[kentishlad]

Hi,
I have a couple of bushes of gooseberries here, we planted them about two years ago, there's a reasonable amount of fruit on them which look about the right size, are green but are firm if you try and squeeze em. I ate one the other day and it wasn't very juicy, can they be picked now and cooked? Probably a bit of a dumb question but I've never grown them so I don't really know what the signs are....
One is a dual purpose culinary/desert but I don't fancy leaving them too long as last year they disappeared!
Any help appreciated,

[daz]

there was a bit about goosberries on river cottage the other night

he said you can pick them early but they will need alot of sugar or leave them to ripen and pick em later and they will be much sweeter

[DD.]

On the disappearing goosberry tack.

Are they netted? If I don't net mine the pigeons strip the bushes overnight!

[Aunt Sally]

Foxes will strip them too :shock:

This is an extract from HERE

Start thinning gooseberries during late May or early June removing about half the crop. The fruits from this first harvest can be used for cooking. This will give a longer cropping season and leaves others more room to grow to a larger size. The second harvest can be done a few weeks later, and many of the fruits will be packed full of natural sugar and taste delicious.

[kentishlad]

Hi,
I haven't netted them perhaps I should do, I have all the other soft fruit in a fruit cage but didn't have room for these.

Thanks for the link Aunt Sally, that pretty much answers my question in that I should be able to cook and eat them now.

Still got to sort out the ant problem I have as they attack the young shoots and are stunting the growth. Found loads of useful tips on here just need to get some ant killer that's not going to do loads of damage to the environment; I may get some nippon or boric acid if I can find any, so far my local stores don't have any.

[londongardener]

Foxes will strip them too :shock:

This is an extract from HERE

Start thinning gooseberries during late May or early June removing about half the crop. The fruits from this first harvest can be used for cooking. This will give a longer cropping season and leaves others more room to grow to a larger size. The second harvest can be done a few weeks later, and many of the fruits will be packed full of natural sugar and taste delicious.

a) is too late to thin now or rather is it worth it
b) what is a good recipe ?
c) I have desert gooseberries leveller, langley gage and Hkonami Yellow and Red.  I do not want to pick them to soon - how do I know when they are fully ripe.

[Sadgit]

On the disappearing goosberry tack.

Are they netted? If I don't net mine the pigeons strip the bushes overnight!

I never knew this... UNTIL TONIGHT!!!! I went to pick my goosegogs and holy cow stripped bare since the weekend.. totally gutted!!!!

I HATE HATE HATE the wood pigeons we get.. the missus just said, is all of this worth it

[crackedflowerpots]

we have a very new gooseberry bush (planted last year and about 12 gooseberries on it this year)
Now i know less than nothing about gooseberries    only ever eaten one with kiwi in a Muller fruit corner bought from asda (which i loved but they stopped doing years ago :roll: )
how can i tell when to pick the gooseberries and can i eat them without cooking :oops:  ... 12 lonely gooseberries seem like a snack while we are  working rather than a pie for the family

[DD.]

Gooseberries are ready for picking the day after the pigeons have eaten them! :evil:  :evil:

Don't advise eating them raw, unless they are a dessert variety.

[kentishlad]

It seems the consensus is when they look big enough despite being firm you can cook them with a quantity of sugar to balance the acidity. Some varieties are desert varieties, one of mine is though I've yet to taste a ripe one! lol. That said I will head the advice given and find some netting for them I think.
Both my bushes are plagued with aphids and ants on new growth; I'm all organic so still struggling to get to grips with this problem but it's really the only major pest problem I have so I'm thankful for that :-)