[DanielCoffey]

This is a question for Gooseberry growers about the difference in flavour between home-grown Gooseberries and the commercial ones.

At the moment I have regular access to the commercial small, green cooking Gooseberries that appear in independent fruiterers in late June. They are fairly cheap, available in huge quantities and are the small, sour cooking sort that are probably mechanically picked while only partly ripe for storage. They work well for jam making but not a lot else.

I am considering getting another raised bed and cage for a red desert Gooseberry (variety Hinnonmaki Red - suggested because we are in South Ayrshire) but have no idea whether the flavour will differ much from the commercial sort and if a Red Desert berry is going to be suitable for jam. I would also be interested in the fruit for crumbles and gooseberry custard tarts.

My dilemma is because of the advice (was it Joy Larkcom?) that in a small area or when gardening casually you should only grow the produce that is either not available in the stores (blackcurrants) or is prohibitively expensive (redcurrants). I am concerned that if the Desert Gooseberries are fairly similar in taste to the commercial ones then I might be better off using the bed for something else. On the other hand if the difference is "night and day" then I would appreciate knowing.

Advice appreciated please.

[Nobbie]

The key with gooseberries is when you pick them. Pick any variety early and it will be sharp and need lots of sugar to make crumbles etc. Let any gooseberry stay on the plant and it will get sweeter and more flavourful. However, the ‘desert’ varieties will ripen to a much better flavour than your standard green gooseberry like invicta. I usually pick mine green, but have left some to ripen fully and the flavour was well worth it, sweet and juicy.

Well worth growing IMHO and any gooseberry will be fine for jam.

[Grubbypaws]

'My dilemma is because of the advice (was it Joy Larkcom?) that in a small area or when gardening casually you should only grow the produce that is either not available in the stores (blackcurrants) or is prohibitively expensive (redcurrants). I am concerned that if the Desert Gooseberries are fairly similar in taste to the commercial ones then I might be better off using the bed for something else. On the other hand if the difference is "night and day" then I would appreciate knowing'.

Try growing Xenia. 'An abundance of gorgeous, red, smooth-skinned dessert gooseberries with an exceptionally sweet flavour are produced towards the end of June. ... With superb mildew-resistance, Gooseberry 'Xenia' is certainly one of the best new gooseberry introductions of recent years! '

You cant buy it in the shops and they taste wonderful 

[DanielCoffey]

I am not sure if Xenia is suitable for Scotland though but thanks for the recommendation. Some garden sites that tag "Scotland and the North" exclude Xenia from that group due to it not liking frost pockets.

[LandShark]

I'm in North Ayrshire and I grow Invicta and Hinnomaki Red. Both have a better taste than shop bought. We prefer eating them fresh, Invicta are usually ready the beginning of June while the hinnomaki are later. Both have different flavours and after many discussions and taste tests we all like both, sorry that doesn't help much. The only difference I find is Invicta is a heavier cropper.
I moved from halfway between Glasgow & Edinburgh 8 year's ago and have found the weather on the Ayrshire coast to be a lot milder, less frost and an earlier start to the season, however we're only 2 miles from the coast so that helps.
Another secret in Ayrshire is Mclarens Nurseries at Lugton try there for other varieties (they supply most garden centres in Scotland and they're open to the public) well worth an afternoon out it's huge!

[DanielCoffey]

Thanks for the advice folks - it is certainly looking like another raised bed and cage are in my future garden plans.

[Growster...]

A cage is a must for them here!

Agree about Xenia, they're just fabulous, as long as they're kept safe and sound behind some sort of stainless steel portcullis...

[pootler]

To my taste, a fully ripe Hinnomaki red is as good as any grape I have tasted, so yes, I would  grow one if you can only get the sour-type in the shops. Even if you can get hold of the sweet ones, the advantages of home-grown is that they stay ripe on the bush for some time, so you can pick over the fruit when you fancy it.If you don't like sour at all, leave them until practically bursting and they are really sweet and mild.  If red gooseberries were grown in the mediterranean we'd import them by the boatload, but because they don't have the glamour they are overlooked. Hinnomaki red is tasty, disease resistant and cheap.

[Sorry, just realised you are cooking with them! I'll leave my post anyway, in case you want to eat them fresh, too]

[4th season allot]

I have the same variety in a raised bed under my Plum tree fruit are great in a crumble also freeze very well. Never need to protect them from anything , why do you need a cage?

[DanielCoffey]

Wood Pigeons, Pigeons, Blackbirds, Squirrels, Magpies, Jackdaws and Crows for one plus other medium birds round here. Lots of them in a rural environment.

[AnneB]

I grow both Invicta and Hinnomaki Red.   Yields are better for Invicta I would say, but I am a big fan of the flavour of Hinnomaki Red.  I have made jam with both as well as pies etc.

I think Invicta could well be called Inflicter, giving its huge spikes.  Picking them causes personal injuries galore!

[New shoot]

Wood Pigeons, Pigeons, Blackbirds, Squirrels, Magpies, Jackdaws and Crows for one plus other medium birds round here. Lots of them in a rural environment.

I am in a big town and gooseberries get stripped off the bush unless they are in a fruit cage.  Same culprits are guilty of the damage. 

I used to grow Invicta and agree with AnneB's comments on productivity and lethal spikes.  There are lots of fruits though, so you can pick green ones to cook with and leave some to ripen up as a treat later on in the season, as Nobbie suggests

If you want to preserve them, I would recommend trying gooseberry gin.  You can strain the fruit out one it has done its job and make a grown-ups only crumble with it