A Good Year for Gooseberries

[Broad Beam]

Have been reading the site for a while now and have taken the plunge and joined.
Yesterday I picked seven pounds of gooseberries from one smallish plant that I have had for three years. Last year I had about half a dozen berries on it. What I would like to know is do they freeze very well? They are a good size and a cooking variety called Careless.

Now going to dress my wounds

[Broad Beam]

[Broad Beam]

Just realised I have posted in the wrong forum. Just seen the recipe section. Will get the hang of it after a while.

[1066]

Hi Broad Bean and welcome to A4A, well done for taking the plunge  ;D

Not sure on the answer to your question but I'm sure someone will be along shortly

1066

[robototitico]

I have had a bumper crop of gooseberries as well this year!

[saddad]

They will freeze, as they are or processed for "fool"...
Welcome to A4A Broad Beam...  ;D

[kt.]

Welcome to the forum BB

[Plot69]

Broad Beam? Does that relate to the width of a boat?

[Digeroo]

I picked a handful the other day and zapped them in the microwave with some apple juice  When it was cool I added some strawberries.  Delicious.

Do not know what variety came cheap from Lidl but the ripe ones are turning pink.  Like you third year and finally a great crop.

[Kea]

I would have a a very good crop as i now have 6 bushes and 3 were heavily laden but the annual gooseberry thief got them first ...again! And other people on the site as well lost theirs.

[1066]

what a bummer kea!

[Digeroo]

What is eating them.  Can you net them?

[chriscross1966]

It was a good year for mine too until the mildew got them a month ago  :(

[Kea]

What is eating them.  Can you net them?

My husband suggested a pit with spikes in the bottom......Humans are eating them...famous two legged nocturnal pest!

[stevew451]

hi im wanting to put a couple of gooseberry plants in this year anyone got sugestions for what type and when and any good suppliers

[gillcat]

top and tail the gooseberries and either bag them or flash freeze them they are very good for freezing. Or you can boil them with sugar ready for crumble etc before freezing. :)

Just in case you don't know : flash freezing is putting them on baking trays until frozen and then you can either bag or box them.

[Broad Beam]

Broad Beam? Does that relate to the width of a boat?



No just my ever increasing waistline  :-\

Many thanks for the replies. My OH took to work today a lunch containing our own lettuce-radish-beetroot and gooseberries and strawberries. And it is not even summer yet.

[Plot69]

No just my ever increasing waistline  :-\

Ah, my apologies. It's just that I have a narrow beam so the phrase is familiar to me which is why I asked.

[davholla]

hi im wanting to put a couple of gooseberry plants in this year anyone got sugestions for what type and when and any good suppliers

Leveller taste nicest but need spraying with washing soda (easy) every 2 or 3 weeks to keep off mildew.  But well worth the effort.  Hinomamki red/green etc are mildew resistant and tasy but Leveller are nicer.
Cool temperate is good or Chris Bowers.

[beckydore]

My bushes have been stripped in the last week but to be honest I should have expected it as the pigeons were flocking to the bush on the neighbouring plot last weekend.
I don't know if I've ever tasted a gooseberry!!!

[Eristic]

3 were heavily laden but the annual gooseberry thief got them first ...again!

Pigeons.