Wild gooseberries

[demographic]

When I was just a nipper I used to pick gooseberries from hedgerows and then tonight I have picked a load more.

Now, I have read recently (I think it was in Food For Free) that theres no such thing as wild gooseberries (as in a different variety) and that the "wild" ones are just the same as the cultivated ones.

Seems to me that must be wrong as the "wild" ones are far sweeter, a fair bit hairier and slightly smaller. Oh and they are red when ripe and more yellowish when not ripe.

They are actualy nice to eat as opposed to being a bit of a trial like normal gooseberries are.

Anyone know what I am waffling on about? or is it just me that thinks they are vastly different from the ones in the garden.

[Toddy]

It's a cultivated escapee. The Victorians loved their gooseberries but commercial growers aren't so keen on the little red ones, despite the better taste and their resistance to disease, because they don't produce big, hair free fruit. I agree though much nicer to eat, and we call them the wild gooseberries too. :)

Cheers,
Toddy

[demographic]

It's a cultivated escapee. The Victorians loved their gooseberries but commercial growers aren't so keen on the little red ones, despite the better taste and their resistance to disease, because they don't produce big, hair free fruit. I agree though much nicer to eat, and we call them the wild gooseberries too. :)

Cheers,
Toddy

Ahh, right.

Fair nuff,thanks for the info, I suppose they are a good hedgerow plant in being rather spikey, and producing nice food for when your on the way home :)

[Toddy]

If you pin down a branch it'll root and you can cut it free and dig it up to be transplanted into your garden. Bigger became the aim, small egg sized fruits eventually.
You're a lucky man if you've got hedgerows with the red ones on one of your walks. They make excellent jam & wine too.

Cheers,
Toddy

[demographic]

It's in the roadside hedge outside a relatives house, I think i might just try that "Pinning" trick as I was going to ask if I could take a cutting off it or how could I get one for the garden.

I think if I have a few in my hedge at home it might just stop kids jumping on the hedge*.

Thanks very much for the info.

Regards Scott.
























*Not that I never did that when I was a nipper <Scott whistles innoccently>

[ilan]

As said its an escapee thou to be fair we get a fair few seedlings in the garden . unfortunatly i think ripe gooseberrys are dificult to harvest as within a day or two of being at the best they burst or split open so what you buy are under ripe . If you do strike a cutting then reducing the amount of fruit on the bush will help increase its size ilan

[Moonraker]

It's a cultivated escapee. The Victorians loved their gooseberries but commercial growers aren't so keen on the little red ones, despite the better taste and their resistance to disease, because they don't produce big, hair free fruit. I agree though much nicer to eat, and we call them the wild gooseberries too. :)

Cheers,
ToddyIt could be given the close proximity to a dwelling (or previous habitation, now gone), but given the description Scott gives, I would say he is right when he calls them 'wild'. The cultivated varieties of gooseberry come from the Wild Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) (http://www.plantpress.com/wildlife/search.php?name=ribes&pl=5&adv=1&ot=&r=0&g=0&p=1&o=570) which is a native plant of the British Isles & Europe, found in old woodland and not garden escapes (though they do cross breed too) They need a hot summer to fully ripen in Britain and become sweet enough to eat.

On the dry, harsh Causse (limestone plateau) around my village here in France they grow in profusion (gooseberries are hardly grown here in gardens).

Wild Gooseberry. Causse Comtal (c.550m) May 2004. In Flower
http://www.lisney.co.uk/graphics/bcuk_small_photos/nat-wild_gooseberry_fr.jpg

Wild Gooseberry. Muret Cascade. May 2004. Flower Detail
http://www.lisney.co.uk/graphics/bcuk_small_photos/nat-wild_gooseberry_fr_flower.jpg


Some fruits were not cultivated until surprisingly late. Both the gooseberry and strawberry had long been appreciated from the wild. The first record of gooseberry cultivation is from the 13th century. Once brought in from the wild, the development of larger, sweeter and juicier fruit was possible.source: http://www.exploreyourcountryside.com/toa/fr_hist.html

Plenty of information on description, edibility and other uses here on the PFAF Database:

PFAF - Ribes uva-crispa - Gooseberry (http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Ribes+uva-crispa)

Be wary of eating or using any other part of the plant. I have seen it suggested that the young leaves can be eaten in salads etc. But the leaves contain hydrogen cyanide and thus potentially toxic.

The same is true for the Mountain (Wild) Currant (Ribes alpinum) (http://www.plantpress.com/wildlife/search.php?name=currant&pl=5&adv=1&ot=&r=0&g=0&p=1&o=694), also native in the British Isles & Europe and a member of the same species.

Mountain Currant. July 2005. Aubrac Plateau (1350m)
http://www.lisney.co.uk/graphics/bcuk_small_photos/nat-wild_currant_fr.jpg

Mountain Currant. July 2005. Fruit Detail
http://www.lisney.co.uk/graphics/bcuk_small_photos/nat-wild_currant_fr_detail.jpg

Note, the fruit turn red when fully ripe.

The Black currant (Ribes nigrum) (http://www.plantpress.com/wildlife/search.php?name=currant&pl=5&adv=1&ot=&r=0&g=0&p=1&o=627) also grows in the wild but as a long-established garden escape, occurring in wet woods and shaded streamsides.

You can often see the non-native Flowering currrant (Ribes sanguineum) (http://www.plantpress.com/wildlife/search.php?name=ribes&pl=5&adv=1&ot=&r=0&g=0&p=1&o=998) planted in urban locations as an ornamental shrub. A native of North America, it is occasionally naturalised in the British Isles. The fruit are really tasteless but can be eaten. See the PFAF site for more details here:

PFAF - Ribes sanguineum - Flowering Currant (http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Ribes+sanguineum)

Finally, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has a great little recipe for wild gooseberry ice cream :D, in his recently republished book, A Cook On The Wild Side (http://www.rivercottage.net/rcv2/shop/books.jsp?shop=bookRc&filter=hugh). page 136. Oh, and we used to call them 'goosegogs' too...

Happy foraging :)

[Toddy]

I think we must be talking about different plants :confused: The wild gooseberry I'm talking about has insignificant little flowers early on in the year and the fruits are marble sized and plum *red*. Even in a poor summer they ripen sweetly. They don't like drought though. It's usually worth picking them early in the day 'cos the wasps love them too :(

They get called grossetts here as well as goosegogs :)
Cheers,
Toddy

[demographic]

Sorry to add that I don't have the foggiest notion of what the flowers look like, I only seem to notice the bush when there's "goosegogs" on it.

Or when I catch myself on the thorns :(

I should be up there again this week so will take some photos.

[Moonraker]

I think we must be talking about different plants :confused: The wild gooseberry I'm talking about has insignificant little flowers early on in the year and the fruits are marble sized and plum *red*. Even in a poor summer they ripen sweetly. They don't like drought though. It's usually worth picking them early in the day 'cos the wasps love them too :(

They get called grossetts here as well as goosegogs :)
Cheers,
Toddy
Same thing from what you describe Toddy, and looking at the photos/ links.

'grossetts' is similar to the French 'Groseillier'