Gooseberry Elderberry

Nyboy

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I would like to plant more berries. I don't think I have ever eaten Goose or Elder berries . Are these berries only good for cooking or can they be eaten right off bush?
 

Smart Red

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I have eaten gooseberries right off the bush. I actually prefer them when they are still green and sour, but the ripe berries are okay, too.

I do have one Elderberry plant, but it's new, black leafed, and meant to be decorative - don't know if the berries will be tasty or not. I have plans to purchase a couple of plants grown for berries later this spring, however.

Love, Smart Red
 

Chickie'sMomaInNH

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gooseberries are on small shrubs and take a few shrubs to produce enough to make anything with them. i've seem gooseberry jam sold locally and my mom has raved about eating it as a kid but i have never had any before. i got a couple of shrubs about 2 years ago at a local nursery and found you have to pick them off the shrub at just the right time or they are bitter. once they slip off the plants they are usually ready. i don't find the Pixwell to be all that sweet for raw eating but that may be different for others that have grown them longer than me.

i have not done elderberries before but i've been thinking about them. i know you can make an elderberry wine from them. i'm sure you could also make jam or jelly. i do know they have some medicinal uses too but i'd have to grab a book or look it up online.
 

Jared77

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Ive never planted either, but after hearing my father in law rave about elderberries I thought Id keep my eye open for some. Sure enough I found some at the farmers market. So I bought them out, and we made jam. My wife wasn't up for making pie out of them because they were in clusters like grapes. So you had to pluck each one off, and take the stems off. To say it was tedious would be a major understatement. They were REALLY small berries and it took a TON of berries to make jam. Got the batch made and it was still rather sour. Really was disappointed for all the work I put into them. Id really look for them locally and be sure its a flavor you want before you invest in them.
 

Durgan

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http://www.durgan.org/URL/?TPVRN 26 August 2012 Elderberry Juice
This year about 30 pounds of elderberries have been picked and processed into juice.About two pounds of berries make one litre of juice.The berries are not as prolific this year due to a long drought. To date 14 litres have been pressure canned. Annotated pictures depict the process. Very easy to process if done properly.

Best collected in the wild. http://www.durgan.org/URL/?DDYUW 18 August 2011 Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
Twenty four pounds of elderberries were picked today and made into juice. Some were a bit dry, since we didnt have rain for about ten days. Tonight it rained hard, so the remaining berries by the day after tomorrow should be prime.
 

Durgan

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http://www.durgan.org/URL/?CJKXT 15 July 2012 European Gooseberry Harvest.
Seven pounds of berries were picked from the one European Gooseberry bush in the garden. These berries are large compared to the American Gooseberry, about the size of a large marble. Criteria for when to pick was, some berries were starting to change to a reddish pink colour and turning soft, and a few started to drop off the branches with slight agitation, and taste was sufficiently sweet.Birds do not bother with them. Some berries were set aside for eating raw, and the remainder will be combined with blueberries to make juice.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ULIPM 9 July 2012 American Gooseberry Harvest.
Thirteen pounds of berries were picked from this American gooseberry (Ribes hirtellum) bush.When to pick is subjective.Criteria used for when to pick is a light maroon color and they taste relatively sweet. Colour is not a good guide, since the colour with time doesnt deepen, but the berries get soft and mushy if left on he bush too long.The sweetness doesnt increase with time if left on the bush. Gooseberry varieties fall into two categories: the small fruited but mildew resistant American gooseberry (Ribes hirtellum) and the larger European gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa)

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?KRKOL 4 July 2011 Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum)
The one blackcurrant bush in the garden furnished four pounds of perfect berries. All the berries were black, every single one,almost of uniform size, and about one in 100 was ripe enough to fall when touched. My new criteria for deciding when to pick. Juice was made by covering with water (two litres), boiling for about 15 minutes and beating into a mash using the portable blender. I did not strain since there was little roughage in the berries. The three litres of juice obtained was pressure canned for long term storage at room temperature. I used 15 PSI for 15 minutes. The end product is rather thick, a bit tart, so half a glass is probably a reasonable amount for a serving.


For bushberries there are: raspberry, strawberry, grapes, blackberrry, blueberry.
 

Chickie'sMomaInNH

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oh, something to think about with gooseberries (and currents since they are in the same family), some states require that groups of plants be registered with them due to a disease that can affect white pine trees (white pine blister i think). so you might want to contact your local cooperative extension to see if they could give you a list of varieties and nurseries that are certified to sell to your state certain disease resistant types. its part of why gooseberries and currents have become difficult to find in most parts of the US. years ago they were mostly destroyed because they were associated with the disease. some types like Pixwell are considered disease resistant, but some states will still not let them be grown at all and haven't changed the laws on their books to allow them back in.

Nyboy, check out a place called Double A Vineyards in upstate NY. they have a 2 different types of gooseberries listed http://www.doubleavineyards.com/c-2-buy-berries-rhubarb-plants.aspx#Filter=[EntityIDs=@(50)@*ava=0]
for elderberries they show 6 different types http://www.doubleavineyards.com/c-2-buy-berries-rhubarb-plants.aspx#Filter=[EntityIDs=@(51)@*ava=0]
 

Smart Red

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As long as we're talking small fruits. . . .

I am looking a source for seeds or plants of another member of the Rubus family, Rubus chamaemorus.

I have red and white currants. I had a black, but didn't like them. I have wild gooseberries growing in the gully. Then, there are always Alpine strawberries. And I do mean always, as they flower and fruit all summer long. These small berries are just the thing for morning cereal or on top of ice cream.

Love, Smart Red
 

journey11

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Gooseberries and currents are both prohibited in my state for the white pine blister rust. It will completely wipe out entire stands of white pine if it gets started. White pines are valued as wind breaks and habitat.

Elderberries make a nice landscape tree as well as edible. The cultivated variety will have bigger berries than the wild ones. The wild ones are prolific here, around the perimeter of low-lying, swampy spots and the edges of creeks and roadways. Aside from the usual jellies and wines, elderberries also have medicinal properties and are a food source for the birds.

ETA: Nyboy, do you have any blueberries? I've found them to be so easy to grow and I love the red leaves in the fall.
 

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