How do you know when Gooseberries are ripe?

[posie]

And before anyone says try one - I can't stand them!  Do they go a particular colour or deeper colour or something?  My gooseberry bush is practically falling over with fruit.

[posie]

[tim]

If there's that much fruit - make sure it's well watered & fed.

Ripe? Depends on variety but, usually, they go deep yellowish & just give to the squeeze.

But you may have non-dessert ones which are a bit boring for nibbles.

[kt.]

I have 2.  This will be their 1st year of harvest.  Not much on them yet, must be autumn fruiting i guess.  I will need to know the answer for later 8)

[OllieC]

You need to feed one to someone that does like them - and if they can eat them without screwing up their face, they're ready. If their eyes start to water and they pull a funny face, give it a while longer. It's very unlikely that you have ripe ones yet...

[posie]

LOL - thanks Ollie!

[realfood]

Try this page on my web site for the answer http://www.growyourown.info/page73.html

[tim]

Leveller -- typically - ripens late Summer.

[valmarg]

When the birds, particularly blackbirds start eating them. ;D

valmarg

[posie]

Thanks realfood for the info.

Valmarg - there are going to be some very fat birds round my way because the only member of my family who likes them is my Grandmother!  ;D

[BAK]

a couple of plot holders on our site have complained that the birds have eaten the fruit while they were still like bullets, ie very unripe.

Anybody else come across this? It has not happened before on our site.

[OllieC]

It's happened to my reds this year - hard, green & eaten. Also, a couple of branches on a new bush had been snapped off. I suspect pigeons...

[valmarg]

Valmarg - there are going to be some very fat birds round my way because the only member of my family who likes them is my Grandmother!  ;D

The side effect of that is that you will get loads of seedlings coming up in the garden.  Apparently gooseberries are a bit like tomatoes, survive the journey through the birds' digestive tracts ;D ;D ;D

valmarg