Topic: Green gooseberries

[strawberry1]

I started picking today because the bushes are groaning with fruit, I must have taken 7 lb today and have topped and tailed, ready for bottling. They were all a decent size already. Two bushes and at least 20+ lb left at the smaller size so a huge crop. I can see the blackcurrants also gearing up for a very big crop, so staggering picking for gooseberries is the way forward for me. Not moaning though as these berries will be tremendous all through until next year

[davholla]

I started picking today because the bushes are groaning with fruit, I must have taken 7 lb today and have topped and tailed, ready for bottling. They were all a decent size already. Two bushes and at least 20+ lb left at the smaller size so a huge crop. I can see the blackcurrants also gearing up for a very big crop, so staggering picking for gooseberries is the way forward for me. Not moaning though as these berries will be tremendous all through until next year

How do you bottle them?  Do you get more fruit like this do you think?

[strawberry1]

Davholla, bottling is pretty easy, I use kilner jars and just get new lids every time. There are several ways, I use the slow water bath method and a syrup made from 8 oz sugar to 1/2 pint of water. Although easy, it does involve pretty accurate temperature control and big enough pan so that the jars can be fully immersed. It is probably best to google different methods as another way might suit you better.

I went up and staked my two mature bushes as they are so top heavy and on legs and we are expecting fierce winds on an already windy exposed plot. There are stakes up and some string and a net windbreak. I picked more this afternoon and that has taken more weight off again. There is a huge amount left and I need some more to make up 4 1 litre jars so I have to go again tomorrow morning. I have made the syrup as it has to be used cold and I have washed and topped and tailed the ones I have picked

It is a really good way for me to get the max crop from these two invicta bushes, it means I definitely get a lot picked before they are ripe and then the ones that are left just get bigger and bigger. One of my 1/2 litre jars didn`t get a seal, ie it didn`t pop and form the vacuum, so I have started eating them with some clotted cream and wow, it so reinforces why i love gooseberries. I have 5 more baby bushes, I didn`t mean to have so many but the grower put 3 plants in one pot and 2 in another, so I split them up. These are hinnonmaki red and I have actually put them into cages as I want them more mature and red, so they would definitely be attractive to birds. They might be baby bushes but they are already carrying a good amount of fruit

[Yorkshire Lass]

That sounds a more diabetic friendly recipe Galina.  I'll give it a go when my gooseberries are ready for picking - they're still very green and hard.

[strawberry1]

another load picked today and tbh when they are topped and tailed, washed and laid out to dry, then they really are not that small. Not the very big squishy ones obviously but ideal for bottling. I tried using my nails for topping and tailing, whilst sitting down and it was one heck of a lot easier and far quicker. 2nd lot of jars are just sterilising in the oven now, ready for filling and by tonight I will have done 10 more kilners today. I am having a much easier time using my jam maslin and a trivet from my pressure cooker on the bottom, I get 5 jars in the water bath at one go. The jars are stable and so the lids and the contents are not shifting about, I got 100% pops from the lot this morning. Start to finish once in the water takes 1 hour 45 minutes and probably 1 1/2 - 2 hours for preparing them

I am just working through very steadily and getting them done. The start of picking can be daunting as there is so much. Pruning is going to be a challenge this winter

[johhnyco15]

got to do the dreaded goosberry thinnig this week on my standard  stab stab ouch

[strawberry1]

Johnny do you have a stake on your standard? Is it windy over there? Mine aren`t on very high legs, like yours but one is lopsided, I am thinking that I need to prune the other side and take out some full branches from the centre. so it gets more balanced

My arms are covered in bright red scratches today, serves me right for picking in short sleeves yesterday. I have got a heavy canvas smock that I am going to wear for my session later this afternoon. They berries certainly seem to grow a fair bit overnight so I am expecting there to be a lot more to pick today.

My jars are now nestled in rows on a shelf under the stairs where it is dark and cool. Satisifying to see

Syrup is leftover from yesterday and waiting in the fridge and I also left the maslin out, still filled with water, no point emptying it. I do like the fact that I can stagger my fruit picking like this. It would be far too daunting otherwise and it isn`t too uncomfortable, apart from the scratches, I just sit on a low padded kneeler seat

[johhnyco15]

Johnny do you have a stake on your standard? Is it windy over there? Mine aren`t on very high legs, like yours but one is lopsided, I am thinking that I need to prune the other side and take out some full branches from the centre. so it gets more balanced

My arms are covered in bright red scratches today, serves me right for picking in short sleeves yesterday. I have got a heavy canvas smock that I am going to wear for my session later this afternoon. They berries certainly seem to grow a fair bit overnight so I am expecting there to be a lot more to pick today.

My jars are now nestled in rows on a shelf under the stairs where it is dark and cool. Satisifying to see

Syrup is leftover from yesterday and waiting in the fridge and I also left the maslin out, still filled with water, no point emptying it. I do like the fact that I can stagger my fruit picking like this. It would be far too daunting otherwise and it isn`t too uncomfortable, apart from the scratches, I just sit on a low padded kneeler seat

yes they have angled stakes there are around 5 ft high chest hieght and its very windy here and today well gale force i get around 15lb/20lb in berrys per plant they are around 4 ft in dia so quite a hefty bush picking isnt very hard really lift the limb and pick a little carefully i always get caught looks like ive be wrestling a cat lol

[green lily]

Well I'm impressed that you can grow standards at all outside a walled garden. My only attempt at standards [staked] broke in half one winter quite long ago...
[And I thought the pear tree was going over last night... ]

Now I stick to bushes and net well as mine are red and a magnet to blackbirds.
I only have one bush but I pick in stages-- not yet, though I get a goodly crop, but they are vicious beasts so nets and respect are the order of the day....
 

[strawberry1]

yes it was hairy overnight re the wind. I put some wind net up and pushed a couple of stakes in through the bushes. Was hard though, using the mallet. I doubt I will be able to get the stakes out to re-do properly as soil is pretty solid clay. I think I am going to reduce the number of branches, which will help. I lost a good bush in the wind last year and it is pretty soul destroying. I like having a leg on them but don`t know if it is worth it re stability

[laurieuk]

I have just been down to my plot and tried to tidy up after the ales yesterday. My gooseberry bushes are starting to  bend over with the weight of fruit so I will have to thin the berries soon, we use these various ways and leave the rest to swell and ripen. My black berries needed to be retied to the wires as the wind had broken the ties.

[alkanet]

I have just been down to my plot and tried to tidy up after the ales yesterday.

how much did you drink?

[ThomsonAS]

Am getting jealous: the damned pigeons are attacking already but my berries are still rock-hard and under-sized.

[strawberry1]

10 more 1/2 litre kilners done yesterday, so 25 jars are now stashed away. I poached the remaining ones that I picked and yum, they were lovely today. I am leaving all the rest to get big now, plenty there but much better spacing and the branches are looking a lot lighter. My arms are full of red scratches but was very worth while.  Now to sit back for a week or three but no longer as the blackcurrants will be good to go in a month to 6 weeks and I want a break

[goodlife]

10 more 1/2 litre kilners done yesterday, so 25 jars are now stashed away. I poached the remaining ones that I picked and yum, they were lovely today. I am leaving all the rest to get big now, plenty there but much better spacing and the branches are looking a lot lighter. My arms are full of red scratches but was very worth while.  Now to sit back for a week or three but no longer as the blackcurrants will be good to go in a month to 6 weeks and I want a break

Blimey....that is lot of 'jars'!

[johhnyco15]

10 more 1/2 litre kilners done yesterday, so 25 jars are now stashed away. I poached the remaining ones that I picked and yum, they were lovely today. I am leaving all the rest to get big now, plenty there but much better spacing and the branches are looking a lot lighter. My arms are full of red scratches but was very worth while.  Now to sit back for a week or three but no longer as the blackcurrants will be good to go in a month to 6 weeks and I want a break

strawberry will you marry me i have 15 black current bushes 1 huge red current 2 josta berrys 2 white currents and 7 gooseberry bushes all need picking in the near future it could be a match made in heaven lol

[strawberry1]

lol johhny, get a kneeler seat and a hat and sit in a bush like me. 15 blackcurrants omg.  I have 4x  4year old and groaning with fruit and planted 2 more last autumn. They are so nice and get sweet when frozen, I love them in my breakfast. I am going to do the old fashioned way and cut some older branches off, fruit and all, take them home and pick at leisure

I finished goosegog bottling when I had 25 jars and have left the rest to get bigger. That was 2 bushes and I went and planted 5 more bushes last autumn  . I am going to get real and do some harder pruning this year

[laurieuk]

It does seem a good year for most folks with gooseberries. I have just had to thin as the branches are now touching the ground.

[davholla]

It does seem a good year for most folks with gooseberries. I have just had to thin as the branches are now touching the ground.

Well done ,sadly mine are nowhere near that good and some of them are 7 year old bushes now.  Perhaps I should have fed them more.  Any advice anyone?

[johhnyco15]

It does seem a good year for most folks with gooseberries. I have just had to thin as the branches are now touching the ground.

Well done ,sadly mine are nowhere near that good and some of them are 7 year old bushes now.  Perhaps I should have fed them more.  Any advice anyone?

give them a feed of growmore late winter early spring then mulch them and prune the middle out like a wine glass then make your fingers bleed as you pick bucket loads of them lol hope this helps