There were strawberries and red raspberries galore at the St. Paul Farmers Market last weekend, but only one stand was offering indigo-colored black raspberries, pert red currants and gooseberries.
Carol Biermeier grew up on her parents' berry farm in Inver Grove Heights, and after retiring from corporate America she turned her attention back to the family business, cultivating berries (along with an eye-popping variety of lilies) near that same small suburban acreage. "I guess I'm following in my parents' footsteps," she said with a smile.
How delightful to encounter the hard-to-find gooseberry, with its tart, juicy bite and delicate marriage of purple and green. Does any berry look better against the backdrop of a bowl of vanilla ice cream? (Or last as long in the refrigerator? Biermeier said they'll keep for several weeks.)
One reason why gooseberries remain relatively scarce is that they're no picnic to pick. "The thorns are about this long," Biermeier said, placing a threatening-looking inch between her thumb and forefinger. "You've got to pull on thick leather gloves to do it, but it's worth the effort."
Nostalgia seems to be fueling the gooseberry's renewed popularity. "Customers are constantly saying things like, 'My grandparents used to grow gooseberries,'" Biermeier said.
Just then a man approached the stand and uttered that exact sentiment. "What do you do with them gooseberries?" he added. "It's been a long time since I've had one."
It seemed a fairly obvious question, at least to me, with an even more baldly apparent answer: You enjoy them, while they last.
RICK NELSON
Gooseberries ($3 per pint) from Carol Biermeier, St. Paul Farmers Market, 290 E. 5th St., St. Paul, www.stpaulfarmersmarket.com. Open 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. For a map of Twin Cities metro-area farmers markets, go to Startribune.com/taste. For a listing of this weekend's farmers market events, go to Startribune.com/tabletalk.
