Elderflower and Gooseberry Sorbet
Some years ago I planted a gooseberry and a blackcurrant bush in my garden. The blackcurrant bush thrived and I have had quite a lot of fruit from it. The gooseberry bush disappeared, never to be seen again. This year when I was weeding the garden I was really surprised to find a bush with a few gooseberries on it. The bush was in a completely different place from where it had been planted originally. As far as I am aware bushes do not walk so how it got there is a complete mystery. I was pleased though and picked the twenty one gooseberries that I found.
Unfortunately there is not much that can be done with twenty one gooseberries, it can hardly be called a bumper crop. I did have some elderflower cordial so I decided I would try and make an elderflower and gooseberry sorbet. Elderflower’s are abundant at this time of the year and I thought the flavours would pair well. I added a couple of mint leaves from my garden into the mixture and the result was a lovely delicate sorbet. It would make the perfect dessert for an evening with friends and a barbecue in the garden.
Gooseberries and elderflowers to me are very English. My parents had gooseberry bushes in the garden and I remember long summers where we would be sent into the garden to pick them. We often pricked our fingers getting the harder to reach ones but the effort was worth it when my mum made pies and jam with them. I also remember days where we drove out into the country to forage for elderflower’s and later in the year for elderberries. These days were often combined with picnics and trips to hunt for fossils at the coast and I always remember the sun shining on us. A dish of this elderflower and gooseberry sorbet would have been delicious at the coast on a hot day, thirst quenching and refreshing.
I used an ice cream maker to make mine but you could also pour the mixture into a tub in the freezer and just leave it to set. This should work just as well.
Elderflower and Gooseberry Sorbet
Ingredients
- 200 g gooseberries
- 250 g white sugar
- 250 ml water
- 3 mint leaves
- 75 ml Elderflower Cordial
Instructions
- Top and tail the gooseberries and chop into halves.
- Chop the mint leaves finely.
- Add the sugar and water to a pan and heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the gooseberries and mint to the pan and cook until the gooseberries are soft.
- Remove from the heat and using a blender blend until the gooseberries are chopped up.
- Add the elderflower cordial and place in a jug.
- Leave in the fridge to cool for several hours.
- When cold pour the mixture in the tub and place in the freezer for an hour to make it easier to mix.
- Add to the ice cream maker and churn until it holds its shape.
- It can be put back into the freezer until ready to serve.
Did I mention, I wasn’t very font of gooseberry jam, when I was a kid? Never mind, I wonder how things are now. Haven’t had any gooseberry related food in years. Your sorbet sounds and looks lovely, though. I would love to taste it.
I can’t actually remember what gooseberry jam tasted like although I did love the pies. The sorbet was gorgeous, very light and delicate
It’s interesting because to me gooseberries are very Russian. You don’t see them much in the shops, and none of my friends grow them here. A perfect summer recipe, so pretty and very chef-y.
Strange how you can have different perceptions of the same thing. We often found them wild in hedgerows as well
This looks incredible. I have never ever used elderflower or gooseberry’s, I don’t know why cooking with anything with “flower” in it sort of freaks me out and makes me feel inadequate….i need to get over it, possibly with this sorbet!
If you get ready made cordial you can pretend no flowers are involved 🙂
That’s a great idea!