Novelty Value?

Thought I would share a photo of my friends Gooseberry. It's been at my house for about 5 years so it feels like mine :-) Also shown is my Spiraea.Past it's flowering best but still nice.




Not exactly bonsai but I love having a splash of colour on the bench at this time of year. The gooseberry is a great talking point at displays Impossible to get it to back bud though

Well, if the gooseberry were yours, you undoubtedly woudl get rid of one or the other of those branches, probably the upright one -- yes?

First Spirea bonsai I've seen that I like.

Jim, I'd probably go S**T or bust and cut it back hard and make the bugger back bud

One or the other will still look wrong and you can't wire as they are extremely brittle. The branches go hollow in the middle.

Tasty to have in the garden though

My grandma used to make us pies & cobblers. If it were mine, I would plant it in the ground, pick the berries, make a pie and enjoy. My wife makes me gooseberry pies for my birthday instead of cakes.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Hungry!!!!!

I think this could be a very lively debate on Discussion and o t b... Pies including crumble for me..Savory or sweet.

Funny...I think I could be one of about 5 people in the US who even know what a gooseberry is...let alone eating them!

NeilDellinger wrote:Funny...I think I could be one of about 5 people in the US who even know what a gooseberry is...let alone eating them!

make it 6...

Know what they are and love them, never had a pie or cobbler but my great grandmother had a bush and I ate them before anyone could pick them and doing some cooking with them. I currently have four that I am trying to do something with. All around two years old.

Glad to see that the value of one of my favourite fruits has made it across the pond. I picked about 20 lbs of them from my bushes a couple of days ago. One old plant suffers from mildewed berries, so is going to become bonsai next spring.

I already have this one, 12 years from seed. No fruit this year, but as Ian says it usually carries a few berries around show time and is then a real crowd pleaser. Most people in the UK can recognise the berries and go all ooh, ahhh!

Sorry about the awful shot but it's grey and raining outside.

Those are great little plants guys. Thanks for posting yours Kev. I'll need to get one for my benches.

I have a vivid childhood memory of sneaking into a disused garden and eating them by the handful. Problem was, most weren't ripe yet! Boy did I suffer for that

In case any are interested



Ingredients

3 cups fresh gooseberries
2 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions

Stem and rinse berries.
Crush 1/2 cup berries in the bottom of a saucepan. Combine sugar, tapioca, and salt; mix with crushed berries. Cook and stir until mixture boils. Cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat, and add in remaining whole berries.
Pour fruit filling into pastry. Adjust top crust , cut slits for escape of steam. Brush with milk and sugar.
Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 35 minutes.

Now we are definitely getting off topic
Fresh cream anyone?

Yes please Ian. Custard as well. Thats a very reserved slice you've taken there! Mind you there's always seconds........and thirds.......

Well guys. I am facing a relocation back to Illinois. BUT...maybe I can convince my Manager to relocate me to your neck of the woods...based on a hardship of some kind...Illinois is severely lacking in gooseberries, pie crusts, elms, scots pine.... I think I could write a convincing business case.

Thanks for the recipe Ian. Looks like it would be just tart enough. I'll try it. My wife hates pulling the stems off.

Have a good one fellas.

Ian Young wrote:I have a vivid childhood memory of sneaking into a disused garden and eating them by the handful. Problem was, most weren't ripe yet! Boy did I suffer for that

I discovered early on in childhood why my Grannie grew her gooseberries right next to the outside toilet. And if it wasn't planned that way, it certainly was fortuitous for the reason Ian mentions.

Ian, after that pie recipe, I'm definitely coming over to visit.

Man, am I hungry now!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fiona,

I would love to take credit for the recipe, but you'd have to thank google

You are still more than welcome and I'm sure something with fresh cream will be available!