Josta berry use/recipe ideas, please!

I have josta berries coming out of my ears but none of us really want to eat them. They are ok but we fill up on the blueberries, raspberries, gooseberries, strawberries and currants and the jostaberries just hang there uneaten.

I'd love to know if anyone does anything with them besides eat them fresh. I never ate them before I planted the bush a few years ago. And this bush is one of the most productive bushes I have.

Are they any good frozen, dried, cooked, juiced, etc.?

Jostaberries are crosses between gooseberries and blackcurrants. Both of these are usually more culinary berries rather than for eating fresh - although it sounds like you like the parents better than the offspring! There are lots of ways of using berries in cooking, especially if you add a little sugar, this really enhances the flavour even in smallish amounts depending on the tartness of the berry.
I used to have a currant that I now think was a gooseberry cross and it was great for cooking with: jams (jelly), cordials, icecream, sponge puddings, crumbles....You could try adding some apple and see how you get on with that if you find the jostaberries too strong flavoured still.
Alternatively, try swapping with neighbours for alternative fruit (before or after made into jam)

Nancy Reading wrote:
I used to have a currant that I now think was a gooseberry cross and it was great for cooking with: jams (jelly), cordials, icecream, sponge puddings, crumbles....You could try adding some apple and see how you get on with that if you find the jostaberries too strong flavoured still.

I'll give a crumble a try and see how everyone likes it. Thanks!

😂😂😂😂😂
I picked about a pound today to make a crumble or tart or something but as I was prepping them by taking off the dried up flower ends, I kept popping them in my mouth and they really did grow on me. I ended up eating them plain and not cooking with them after all.

The key for me is to not eat them with the sweeter strawberries and raspberries and blueberries because my mouth doesn't like the contrast.

I love to make a crumble (Streusel) cake with currants, jostas should work as well. You use the same dough for bottom and crumble and use pepitas in the mix.

Then of course jams are delicious if you use tart berries like josta.

Popular in northern Europe and Scandinavia is a dessert made with different (red) berries, served with vanilla sauce or cream.
In German it is called Rote Grütze, usually thickened with starch. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rote_Gr%C3%BCtze
This danish page is in English: Danish red berry pudding
Very refreshing in summer!

Don't forget the savoury dishes! We once made a really nice fish soup with blackcurrants in it...

Eino Kenttä wrote:Don't forget the savoury dishes! We once made a really nice fish soup with blackcurrants in it...

Interesting! That is definitely not something I would have thought of. 🤔 That would be a unique flavor profile that I've never had.