GOOSEBERRY

Gooseberry is a very good source of vitamin C.

LEAVES & BARK:

The young & tender leaves of the shrub, if eaten raw in a salad; drive forth the gravel.

Gargling with a concoction made of gooseberry barks & leaves eases ulcers on the tongue & mouth.

GOOSEBERRIES:

Gooseberries are great for maintaining proper acid balance in the stomach,absorption of food by the body,weight loss,flushing out of toxins.
Enhancing fertility.
Providing nourishment to the brain & aiding with cognitive functions.
Good for reducing blood sugar & helping with diabetes,strengthening of the liver & lungs.
Also for the urinary system & regulating elimination of waste from the body.Very helpful in toning muscles,increasing vitality.
Gooseberries are good for fighting damage caused by free radicals.
Another medicinal use of gooseberry is that is used for people with rheumatism.
It also helps improve eyesight & reduces intraocular tension. Gooseberry is also used to fight glaucoma.

A tablespoon of gooseberry juice with honey is valuable in getting rid of many ailments including conjunctivitis.
Pregnant women are given gooseberries to eat as they are excellent coolants for the body.
Gooseberry powder also helps patients with heart disease as it stimulates vital organs.
Dried gooseberries are used to aid with people suffering from dysentery & diarrhea.
Gooseberry tea also helps with mouth sores.

RECIPES:

For headache, heaviness in head: 
Grind the fresh fruits into a fine paste & apply on affected parts.

For anxiety, loss of appetite:
Remove seeds from fresh fruits & grind the pulp into a fine paste.
Take it in a muslin cloth & squeeze out the juice.
Take 2 tsp of this juice & mix it with 2 tbsp each honey & lime juice.
Add one cup water & drink on an empty stomach every morning.

Goosberry & Elderflower Cordial:

8 elderflower crowns
1 kg gooseberries (not too ripe), topped & tailed
750 g  sugar
250 ml water
Don't wash elderflowers, as you will lose much of the flavour. Remove the bitter stalks & tie the flowers up in a muslin bag.
Heat the water & the sugar very gently, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
When you have a  syrup add the gooseberries & cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes until the fruit starts to break apart.
Turn off the heat & add the elderflowers in their bag. Allow the flowers to infuse the syrup, taste after 5 minutes & if they have given a good flavour to the syrup take them out.
Drain the mixture through a muslin.
Pour into a clean, sterilised bottle. Store in the fridge.

Gooseberry Fool:

3 cups gooseberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh cream
1/4 cup crème fraîche
1/4 cup sugar

Pull off tops & tails of gooseberries & halve berries lengthwise. 

Cook berries & sugar over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until liquid is thickened, about 5 minutes. 

Simmer mixture, mashing with a fork to a coarse puree, 2 minutes more. 

Chill puree, covered, until cold, about 1 hour to up to 1 day.

In a bowl with an electric mixer beat cream with crème fraîche until it holds soft peaks. 

Add sugar & beat until mixture just holds stiff peaks. 

Fold chilled puree into cream mixture until combined well. 

Fool may be made 3 hours ahead & chilled, covered. 

Gooseberry Jam:

900 g gooseberries, topped & tailed
900 g-1 kg sugar
600 ml water
Bring the fruit & water to the boil, then simmer gently until the skins are soft – they will not soften after the sugar has been added.
Add the sugar & stir over a low heat until it has dissolved completely.
Bring the jam to a rapid but steady boil.
 Do the ‘wrinkle test’ to see if you have reached setting point. It should happen after about 15 minutes or so of boiling & your jam should by now have become slightly more viscous & clear.
Have a saucer ready in the freezer. Take the pan off the heat, spoon a little jam onto the plate & leave until completely cold. Then push it across the plate with your forefinger. It should wrinkle up if it’s ready. If it only slightly wrinkles, bring back to the boil & boil for a few more minutes.
Discard any scum from the top of the jam & pour it into the prepared jars.
Cover airtight.

BEAUTY:

Gooseberry oil helps make you hair stronger & improves growth.
Gooseberries are good for a skin.

MAGIC:

For sty:

An old & simple spell from Ireland calls for a gold wedding ring & a thorn from
a gooseberry bush.
When the moon is on the wane, touch or prick the sty with the thorn inserted through the ring.
Do this nine times, each time shouting the word, “away!”
This is reputed to make the sty vanish quickly & never return.

Another treatment for a stye on one’s eye is to prick the stye every morning with a thorn from a gooseberry bush. 
Or have a widow touch the stye with her gold wedding ring..