Gooseberries are very different. Much more sour, very firm/hard, crisp and very tannin-y. Pickled gooseberries made in India are amazing if you’re okay with it being hot.
They become a little less extreme when made into jam; the copious quantity of sugar takes away some of their sharpness. If you like the sharpness, however, gooseberry crumble is the perfect way to serve them!
Are gooseberries grown in India different, or could you pickle, say, British ones to produce the same effect?
Don't know about Indian varieties, but in European goosberries the sourness comes from their skins and dissipates almost completely when given time to ripen properly. That is, ripe goosberries aren't sour at all.
I think Indian gooseberries may be different. They’re green, slightly bitter, tannic and sour and the texture is like a raw apple (crisp, hard) and fibrous.
