Goosegogs

Such passion for a fruity, you sure you're not a bit loopy?! Enjoy.

With you there @Robbity , love em. Had couple of plants in the garden and every year they would get hammered by the sawflies... and never did manage a treatment....
Enjoy Mrs!!

I used to like to eat them off the bush when I was tiny, back in the days of Edward the Confessor, lol.

I love gooseberries along with rhubarb, makes the best crumble in my opinion. I have only the one bush, which this year has excelled itself, producing about 4 kilos so far and there is at least another to be picked when they have fattened up a bit more. Have managed to resist temptation and only eat a couple whilst picking this year.

DCUKMod said:

Sorry to be very off-track, but is your image from a naval vessel or are you otherwise permitted to fly the white ensign?

To be on-track, my own love of gooseberries is only really overshadowed by rhubarb. We don't have any on the garden, and I haven't yet seen any in the local greengrocers, but my eyes will be peeled now.

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Re the ensign just something that I had on file from my days in the RN, happened to catch my mood at the time. My rhubarb is not doing a lot but then I did split up the root earlier this year, hopefully It will pick up.

Mmmmm gooseberries and rhubarb.... they are delicious, sharp and tannic and floral and scented and soooo tasty. I always wonder at folk that eat tasteless off-season strawberries from far-flung places and turn their noses up at these traditional treasures. Why would you?

And don’t get me started on blueberries, although I have found that the frozen ones do have more flavour than the fresh.

But I come from the north of England and grew up going out to the hills and picking what you may know as bilberries, but in the Manchester area were most definitely wimberries (which I think is a corruption of whinberry - whin is dialect for hard stone, and they grow on the millstone grit moorlands). Anyway, these are wild cousins of blueberries (different species but related) and are everything that a blueberry wants to be but just.... can’t. They are the most amazing fruit (but never sweet enough for eating raw!) Not had them for years and years, I live down south now.

But I have got into growing veg this year and I have discovered that you can buy plants....

Our raspberries are cropping early and heavy this year. They just keep falling into my mouth whenever I step outside....
Blackcurrants and redcurrants only a week or so away
I'd love gooseberry bush (only the one mind you) as I understand they go very well with elderflower

shock and horror "redcurrant" doesn't even come up as word on predictive text

I remember my dad had a goosgog bush next to the rhubarb , I was only a nipper but loved em even wHen picked them before they were ready. Must have set me up for later life as I love sour things , I remember my dad burning the grass and the old goosgog bush went up. It did come back ok a few years later, like some others gooseberry crumble is mmmmmm mmmmmm with custard of course.

Robbity said:

Another goosegog fan @Listlad is now missing from the forum, but I think @Tipetoo is also one...though it won't be the right season Down Under..

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They grow them in the southern states...

We have a Worcester berry Bush which I believe is a cross between gooseberry and blackcurrant ,my husband was given a small runner years ago ,it has thorns that could be used for darning needles ! it it has a wonderful taste rather tart but can be eaten raw when really ripe .My go to low carb pud is to just gently poach the berries in red wine until barely soft then pour over a small piece of high cocoa choc with whipped double cream on top (ice cream if not low carbing)
Carol