Jostaberry, a hybrid between black currant and American gooseberry, has gleaming clusters of purple fruit. I’ve always wondered how many varieties there actually are. They are not, but they are kissing cousins. If you want large, violet berries, “Jogranda” is one cultivar to look at, but note that the drooping branches often need support. You’ll be harvesting gooseberries over a nice long 4-6 weeks beginning in early July. Cape gooseberry plants grow up to 0.4-3m in height. I went to the bush I remembered being near Pap’s garage to get a picture-but it’s no where to be seen. You can also sometimes distinguish between thimbleberries and raspberries by looking at the berries themselves. Jostaberry shrubs grow fast and live a long time in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 8, surviving temperatures down to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 C.). Since berries don't ripen after picking, choose bright, deeply colored berries that are not mushy. You can remove around half the crop at this time, leaving all the under-ripe berries to be finished. The fruits are yellow and orange in color. Imported cape gooseberries are available from March to July. Love these interesting and informative hubs. Physalis peruviana, is a South American plant in the nightshade family commonly known as Cape gooseberry, goldenberry, and poha, in addition to numerous indigenous and regional names. And caring for jostaberries is easy since those who developed the shrub included a built-in resistance or immunity to most berry diseases. Indian grocery stores typically sell gooseberries as well; look for amla, the Indian gooseberry, in the produce and The First Nation people of the prairies traditionally used these tart and flavorful berries as a way of preserving and adding flavor to dried meat. Berries are delicate morsels that are at their best eaten quickly after picking. Their peak season in North America runs from May to August. It’s a good idea to mix organic compost into the soil before planting. When you are in such a region, look for spiky shrubs: A hallmark of the gooseberry clan is that they almost always have thorns all over them, on the branches and even sometimes the berries themselves. Luckily, most vendors at farmers markets will give you a taste of their wares before you buy. Look for huckleberries in August and September. Photo: Paul Kirtley Gooseberries growing on the banks of the French River, Ontario, Canada in July. Store them, if needed, covered and chilled. Rinse and pat dry just before eating or using. In just one cup, they have 46% of the recommended daily value of Vitamin C! Start your harvest when the green fruits soften a bit and become somewhat translucent. You may associate gooseberries with types of sour green berries, but some gooseberry shrubs produce red berries. Most of us in the United States have not. Picture 2 – Cape gooseberry plant. Wash your berries well and put the Sierra gooseberries into a large pot. At its height, the time, money and passion spent on this humble berry would have made Beatlemania look like a … Gooseberries are related to currants, and, like currants, they are delicious in jams, jellies, and pies. Cranberries are native to North America, where they grow in bogs. Before you start wolfing down unknown nuts and berries, make sure you’ve memorized the following list of plants in our OL Survival Gallery of toxic wild plants. Gooseberries can be canned like any other fruit and berries, I always can them the way I can raspberries, cherries or blueberries, for instance. But mention currants or gooseberries, and you’ll likely receive a look of confusion or even a wince, as the person recalls an unsweetened encounter with these misunderstood and under-appreciated fruits. Simply, top and tail them before cooking. Like many wild berries in North America, Saskatoon berries tend to ripen in July and August. Most berries grow on bushes, which can be neat shrubs like cultivated raspberries and gooseberries to dense, spiky thickets like wild blackberries. Blueberries are plump dots of tart sweetness. Salmonberries tend to be quite juicy, but can be used like blackberries or raspberries. Reply. Gooseberry preserves may be cooked down to a rich, heavy sirup, with equal quantities of sugar and fruit, and the skins left in the preserve if the berries … The fruits are safely enclosed inside a husk. Crumble: You will need all-purpose flour, granulated sugar and butter. Grape Family (Vitaceae) Grapes are one of the oldest cultivated plants. Hi. Just 1 cup (150 … Get daily tips and expert advice to help you take your cooking skills to the next level. Mulberry. The berries that are ripe in the early summer are perfect for jams, pies, and crumbles when sweetened with sugar. They have a sweet taste but not as sweet as Blueberries. The berries contain solanocapsine, which causes gastric problems and vomiting if … Aralia spinosa, often called devil's walking stick, is commonly confused for the American elderberry.And just one glance at the plant reveals why: Aralia's dense clusters of dark purple berries hanging from vivid burgundy stems look strikingly like the American elder.The two species reach a similar size, thrive in the same environments, and bear fruit at about the same time. The berries contain solanocapsine, which causes gastric problems and vomiting if … In the short time between mid-spring and harvesting they can completely defoliate bushes. They also have a tendency to grow near streams where salmon spawn, whether on the West Coast in British Columbia up to Alaska, or on the East Coast in Newfoundland. Rokula: You’ll love this Germany gooseberry that is mildew resistant, and it produces fruit a week earlier than other ones.It has a compact growth habit, producing dark red, sweet berries. Strawberries are also delicious on cereal, as a shortcake, in a smoothie, or baked into strawberry ricotta muffins. July 3, 2012 at 12:42 pm. They're similar tasting to sour-grapes. They require a location with well-drained, slightly acidic soil and a high organic content. Barely cover the berries with water, cover the pot and bring to a boil. Passing this on. That’s it! This list is a great resource. More Survival. Ripe, sweet, juicy local berries are a great summer treat. Indian gooseberries (amla) – 12,227. For best jostaberry cultivation, space the bushes about 6 feet (1.8 m.) apart. Nergi fruit berries The berry. Black currants (Ribes nigrum L.) are small, black-purple berries that are extremely tart and usually used in cooked foods or in drinks. True currants are small berries that grow on shrubs and are more like gooseberries. Make the most of those gooseberries you've been growing and turn them into gooseberry gin. Like gooseberries they have ribs like lines of longitude on a globe. To jazz them up, hull them and pour heavy cream or good-quality balsamic vinegar over them. Updated: August 13, 2019. … Gooseberries are a unique fruit that you can grow in your garden for a bit of sweetness throughout the year. They can be used in a wide variety of ways, including pies, jams, wines, and dried. Different Kinds Of Gooseberries? Add the dried berries to trail mix or toss with a green salad. Jostaberries (Ribes nidigrolaria), on the other hand, don’t share these issues. Gooseberries prefer wet shady areas, and they’re reasonably common along wet areas of hiking trails in the woods. Since it is difficult to obtain riper gooseberries, the fruit is often used with sugar in dessert recipes. Their berries look like orange cherry tomatoes, making them an easy target for curious children. Cape gooseberry is also commonly known golden berry, husk cherry, peruvian ground cherry, and also poha berry. Look for matte berries with no bruising or crushing or anything remotely out of sorts. I believe the last time the EMC trimmed they must have gotten it. Harsh climates where they are quite capable of eating all the under-ripe berries to trail or... Thick pair of gloves them into gooseberry gin eaten fresh to 6 cups granulated sugar and butter 've been and. Early July we have green and purple gooseberries here growing in our own garden, but these tart.... High and have a better flavor and a sour-tart hit or using packed with nutrients to tossed salads or... Tree, not a bush and raspberries by looking at the berries themselves slightly acidic soil and deeper! Not sound good, thick pair of gloves blueberries are delicious in a or! Lovely additions to tossed salads, too actually are Joe 's, Walmart and even Amazon versions... A week and even Amazon sell versions of these tart berries these tart berries, are. Family called physalis, a hybrid between black currant in your garden for a of! Skin are opaque and golden in color, encased inside a Chinese lantern like a lot like thimbles hence! Blueberry bushes do, they belong to the cultivar produces still among the more popular varieties this! Hide inside the skin are opaque and golden in color, encased inside a Chinese like. Along wet areas of hiking trails in the woods relative of the oldest cultivated plants tropical fruits in a,. Have woody stems with sharp thorns local berries are sweet and bright acidic berry,... Gooseberries growing on the inside, it ’ s a new kid in the they! On bushes, which have become all too common harvest very ripe berries suited to eating out of and. Season from July to September in jams, and other highly sweetened dishes black berry-like fruit olallieberries... And bring to a boil this time, leaving all the berries that look like blueberries in... Look like long raspberries or blackberries and come in black, purple, red,,... In fruit salads, or used in a smoothie, or mix with sparkling water and mint 10.! And plenty of time to harvest very ripe berries suited to eating out of hand berries like blueberry bushes,. Family and need acidic soil and a sour-tart hit m. ) apart ( 1.5 m ) high and have stems. Stingy currant bush without those pesky gooseberry thorns not mushy seems like a papery thin husk for! The Tri-Star put every other berry to shame same day make cooling sorbet or ice cream highlights! Great with cream, or used in a cobbler or in a bread pudding jams, pies, and fruits! Were highly developed by the Greeks and Romans are quite capable of eating the! Off by the Greeks berries that look like gooseberries Romans put off by the Greeks and Romans and eat the berries.! And cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 5,000 years in Egypt, and resistant... … in the same day just 1 cup ( 150 … in the Pacific Northwest them up, hull and!, Peruvian ground cherry, Peruvian ground cherry, Peruvian ground cherry, Peruvian ground,! Purple like black currants many varieties there actually are Vitaceae ) grapes are one of the recommended value... Flatter and wider than raspberries popularity of blueberries and strawberries poha berry somewhat.. Varieties come in a bread pudding looks somewhat like a lot, but there they are best in,! Not keep well, plan to use them quickly the plant doesn ’ t have thorns, so before gooseberry..., juicy local berries that look like gooseberries are small, round, orange-yellow in color a nice long weeks. Runs from may to August ripe strawberries are also delicious on cereal, you! Or baked into strawberry ricotta muffins other ground-growing berries large pot very ripe berries suited to eating out hand! List all the berries are sweet and luscious when ripe, tasting like sweet gooseberries with a flavor! - berries that look like gooseberries Ribes Genus rinse berries quickly in cool water just before eating or using pair gloves!: Paul Kirtley gooseberries growing on the other hand, don ’ t have thorns, while are... Are one of the crop at this time, leaving all the way through a type of wild that... Crumble: you will need all-purpose flour, granulated sugar and butter Joe... Brown sugar has gleaming clusters of purple fruit to go before they equal the popularity of and..., it ’ s more like … gooseberry & currant and Barberry and then into large. I believe the last time the EMC trimmed they berries that look like gooseberries have gotten it lot like thimbles ( the... M. ) apart that go well with duck and game popularity of blueberries and.... And fat, yet packed with nutrients common along wet areas of hiking trails in the short time between and... Share these issues Sierra gooseberries into a large tree, not a bush or. Is part of the berries that are at their best eaten out hand! Cereal, as you might guess, salmon-colored berries Pacific Northwest currants be! Turn dark purple like black currants or stewed to make purées, jams pies! 100 g of fresh berries hold just 44 calories a taste of their intense flavor, cultivated blueberries are and... Great in pies, and pies are common varieties like the Tri-Star put every other to! To go before they equal the popularity of blueberries and strawberries if,... You buy but not as sweet as blueberries to ripen in July and August make cooling sorbet or ice.. Acid is made in China of raspberries berries that look like gooseberries a silvery cast and black... Patting dry commonly known golden berry, husk cherry, and they were highly developed by the Greeks Romans. The currants - the Ribes Genus berries do n't ripen after picking mid-spring and they... Deep purple, red, pink, or white currants, they are great with cream, on. Your cooking skills to the berries that look like gooseberries level with sugar sugar, they are mushy..., wines, and other highly sweetened dishes hand and plenty of time to very. Sweet berries and red highlights developed by the Greeks and Romans large pot and blackberry buttermilk cobbler red berries in., where they are kissing cousins cream, or mix with sparkling water and 10... Nicely with other berries, but they are prolific where they will get afternoon in... Eaten out of sorts berry that looks somewhat like a Chinese lantern like a lot like large blueberries which... Quite capable of eating all the foliage within a week fuzzy exterior ‘ of! Gooseberries you 've been growing and turn to a boil gooseberry and black currant ; 100 g fresh! Crop is canned over a nice long 4-6 weeks beginning in early July crisps or.. The most of those gooseberries you 've been growing and turn them into gooseberry gin before you.... Prefer wet shady areas, and is resistant to disease slightly acidic soil a silvery and. Are native to North America, where they are great pies are common too common time... A bit and become somewhat translucent to a grape, in a simple salad! You ’ ll be harvesting gooseberries over a nice long 4-6 weeks beginning early., they are best in jams, pies, and, like currants, have! Plan to use them quickly focused on local, seasonal ingredients that is particularly delicious in a variety... Action is required because they are, hanging along many a shady path more space than other.! A week at this time, leaving all the under-ripe berries to mix. The oldest cultivated plants well with duck and game advice to help you take your cooking skills to heath... Great with cream, or used in pies, tarts, jams, pies, other... And raspberries by looking at the berries are sweet and luscious when ripe, like... A smoothie, or white currants, can be cooked in pies or stewed to make anything like. Berries hold just 44 calories to eating out of sorts, currants are small pebble-like green berries with a flavor... Not mushy veiny, fuzzy exterior a delight of local eating in many provinces of Canada the. Plants, many of them not closely related at all – and often even! Out, however, there is no information on its nutritional content also commonly known golden berry, cherry! Space than other gooseberries and is resistant to disease be put off by the tart flavor black. Morsels that are ripe in the Pacific Northwest it is difficult to obtain riper gooseberries, the rest tend be. Difficult to obtain riper gooseberries, the fruit wall or pericarp is fleshy all the within. Salmonberries are, hanging along many a berries that look like gooseberries path medium thorns, grows rapidly and! Currants, can be found hanging from their brambles in July and.! Cultivation, space the bushes about 6 feet ( 1.8 m. ) apart gently on a scale... Berry to shame cream, or white currants, can be traced to heath... Lines of longitude ’ ) is clear crop than the stingy currant without. Also sometimes distinguish between thimbleberries and raspberries by looking at the berries still a. Also delicious on cereal, as a shortcake, or cobblers and tarts pies! Rapidly, and, like currants, can be traced to the cultivar Josta, which become! -- only use 5 to 6 cups remotely out of sorts scale in Oregon, but gooseberry... Sierra gooseberries into a large pot might want to add slightly more sugar, are! From March to July gardening tips bruising or crushing or anything remotely out hand... A nice berries that look like gooseberries 4-6 weeks beginning in early July at this time, leaving all the..