Gooseberry - Page 2

Tomstrees · May 13, 2008

I'll call and ask.

The plants were in good shape - with no existing leaves from the previous year - what was new growth was all breaking small green buds - no off colors on the bark - no root rot - they really were in good shape.

I'll have to take a picture this weekend - as it already is filling out and has flowers !

~ Tom

Granny · May 13, 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomstrees

Mike -

Your def. not the first person to ask me about this.

We just got them in the mail in a big tube from a relative -
I'm gonna do a search to see if gooseberries are not allowed in NJ.

~ Tom

I just bought some Tom - from the website where I bought mine:
Gooseberries are Prohibited to DE,ME,NC,NH,NJ&WV

In Massachusetts you have to get a permit from your town. Luckily I live in Vermont, where gooseberries are allowed.

Denise_in_MI · May 18, 2008

So...are they invasive in those States? Is that why they are banned? I've always wanted to try gooseberries, but thought that they were really tough to grow or transplant. Maybe they are here in Michigan.

Granny · May 20, 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denise_in_MI

So...are they invasive in those States? Is that why they are banned? I've always wanted to try gooseberries, but thought that they were really tough to grow or transplant. Maybe they are here in Michigan.

No, they are not invasive in the states that ban them. Some years back - more than 35 because I have wanted gooseberries that long - there was some disease that affected a plant similar to gooseberries/currants. Some states banned those along with the prime culprit on general principles. Fairly recently Mass has lifted the total ban so that you can get a permit on a town by town basis.

Tomstrees · May 21, 2008

Here's the plant - pic taken after the rain on Sunday - funny how its filled out: bloomed - and already has fruit on it ...
Not proud that I have one in one of the "illegal states" - but at the time: who knew ???

~ Tom (super sinner and kinda "feeling funny" about this situation ...)

Spring:

Mid-Spring:

sic transit gloria · May 22, 2008

Gooseberry pie is perhaps the best pie that one can make. Strawberry pie is a close second, but that sweet/tart flavor of gooseberry pie is very good. Some recipes call for "cooking down" the gooseberries. Don't do this. Just put the green berries in the pie crust, whole. Don't let the berries ripen for use in pies. You can select how tart you want the pie to be by adjusting the amount of sugar you add.

Tomstrees · May 22, 2008

mmmmm - "pie" - one of my favorite desserts !
Hopefully we'll have enough to make a pie one day ...
It does have a number of fruit on it: but not enough yet to cook

~ Tom

sic transit gloria · May 23, 2008

As I recall, it takes 4 cups of gooseberries for a regular pie.

Ruth_10 · May 23, 2008

Gooseberries are found in the wild in Missouri and are fairly common. They were one of the give-aways on Earth Day where I work. We got one and planted it. Hope to get some fruit one of these days.

Tomstrees · June 11, 2008

Picture of fruit on my illegal Gooseberry:

~ Tom

svalli · July 20, 2008

Have the berries ripened already? Did they ripen red or yellow?
My MIL used to have a really sweet yellow ripening gooseberry, but the plant died to some disease. I had three red ripening gooseberry bushes growing on our yard in Wisconsin; those were OK, but not the best ones I have tasted.

I read in a book that there used to be many different cultivars of gooseberries in Finland in beginning of 1900. They used to be called the grapes of north, since real grapes do not grow well here. But a disease was brought to Europe with plants from North America and that killed most of the original heirloom varieties. Later the resistant gooseberries from North America were used to breed resistant varieties and those are among the few common varieties found here today.

redbrick · November 27, 2008

Tomstrees, If I could make a suggestion, call your local extension office and, playing dumb, ask if there are any laws against growing gooseberries in New Jersey, and if they're actively enforced. don't let on that you already have one, just in case there are. For example, in Pennsylvania, there are still a few laws on the books, but they are officially not enforced, as per Penn State Master Gardener guidelines, which means that they can be grown in PA. New Jersey just might be in the same boat, it's worth a shot!

mayax68 · February 9, 2009

I live in CT and here goosberries are allowed. We even have farms that grow jostaberries(cross of goosberry and black currant). The problem with goosberries and currants is that they spread a disease that killed white pines. That is the reason why they are not allowed in some areas.
As for how to eat them, we just pick them of the bush and eat them fresh. My kids love instense sour taste of them. If we end up with any leftovers, we combine them with the black and red currants and process them with sugar using 1 part of berries to 2 parts os sugar proportion. Then we store them in the fridge and use as jam. It stores really well. Sometimes we still have several jars left up to the time for the next crop.

pinakbet · July 28, 2010

I'm interested in growing gooseberry. can it thrive here in our tropical location?

May 13, 2008	#16
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	I'll call and ask. The plants were in good shape - with no existing leaves from the previous year - what was new growth was all breaking small green buds - no off colors on the bark - no root rot - they really were in good shape. I'll have to take a picture this weekend - as it already is filling out and has flowers ! ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

May 18, 2008	#18
Denise_in_MI Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Zone 4 in NLP and Zone 5b/6a in SE MI Posts: 79	So...are they invasive in those States? Is that why they are banned? I've always wanted to try gooseberries, but thought that they were really tough to grow or transplant. Maybe they are here in Michigan. __________________ Denise

May 21, 2008	#20
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Here's the plant - pic taken after the rain on Sunday - funny how its filled out: bloomed - and already has fruit on it ... Not proud that I have one in one of the "illegal states" - but at the time: who knew ??? ~ Tom (super sinner and kinda "feeling funny" about this situation ...) Spring: Mid-Spring: __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

May 22, 2008	#22
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	mmmmm - "pie" - one of my favorite desserts ! Hopefully we'll have enough to make a pie one day ... It does have a number of fruit on it: but not enough yet to cook ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

May 23, 2008	#24
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	Gooseberries are found in the wild in Missouri and are fairly common. They were one of the give-aways on Earth Day where I work. We got one and planted it. Hope to get some fruit one of these days. __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.

May 22, 2008	#21
sic transit gloria Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: KS 5b/6a Posts: 249	Gooseberry pie is perhaps the best pie that one can make. Strawberry pie is a close second, but that sweet/tart flavor of gooseberry pie is very good. Some recipes call for "cooking down" the gooseberries. Don't do this. Just put the green berries in the pie crust, whole. Don't let the berries ripen for use in pies. You can select how tart you want the pie to be by adjusting the amount of sugar you add.

June 11, 2008	#25
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Picture of fruit on my illegal Gooseberry: ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

July 20, 2008	#26
svalli Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Vaasa, Finland, latitude N 63° Posts: 838	Have the berries ripened already? Did they ripen red or yellow? My MIL used to have a really sweet yellow ripening gooseberry, but the plant died to some disease. I had three red ripening gooseberry bushes growing on our yard in Wisconsin; those were OK, but not the best ones I have tasted. I read in a book that there used to be many different cultivars of gooseberries in Finland in beginning of 1900. They used to be called the grapes of north, since real grapes do not grow well here. But a disease was brought to Europe with plants from North America and that killed most of the original heirloom varieties. Later the resistant gooseberries from North America were used to breed resistant varieties and those are among the few common varieties found here today. __________________ "I only want to live in peace, plant potatoes and dream." - Moomin-troll by Tove Jansson

November 27, 2008	#27
redbrick Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Lebanon PA, zone 6 Posts: 45	Tomstrees, If I could make a suggestion, call your local extension office and, playing dumb, ask if there are any laws against growing gooseberries in New Jersey, and if they're actively enforced. don't let on that you already have one, just in case there are. For example, in Pennsylvania, there are still a few laws on the books, but they are officially not enforced, as per Penn State Master Gardener guidelines, which means that they can be grown in PA. New Jersey just might be in the same boat, it's worth a shot! __________________ "Any man may count the seeds in an apple, yet who can know the apples in a seed?" --Chinese Proverb (paraphrased)

February 9, 2009	#28
mayax68 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: USA, CT Posts: 106	I live in CT and here goosberries are allowed. We even have farms that grow jostaberries(cross of goosberry and black currant). The problem with goosberries and currants is that they spread a disease that killed white pines. That is the reason why they are not allowed in some areas. As for how to eat them, we just pick them of the bush and eat them fresh. My kids love instense sour taste of them. If we end up with any leftovers, we combine them with the black and red currants and process them with sugar using 1 part of berries to 2 parts os sugar proportion. Then we store them in the fridge and use as jam. It stores really well. Sometimes we still have several jars left up to the time for the next crop.

July 28, 2010	#29
pinakbet Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Pearl of the Orient Posts: 333	I'm interested in growing gooseberry. can it thrive here in our tropical location?