Topic: Using Cape Gooseberries

[winecap]

My cape gooseberries are just starting to ripen in good numbers, and I was wondering how others make use of them. Last couple of years I have just snacked on them from the fruit bowl, but I figure they should be more versatile. How do you think they are best used?

[Jayb]

I never seem to get past eating them fresh, just sooooo good. I know they are not everyone's favourite but I love them and I'm enjoying my daily fix
Interested to hear other ways to eat them too.

[ACE]

I started some plants off this year, but after planting out a mole went right up through the line and uprooted them. As it was very dry they were too withered to replant. But when we started growing them I did look them up and noticed while surfing  that a lot of jam recipes came up in the search. I did grow some more but they are still small plants in pots and under glass. They also said they can be used as a half hardy perennial, so I will over winter them and try again next year.

[galina]

They also said they can be used as a half hardy perennial, so I will over winter them and try again next year.

You may not have to do very much to help them survive.  I had them in the greenhouse soil without doing anything.  They produced best in their second year, then tailed off and produced fruit later in the third and too late in the fourth year. So I removed them.  If I had them in pots I would trim the plants and take the pots to the conservatory over winter.  It gets a lot colder here than on IOW.   

[Headgardener22]

I have also overwintered Cape Gooseberries in the greenhouse. I grow a few plants in potato growing bags so just move them into the greenhouse when I've taken out the tomatoes. They're 3 years old now and whilst one of the plants has given up the ghost, the others seem to be growing OK.

[squeezyjohn]

They have overwintered in a bubble-wrapped greenhouse for me very well (mind you the last 2 winters have been very mild)  - Sometimes they catch a bit of frost and have to be cut back towards the base but they come back strong as ever.

One year we even had really good fruit at christmas!

[Obelixx]

Never grown them as it gets far too cold here in a normal winter but when Possum was little she ate them neat as snacks at or after school but her favourite was when I dipped them in milk or white chocolate when she had friends round.

Other than that serve as they are with other autumn fruits or decorate a cheesecake or put them in salads.

[sparrow]

I'd love to have enough to make jam with. Am going to try overwintering to get a bigger crop next year.