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submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by Techpriest@lemmy.world to c/mildlyinteresting@lemmy.world

I remember my Grandmother having Gooseberry in her garden and joking that they would get her in more trouble than the still she ran on her property.

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[-] electronicoldman@lemmy.fmhy.ml 63 points 1 year ago

So you’re saying the US government went on a wild gooseberry chase?

[-] HeartyBeast@kbin.social 28 points 1 year ago

Good to see you’re keeping up with currant affairs

[-] Sharpiemarker@startrek.website 15 points 1 year ago
[-] Kerrigor@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago

He'll be back berry soon, just running to the gas station

[-] serfraser@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 year ago

Couldn't find him, it's become a wild goose chase.

[-] SomeoneElse@lemmy.world 31 points 1 year ago

Can someone tell me why so I don’t have to watch the video?

[-] joelslaw@lemmy.world 32 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

TLDW: A fungus called "white pine blister rust" can only pollinate in the presence of white pine trees and "ribes" (pronounced rye-bees), which is what currants and gooseberries are. The lumber was deemed far more valuable so in order to save it from the spread of the fungus, cultivation of ribes was outlawed and the US Government enacted a large scale eradication.

[-] SomeoneElse@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

Thank you. And TIL why ribeana is called ribeana.

It seems mad to me that the US essentially banned a food group so they could make money by cutting down trees. Why didn’t they follow the lead of Europe and just focus on reforestation and breading genetically immune pine trees?

[-] Foreigner@kbin.social 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

So that's why it's called Ribena! Ribena is a blackcurrant juice that's commonly sold in the UK.

[-] Oppawaifu@vlemmy.net 20 points 1 year ago

I grew up in the USA and my parents had to go to Canada to get Ribena (Black Currant syurp) for me as a baby because that was the only thing I drank

[-] Entropywins@kbin.social 8 points 1 year ago

Breast milk probably woulda been better but hey your still here and thats what counts...

[-] onionbaggage@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Ribena is the shit.

[-] varzaman@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

Weird, my parents were able to buy Black Currant syrup in the U.S. Just not the actual fruit lol.

I love putting the syrup in a bottle of mineral water.

[-] yads@lemmy.ca 15 points 1 year ago

In Canada, we have gooseberries in our yard. Currants are also delicious.

[-] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I haven't had gooseberry yet, but I get black currant all the time. I haven't had rhubarb either, but having learned it's supposed to be sour as hell, I wanna try it. I fuckin' love sour stuff.

I can try the gooseberry in a pie, since they sell gooseberry pies at the bakery in the grocery store across the street. No one out here has rhubarb, tho. Not even Sprouts. :(

[-] Deelala0516@reddthat.com 13 points 1 year ago

Rhubarb was basically a weed around where I grew up. Yes, sour as hell but delicious! Sweeten it up and turn it into a sauce or pie - to die for. I've seen it in the store around here, but never get it cuz it's crazy expensive. You should definitely try it if you get the chance.

[-] 0ops@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

Apple rhubarb pie might be my favorite pie

[-] theragu40@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

I'm from the Midwest and it's pretty crazy to read that rhubarb is expensive lol. Everyone in my family has at least one plant and people are always happy to give you a cutting if you want more. They grow easily and are hard to kill even if you try to do it.

[-] spookex@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Peel the rhubarb and dip it in a bit of sugar.

That + eating a bunch of other berries brings back the memories from visiting the relatives in the countryside in summer

[-] Zippit@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

That's how we eat it in Belgium every summer. You can also make pie with it.

[-] Bristlecone@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

My dad showed me to eat it salted! Really accentuates the extreme sour

[-] DefiantBarber@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago

Strawberry-rhubarb cobbler is awesome

[-] metostopholes@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

From the US. The first time I tried jelly babies, the black currant flavored ones blew me away. I've had the real thing now as well (in jam form), and it's so so good.

[-] BarrierWithAshes@kbin.social 7 points 1 year ago

Currants are great. Super underrated in North America. The authenic "purple" flavour imo.

[-] nocturne213@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I grew up with a golden currant patch in my yard in New Mexico.

[-] dilligasatall@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

here in Canada I know of a few spots nearby these are growing, just north of the states border. Crazy to think if they were growing just a few miles south of where they are, they'd be on a hit list.

[-] faltryka@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)
[-] Eldritch@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I've only ever had it once. And that was about 30 years ago lol. But it was good.

[-] Hippiemcgee@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago

Whoah! I just today got my first ever gooseberry off the bushes I planted last year and then saw this a couple hours later. I feel special.

[-] MxM111@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago

In NJ, you have to get a permit to grow black current even in your backyard. Only 4 varieties allowed. Red current and gooseberry can be grown without restrictions. So, I have gooseberry, but birds like it too...

[-] bbsm3678@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Currants are delicious and I wish we had them here more often

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this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2023
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