Stachelbeere

Today was the first meeting of the Stralauer Allee bike gang. The gals and I took to our bikes over lunch time and went into town, cruising through the streets of Friedrichshain in our helmets and heels.

 The bike gang it's appropriate that we're a gang because yesterday we inked up with some sweet tattoos from Hey!Girl Magazine.

 The gang had burgers and more fries than I am comfortable admitting. I had a veggie burger that was made from veggies (!!) however it was fried so that took out some of the fun. but hey, baby steps.

Because of the gluttonous shame I felt from lunch, I planned a nice long run after work followed by some German homework. I made a stop at the fridge on my way out and remembered the Stachelbeeren I picked up last night. Can't run without a little energy, eh?

I've been seeing these buggers around, they're like a mix between extra veiny grapes and cherry tomatoes. Usually they are swarmed with fruit flies and yesterday I swatted them away and took the plunge.  As any exotic fruit club member would, I asked google before sampling. Big surprise here…

Stachelbeeren are gooseberries! But I thought I knew gooseberries?!? turns out these are cape gooseberries, not the classic variety.

Excited by this new discovery, I put the run on hold to consume and analyze this new fruit.

First off, their color is akin to grapes in that there is the green and red variety. I have only had yellow cape gooseberries and they are quite starchy. These have the tartness of a concord (also the same thick and peelable skin) with smaller almost unnoticeable seeds. I found some of them to be a tad mealy - this could be because I had them in the fridge (and everyone knows refrigeration is what makes tomatoes mealy) I'll be sure to store my next batch properly.

The green skin is definitely more tart, even sour and more reminiscent of the cape. Some seemed under-ripe possibly. Most flavor parallels between green and red grapes remain as well. I even blind tested myself a couple times and it was an easy difference to tell

A long time ago I read that you should eat peas and berries one-by-one. This is because each has it's own unique flavor, and when you eat a spoonful at a time you can't appreciate which is sweeter, crisper, etc. This advice comes to mind as I devour Stachelbeeren until nausea. Even as I eat out the guts then the skin of each berry, I don't miss the chance to appreciate the complexity of the individuals.

I have an annual tradition with concord grapes where I eat as many as I possibly can until i'm sick and my mouth is raw from acidity and I can't bear the sight of them. I do this so I can somehow survive the dark and cold months when they are not in season. I will follow this same strategy with Gooseberries and hopefully find a source close to home for next year's consumption!