The gooseberries are ripe

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
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....and they make the king of jams!

I62GkU1.jpg
 

Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
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Mid Wales
www.mont-hmg.co.uk
Just spent two days down in the woods with a bunch of total beginners; they'd never seen wild gooseberry before! Mind you, they are the size of large peas :) (the gooseberries that is).

Is it coincidence that gooseberries and elderflower are ready at the same time? My favourite Pie :)
 
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Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,867
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W.Sussex
Mmmm... goosgog jam is delicious.

If you don't get a good set and it's a bit runny, all is not lost as drizzled on vanilla ice cream it's a heavenly blend :)

That sounds lovely. It’s that pre-bedtime of night when I’m itching for something like that, when a cup of tea and biccy is just dull.

I miss our old fruitcage, it would be dripping raspberries and huge golden gooseberries by now, black/red/white currants and Japanese Wineberries on the way.
 

Woody girl

Full Member
Mar 31, 2018
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Gooseberry crumble! Mmmm mmmmm
I'm waiting for mine. A week or so more and they'll be ready. I always stick a muslin bag of elderflowers in withe the gooseberrys when cooking them for a crumble. Lipsmackingly scrumptious. !
 
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Robson Valley

On a new journey
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
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McBride, BC
I used to hunt birds with big Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.
The gooseberries in autumn were always a treat that I left for the dogs to eat.
The dogs are gone but the gooseberries remain. I don't really care for them.
Prune heavy in the late autumn and transplant?
 
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British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,891
2,143
Mercia
Just spent two days down in the woods with a bunch of total beginners; they'd never seen wild gooseberry before! Mind you, they are the size of large peas :) (the gooseberries that is).

Is it coincidence that gooseberries and elderflower are ready at the same time? My favourite Pie :)
It's a great combination, but so is gooseberry & chilli
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,891
2,143
Mercia
I used to hunt birds with big Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.
The gooseberries in autumn were always a treat that I left for the dogs to eat.
The dogs are gone but the gooseberries remain. I don't really care for them.
Prune heavy in the late autumn and transplant?

I transplant once the leaves have fallen. They are fairly heavily rooted so a good prune & a sharp flat spade.
 
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nitrambur

Settler
Jan 14, 2010
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Nottingham
My missus bought me a Jostaberry plant, cross between a gooseberry and a blackcurrant, obviously no fruit this year, but looking forward to next to see what we can make with them
 
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Woody girl

Full Member
Mar 31, 2018
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The sharp wild ones make a good addition to the sweeter cultivated variety when jam making. I also like them in an apple and gooseberry and elderflower fruit leather.
Today I'm making pear apple and star anise fruit leather.
 
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British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,891
2,143
Mercia
For my fellow gooseberry lovers, here is our recipe for what we think of as (queue Carlsberg gravely voice);

"Probably the best gooseberry jam....in the world"!

I've thrown in our jar secrets, a spice secret or two and even how we get free pectin. Hope its enjoyable



 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,891
2,143
Mercia
I will watch this later. Always nice to learn something new on the food front!

Do you have Black currants? Any pro ideas there?
We grow all the currants (black, white & red). I may well layer off another hundred square feet of blackcurrants, they are so versatile! Try sloe & blackcurrant jelly on venison, its incredible!
 
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Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
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Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
Blackcurrants are the only domestic fruit I have and can pick, so grateful for ideas.

Could Rowanberry be used? Maybe crushing/boiling out the juice first?

I still remember finding feral gooseberry bushes around old abandoned farms in Sweden on my treks. Fantastic fruit!
 

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