watch a video about the Barbados gooseberry:
Barbados gooseberry is a tropical fruit unfamiliar in our country, but if you ever have to deal with it, be sure to try this berry, because it is very useful. And these fruits are very tasty, their sweet and sour pulp is somewhat reminiscent of the gooseberry we are used to. However, all the same, before using the product in your kitchen, be sure to check its contraindications.
