Gooseberry: description and tips for use

Gooseberry is one of the most common garden crops. Unpretentiousness, a short period of ripening of the crop, a large number of berries, excellent taste make it popular in almost all Russian regions.

In fact, gooseberry is not from our places, it is a European plant. His wild relatives are found in North Africa. Migrants from England brought these varieties to the American continent around the 19th century, while in Russia the gooseberry existed already in the 11th century in the monastery gardens. True, at the beginning of the last century, it was almost destroyed by powdery mildew, which was brought from Ireland during breeding. It took a long time to restore the population and bring out varieties that would be immune to the disease. Gooseberry plantings are increasing annually, which undoubtedly pleases breeders.

To date, the State Register of Breeding Achievements contains more than 46 varieties, each of which has recommendations on the geographical and climatic orientation of planting, care and other specific properties.

The gooseberry belongs to the gooseberry family, is a low shrub up to 1 meter in height, rarely up to two. It is characterized by long spines, located along the entire length of the shoots. The life of the bush is about 30 years.

The powerful root system is compact, its dimensions do not exceed the diameter of the crown. The depth is comparable to the height of the bush: from 1 to 1.5 meters. The main root mass is located at a distance of 0.2-0.5 m from the surface.

The bark is usually dark brown in color, similar to a grapevine. The branches grow from the kidneys, which are at the base, and function for about 8 years, after which they die.

A bright green, slightly fleece sheet with several blades has a petiole and a rounded shape with a notched edging along the edges. The inflorescences are small, often solitary, rarely with 2-3 flowers of greenish and red hue, bloom in May. Gooseberry is a self-pollinating plant, but bees love it, which increases yields.

Berries, depending on the variety have different colors - from green to burgundy and dark purple. Berry peel can be smooth or fluffy. Shrub fruits in 1-2 months.

For reproduction of gooseberry seedlings and layering are used, gardeners also use the method of dividing the bush.

Culture is widespread throughout Europe, in Russia and America.

It is most actively grown in Hungary, where it is harvested up to 13 thousand tons per year, in Ukraine, where gooseberries occupy up to 10 percent of all berry areas.

In Russia, the bush is found in the wild in the territory of Yaroslavl, Tver and Vladimir, it can also be found in Kostroma, Tula, Ryazan and Tambov regions, in the Bryansk region and Smolensk region, in Samara and Saratov.

Gooseberry fruit - a treasury of useful elements and vitamins. The healing qualities of the gooseberry are widely used by folk healers and ordinary housewives.

0.1 kg of berries contain up to 0.26 grams of potassium, about 30 mg of vitamin C, 5 mg of vitamin E, and also phosphorus, sodium, calcium, sulfur, magnesium, vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9. This composition affects the whole body as follows:

1. vessels become stronger, as a result, the work of the cardiovascular system improves;
2. reduces the risk of diabetes, reduces high blood pressure, prevents atherosclerosis and heart failure;
3. the probability of sudden hemorrhages decreases;
4. stable hormones are established;
5. normal functioning of the nervous system after stress, stress, emotional breakdowns;
6. immunity increases markedly;
7. intestinal peristalsis is stimulated, therefore digestive processes are adjusted;
8. decoctions relieve diarrhea and constipation;
9. prevention of inflammatory processes;
10. blood cholesterol and glucose levels are regulated;
11. aging processes are inhibited.

Quite a few herbal preparations include gooseberry leaves, which have the following effects:

• they crush kidney stones and remove them;
• useful for blood circulation;
• relieve sclerotic plaques;
• accelerate metabolic processes;
• have a wound healing and hemostatic effect;
• break down fat, which helps slimming people.

For women:

• gooseberry helps normalize hormone levels during menopause;
• reduces the discomfort during menopause, debugs a regular cycle;
• stabilizes the nervous system;
• is a fat burning remedy that helps women lose weight.

For men:

• the fruits act as a prophylactic, preventing heart attacks and strokes;
• gooseberry promotes tissue regeneration and vascular repair, which improves blood circulation;
• reduced risk of heart disease and the entire cardiovascular complex as a whole.

Doctors recommend children to add gooseberry juice or mashed potatoes to their diet. from the age of seven months. This should be done gradually, in time to identify allergies, if present. The fruits will help children with impaired metabolism, thanks to them the likelihood of diathesis and other skin diseases will decrease, general immunity will increase, which will improve the well-being of any child.

In addition to the above, gooseberry is used in the following cases.

• Doctors are allowed to use gooseberry diabetes patients, but under their supervision. The number of more often limit one hundred grams per day. It should be remembered that you can eat only freshly picked berries. Foods containing sugar, such as compote or jam, cannot be eaten. Gooseberry reduces the level of glucose, due to the ability of regeneration it has wound healing properties. Regular consumption of berries contributes to the normalization of sugar levels.
• People suffering from arthritis or arthritis are recommended to make compresses with gooseberry tincture. For its preparation, 0.3 kg of fruits are crushed and mixed with a glass of vodka, settled in the dark for 3 days and filtered.
• When colds gooseberry juice is mixed with apiary honey in a ratio of 2 to 1 and drink before meals.
• People suffering from diseases of the biliary tract, use choleretic infusion of the fruit. To prepare it, you should crush 0.5 kg of berries and pour 3 cups of hot water, then insist in a thermos for about six hours and filter. Reception is carried out three times a day for half a glass.
• In cosmetology, unripe berries fight freckles, get rid of age spots, and also add to the composition of nutritional mixtures for the face and masks.

Broths of gooseberry leaves heal ulcers and wounds, are used as hemostatic compresses.

They prepare simply: the leaves are crushed and take 2 tablespoons of the mixture, which is poured 0.6 ml of water, brought to a boil and continue to cook for about seven minutes. It is possible to use means, having filtered and cooled.

Also, gooseberry leaves are used to prepare the infusion. To do this, a tablespoon of chopped foliage is placed in a thermos and pour a glass of boiling water. Five minutes are enough to insist. Before use for taste, it is recommended to add a spoonful of honey, a leaf of mint or a slice of lemon.

The healing properties of the leaves and fruits are not lost when they are dried, therefore of these, it is recommended to stock up, so that you can use it during cold periods and in spring with vitamin deficiency.

From 6 teaspoons of chopped gooseberry mixture from foliage and fruit, infused with 0.3 ml of hot water, you get a wonderful tonic drink.This tea gives strength, relieves tension after a hard day, calms the nerves.

Excessive gooseberry infatuation can harm even a healthy person. Due to the saturation of its fruits with vitamins, hypervitaminosis will occur. It is also not recommended to eat berries for gastritis, ulcers and other inflammations of the gastrointestinal tract.

One of the main are two types of gooseberries.

• Grossularia acicularis, or needle gooseberry. Frost-resistant species, which is common in Mongolia and Altai. Shrubs grow to 1.5 meters, each year produce a small crop.
• Grossularia reclinata, or European gooseberry. It grows on the territory of Ukraine and North Africa, as well as in the Caucasus. It has dark blue fruit. Relative to the first species more resistant to winter frosts.

According to the degree of self-fruit gooseberry is classified as follows:

1. good - a ratio of 30-40%;
2. medium - from 20 to 30%;
3. low - 5-14%
4. self-infertile - less than 3%.

Also, gooseberry species vary in appearance, taste of fruits, resistance to diseases and climatic features.

The color of the berries varies and can be yellow, green, pink, burgundy, blue and even purple. One variety is dark, the other can be very light. On the peel the fruit is smooth or fluffy.

Breeders have brought many varieties of gooseberry with different properties. One shrub can be covered with small berries, on the other gooseberry is large, but it is smaller. Here the gardener decides what is closer to him. In any case, the choice of the sweet or sour taste of the berry is paramount.

Each variety bred for 12 Russian regions is listed in the state register and has recommendations on climatic specificity.

Consider the most popular species in Russia.

One of the first should be called the variety "Harlequin", developed in 1995 for the Urals and Western Siberia. It is classified as late-ripening, not located to powdery mildew and insect pests. The height of the bushes is small, crowns are formed in a heap, the degree of spreading is average. Reddish berries contain 6% sugar. According to the tasters, the taste is marked on a five-point scale by 4.4. Breeders claim that its maximum productivity is about two and a half kilograms.

The most common in the gardens and gardens grade "Malachite". He was withdrawn in 1959. It has a vast coverage area, except for the North Caucasus and Siberia. Upon ripening, the gooseberry is mid-season. The branches are covered with small spines, complicating the harvest. Berries of emerald color differ dessert-pleasant taste.

The variety "White Nights" was cultivated in 2000 for the North-West of the country. Gooseberry early ripeness resistant to fungal diseases. Shrub has a modest size. Fruits have amber-green color and edge on the peel. The sugar content is about 11%, and the yield is 3 kg, and this result is better than the previous grade. However, experts rated the taste of berries at 4.3, which is lower than that of the "Harlequin".

"Beryl" was registered in 1998 as a plant acclimatized for the Urals region and the West Siberian region. The bush has a spreading crown, bent branches are provided with prickles on the underside. The berries are smooth, pale yellow-green, sweet. It is possible to remove as much as 6 kg of fruit from one shrub. Taste characteristics are rated at 4, Grade cold-resistant.

The grade "Defender" is removed by agronomists in 2010 and presented for the central regions of Russia. It is characterized by late ripeness. Shrub should be regularly thinned, because it is characterized by the active growth of shoots. Purple berries stand out pear shape and wax patina. The taste score is 4. 5.6 kg of fruits can be presumed to be removed from one bush. The variety is drought-resistant and winter-resistant, but it has a low degree of protection from powdery mildew.

The Vladil gooseberry is cultivated for several territories of the Russian Federation at once: North-Western, Middle Volga, Volga-Vyatka, Ural and Western Siberia. He is early maturing. The bush has a branched crown, shoots grow quickly, so you need to cut them regularly. The fruits have a reddish tint. Experts rated their sugar taste by 4.3 points (as a part of 15% of sugars). Productivity is low, up to 2 kg.

The gooseberry variety "Kazachok" was bred for the Central Chernozem region, it was registered in 2006 and is mid-season. Cherry, slightly bristly berries have a high taste rating - 4.9. The maximum possible fertility is 8 kilograms per bush.

Variety "Candy" cultivated specifically for Siberia. Among the characteristic features are mid-ripeness, spherical fruits of red hue, the evaluation of tasters 4.7. The yield is small, about 2 kg 400 g, however, the variety is not afraid of climatic problems.

“Cooperator” was bred by breeders in 1999 for the Urals and Eastern Siberia. Medium ripening period. Bushes are small, compact, thorns grow only on the branches below. The fruits are maroon, close to black, have a dessert taste, estimated by experts at 4. The yield is good, the maximum can be 6 kg from one shrub, besides, the variety withstands various diseases.

Gooseberry "Red Large" - one of the earliest varieties, bred in Soviet times, in 1974, for Western Siberia. Its progenitors are unknown, since the hybrid was obtained by chance. It is resistant to a variety of diseases, resistant to winter frosts. Fruits are medium-sized, in some cases even small, dark crimson, original in taste. The spines on the fruiting shoots are few.

"Krasnoslavyansk" variety was registered in 1992, proposed for breeding in the North-West, Central and Volga-Vyatka regions. It has a fairly high yield - up to 8 pounds. Large crimson berries have an edge on the surface, an expert assessment - 4.5.

Hybrid "Kubanets" zoned in the North Caucasus region. The variety is early ripe, low-bore, high-yielding (up to 10 kg on the soil adapted for it). Fruits are green, smooth, oblong shape. Bushes are resistant to any kinds of diseases.

For the Far East and Siberia in 1994, the mid-season variety Nadezhny was recommended. The creamy pink sour flesh is the raisin of the variety.

Separately, several varieties were cultivated for the West Siberian region: in 1999, Raduzhny, in 2000, Lyubimets, and in 2009, Narodny. The first is medium-ripening, medium-yielding, the second is early ripening, high-yielding, the third is late-ripening, low-yielding. All three have similar properties: taste is estimated at 4.9, all drought-resistant and winter-resistant, have a low probability of disease. The “Favorite” berries are yellow-green, and in the other two varieties they are pinkish.

The following gooseberry varieties are popular in the Urals: “Chelyabinsk Green”, “Ural Pink”, “Ural Emerald”, while “Russian” is recommended for all regions except Ural.

Under the climate of the North-West region cultivated varieties "Northern Captain" and "Salute".

Winemakers celebrate a successful hybrid "Prunes", because the wine from it turns out more aromatic than grape. In addition, it is high-yielding, resistant to several climatic factors, weakly influenced by diseases.

The Chernomor variety is amazing, which was registered in the state register in 1994 for the Central Region, but it turned out that it feels great in any climatic conditions. Among its advantages are high yields (up to 9 kg), good table taste, in addition, it is excellent for processing and preserving fruits for the winter.

Gooseberry is a perennial self-bearing shrub. The vegetative period begins in early spring when the air warms up more than 5 degrees.

Best of all he feels in a temperate climate. Severe winters can destroy the plant, but frost-resistant varieties have now been developed. Also, the culture is not grown in hot areas, as the gooseberry does not tolerate high temperatures.

Breeders warn that the bush is photophilous, so you should plant it in well-lit sites and cut it in time. Usually in the first planting year it is necessary to form from 4 to 5 main branches. In the future, it is enough to leave 2-3 strong escapes, and remove the rest together with dry and little fruiting branches. Updating the bushes is best done in the fall.

Experts claim that the branches bear fruit for 2-3 years, but for some varieties this period can last up to 10 years. With good care the bush will yield more than 25 years, but on average, the productivity of gooseberries is up to 15 years.

Recommended soil types for gooseberries:

• sod-podzolic;
• clayey;
• forest;
• sandy.

Any soil should be well drained and rich in humus.

Gooseberries are loved by adults and children for their sweet and sour taste and benefits. It should be remembered that it can be used not only in the freshly harvested form, but also as culinary dishes.

The easiest way to eat gooseberries in hot weather is cool fruit juice.

To do this, the berries are pounded or scrolled with a blender with sugar, then poured with cold water, stirred and allowed to infuse. Then you should strain the solution, pour into a jug and put in a cool place. Drink the juice you need for 2-3 days so that it is not soured.

Ingredients: 4 cups of berries, 1 cup of sugar. 2 tablespoons of starch, vanilla to taste, water.

Step-by-step recipe:

• wash, peel and chop the fruits with a toothpick;
• put the berries in an enamel bowl and pour water so that it hides the gooseberries;
• add sugar and vanillin to the pan, mix;
• boil the mixture, stirring, until cooked;
• dilute the starch with lukewarm water and pour into the pan, without ceasing to stir;
• as soon as the mass thickens, pour the jelly into portioned cups or mugs, decorate with powder or other decor: cream, fruit, etc.

Ingredients: 2 cups kefir and gooseberry, 1 egg, 4 tablespoons of marmalade, 3 tablespoons of ground almonds, granulated sugar.

Step-by-step recipe:

• All the above ingredients should be whipped with a blender or mixer;
• pour into a serving glass and serve.

Ingredients: 1 liter of milk, 0.4-0.5 grams of berries, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of honey and sour cream, sugar and vanillin to taste.

Step-by-step recipe:

• wash and clean the fruit;
• pour gooseberry sugar and refrigerate;
• milk should be boiled and cooled;
• Mixer should beat egg with honey, sour cream and a small amount of sugar;
• pour in the resulting mixture cooled milk, mix;
• put the gooseberries in ration cups and pour over milkshake;
• serve chilled.

From the gooseberry turn out tasty, and most importantly, healthy harvesting. Each housewife has several such recipes. Compotes can be prepared not only from one culture, but also in combination with other berries. Here are a few of them.

• Ingredients: water, sugar and berries in the following proportions: for 1 liter of 0.5 kg of sand and 1 kg of fruit. Prick the gooseberry with a needle or a toothpick, soak in hot water (not boiling water) for 5 minutes and then put it in sterilized jars. From a liter of water and a kilogram of sugar, brew syrup and pour berries to it. Blanks roll up.
• Composition: 1200 g of gooseberry, a liter of water and 700 g of sugar. Berries to sort, wash, chop and put in prepared banks. Boil the sugar syrup and pour over the fruit, let it brew for 7 minutes and drain it back into the container. Heat to boiling again, pour again and leave for 5-7 minutes. Do the same procedure again, but no longer pour the syrup, and roll up the jars and pasteurize them. After which they should be turned over and covered up so that they cool down gradually.
• Ingredients: a liter of water, from 0.4 to 0.6 kg of sugar, 2 kg of hard gooseberry berries and 1 kg of black currant. Fruits should be washed and dried, gooseberries pierce something sharp. Berries in a proportion of 2: 1 spread on banks and pour pre-boiled syrup. Sterilize filled liter containers for 10 minutes, three-liter containers - up to 15 minutes. Blanks roll up.

• Ingredients: 1 kg of ripe gooseberry, 4 tablespoons of cherry juice, from 6 to 8 spoons of sugar to taste, 2 glasses of water. Wash berries, bust and ceiling. Pour gooseberry mass with water and heat to 60 degrees, remove from heat, leaving to infuse for half an hour. After squeeze and remove the cake. The resulting juice mixed with cherry, poured into jars, sterilize and roll up.

Such a delicacy as a marshmallow has been known in Russia for centuries. It is more useful than candy and has a pleasant sweet-sour taste.

The main ingredient is puree, the basis for which are over-ripe fruits. In order for it to get the right consistency, you need to wash and dry the gooseberries, for which you can use paper towels or napkins. To soften the berries, they are thermally treated. For this proposed 3 operations.

1. Blanching Hot water is poured into a bowl of fruits and kept on low heat, stirring constantly, until they are soft.
2. Baking In a saucepan with gooseberries, water is added per half cup per 1 kg of berries and stew under a closed lid at a temperature of 200 degrees for about 20 minutes.
3. Steaming. Fruits lay in a double boiler and cook 20 minutes.

After softening, gooseberries are rubbed through a sieve until smooth. Some hostesses use a blender for these purposes, but if the mixture is not homogeneous, it will have to be sent through the sieve anyway. Separately cooked sugar syrup, which is subsequently added to the puree, mix and boil over low heat twice.

The base for pastes is ready, now it needs to be dried. There are also three ways of drying.

1. Naturally. This method is the most economical. Puree centimeter layer spread on flat pallets, covered with oiled parchment. Then take out containers under the sun and dry up to 10 days. As soon as the marshmallow gets stronger, it is hung on the rails.
2. In the oven. Mashed potatoes are likewise laid out on baking sheets, which are then dried in an oven at a temperature of 80 to 100 degrees. The door should be kept ajar to ensure the movement of air. The processing period depending on the thickness of the layer varies from 4 to 8 hours.
3. In a vegetable dryer. The equipment has special trays for drying pastes, on which the prepared gooseberry mass is laid. Drying mode - maximum, time - from 3 to 6 hours.

The easiest recipe: per 1 kg of berries, taken 700 grams of sugar and 2 cups of water.

Instead of sugar, honey is sometimes taken in proportion to 1 kg of fruit and 0.3 kg of honey, but in this case, mashed potatoes are boiled separately, honey is introduced into the cooling mixture at the very end. Drying pastille should be a natural way to preserve the beneficial properties of the ingredients.

Short storage of delicacy is possible in room conditions in a glass container. A large amount of the product is best kept in the refrigerator. If long-term storage is planned, the pastille should be frozen in a hermetically sealed bag.

If the gooseberry is intended for storage, then it should be collected carefully, together with petioles and in dry weather. To collect it is better to use small containers, do not pour, so as not to damage the peel.

Storage for the winter is possible in the form of drying or freezing of berries. For these purposes, only ripe fruit is suitable. It is impossible to collect damaged, immature, as well as overripe gooseberry berries.

It is possible to preserve the crop without pretreatment in its pure form, for this it is enough to keep it in a dry cool place. However, the storage period is extremely small - from 5 to 10 days.

At the initial stage, the berries are cleaned by removing the stem. Then wash and dry naturally, laying out on paper towels.

Dry fruits are laid out on trays or wooden boards and put in the freezer.

After complete freezing, the berries can be poured into storage tanks: either in plastic bags or plastic containers.

This method allows you to save the gooseberry longer. At zero temperature - up to two months, at -3 degrees - up to six months. At the same time 70% of the useful qualities with proper defrosting remain.

Before eating gooseberries should be shifted from the freezer on the top shelf for 5 or 6 hours to thaw the refrigerator, and then you can eat.

Dried product is not worse than frozen, it also saves all its beneficial properties, but in addition, its shelf life increases to two years.

Before the procedure of drying the berries should be prepared: select the completely intact, without any damage to the fruit, wash them and clean the stalks. They are then blanched over the hot steam for a couple of minutes to protect against future darkening. After the gooseberry is laid out on trays and placed in an oven or dryer.

Initially, the temperature is set to 35 degrees, after 10 minutes it is increased to 70. Experts warn that the high temperature at the first stage of drying is fraught with damage to the product - it just zamenet.

The door of the drying or oven during the procedure should occasionally be opened to release water vapor. It is necessary to close it slowly, avoiding steaming.

Dried gooseberries need to be stirred for uniform drying. The drying process takes an average of 5 to 7 hours.

Dried and cooled fruits are poured into canvas or paper bags, gauze can be used. Gooseberries harvested in this way are excellent substitutes for raisins, used for baking and cooking compotes.

On the beneficial properties of gooseberry, see the following video.