The Gift of Some Gooseberries

I mentioned that my son and daughter-in-law had given me some spending money to use at a particular nursery for my birthday a year ago. I also said we finally got around to going there on my birthday this year. Well, I thought I'd show you what I bought with that money.

It's a gooseberry plant. I had read about gooseberries in a NW plant catalog some years back. Apparently, they've had their share of controversy in the plant world over the last 100 years. For a time, they were completely banned in the US, as the plant is a host to a disease affecting white pine trees. By the 1960s, it was apparent that gooseberries (and their cousins currants) don't pose an issue for disease on a large scale in most of the US. So the federal government lifted the ban and allowed states to choose whether to ban them or not. Gooseberries and currants are still banned or restricted in many parts of the East Coast of the US. However, much of the US legalized both following the lifting of the federal ban. If you haven't heard of or ever seen gooseberries, this could be part of it. 

My son and daughter-in-law told me they'd seen them in Whole Foods and some farmer's markets in summer. I find it intriguing that enough folks in my area are interested in this fruit. The fruits are not long-keepers, but will store up to 2 or 3 weeks in the fridge. They are primarily used in preserves, pies, crumbles, and fools (a creamy dessert with added fruit). They are also cooked into a sauce as an addition to meat and fish. When fully ripe, they are sweet enough to eat out of hand or added to fruit compotes. Gooseberries are about the size of a grape each. For the most part, this fruit is most popular in the UK, northern Europe, and Scandinavia.

Our day at the nursery was fun and very interesting. This is the largest complex of greenhouses that I've ever been to. Many of the greenhouses are connected to each other, yet they are all climate controlled for the needs of different plants. We visited a large tropical greenhouse with plants that favor warm and humid environments, including banana plants and orchids. We also passed through the warm and dry greenhouse and saw several varieties of cacti. There was a large heated, humidity-neutral greenhouse where I found tomato, pepper, squash and pumpkin plants. It's still a little too early to plant those out in the garden, so a warm greenhouse was appropriate for their needs right now. I also spent time in the unheated greenhouse and checked out their cool season vegetable starts. They had everything I could think of growing in those greenhouses, both edible and ornamental. 

When I casually asked an employee if they thought they might carry gooseberry bushes, I was pleasantly surprised when she said yes and directed me to the right greenhouse. Once in that greenhouse, another employee directed me to an outdoor area just to the back and showed me a selection of about 8 different gooseberry varieties. Gooseberry plants can be very thorny, so I selected a variety that is mostly thornless (it still had a couple of thorns on the stems, though). I also looked for one that was characterized as large and sweet. If you've ever picked blueberries or other similar-sized berries, you know that it's easier to pick larger fruit than tiny fruit. I don't want to create too much extra work for myself.

Anyway, I got the  gooseberry bush planted this afternoon. We're expecting a couple of days of rain, so my new plant should get watered-in well. My new little plant has blossoms forming already. With some luck, we should be able to enjoy some gooseberries this summer.

Best (purchased) gift ever -- something to help me grow food for my family.

Have you ever had gooseberries? Have you ever heard of gooseberries?