Chap. III.Vua Crispa siue Grossularia.Gooseberries or Feaberries.Wee haue diuers sorts of Gooseberries, besides the common kinde, which is of three sorts, small, great, and long. For wee haue three red Gooseberries, a blew and a greene.The common Gooseberrie, or Feaberrie bush, as it is called in diuers Countries of England, hath oftentimes a great stemme, couered with a smooth darke coloured bark, without anie thorne thereon, but the elder branches haue here and there some on them, and the younger are whitish, armed with verie sharpe and cruell crooked thorns, which no mans hand can well auoide that doth handle them, whereon are set verie greene and small cornered leaues cut in, of the fashion almost of Smallage, or Hawthorne leaues, but broad at the stalke: the flowers come forth single, at euerie ioynt of the leafe one or two, of a purplish greene colour, hollow and turning vp the brims a little: the berries follow, bearing the flowers on the heads of them, which are of a pale greene at the first, and of a greenish yellow colour when they are ripe, striped in diuers places, and cleare, almost transparent, in which the seede lyeth. In some these berries are small and round; in others much greater; a third is great, but longer then the other: all of them haue a pleasant winie taste, acceptable to the stomacke of anie (but the long kinde hath both the thicker skin, and the worser taste of the other) and none haue been distempered by the eating of them, that euer I could heare of.The first of the red Gooseberries is better knowne I thinke then the rest, and by reason of the small bearing not much regarded; the stemme is somewhat bigge, and couered with a smooth darke coloured barke, the younger branches are whiter, and without anie thorne or pricke at all, so long, weake, small, and slender, that they lye vpon the ground, and will there roote againe: the leaues are like vnto the former Gooseberries, but larger: the flowers and berries stand single, and not manie to bee found anie yeare vpon them, but are somewhat long, and are as great as the ordinarie Gooseberry, of a darke brownish red colour, almost blackish when they are ripe, and of a sweetish taste, but without any great delight.The second red Gooseberry riseth vp with a more straight stemme, couered with a brownish barke; the young branches are straight likewise, and whitish, and grow not so thicke vpon it as the former red kinde, and without any thorne also vpon them: the leaues are like vnto the former red, but smaller: the berries stand singly at the leaues as Gooseberries doe, and are of a fine red colour when they are ripe, but change with standing to be of a darker red colour, of the bignesse of the small ordinary Gooseberry, of a pretty tart taste, and somewhat sweete withall.The third red Gooseberry which is the greatest, and knowne but vnto few, is so like vnto the common great Gooseberry, that it is hardly distinguished: the fruit or berries grow as plentifully on the branches as the ordinary, and are as great & round as the great ordinary kinde, but reddish, and some of them paler, with red stripes.The blew Gooseberry riseth vp to bee a bush like vnto the red Curran, and of the same bignesse and height, with broader and redder leaues at the first shooting out, then the second red Gooseberry: the berries are more sparingly set on the branches, then on the small red, and much about the same bignesse, or rather lesser, of the colour of a Damson, with an ouershadowing of a blewish colour vpon them, as the Damson hath, before it be handled or wiped away.The greene prickly Gooseberry is very like vnto the ordinary Gooseberry in stemme and branches, but that they are not stored with so many sharpe prickles; but the young shootes are more plentifull in small prickles about, and the greene leafe is a little smaller: the flowers are alike, and so are the berries, being of a middle size, and not very great, greene when they are thorough ripe as well as before, but mellower, and hauing a few small short prickles, like small short haires vpon them, which are harmlesse, and without danger to anie the most dainty and tender palate that is, and of a verie good pleasant taste. The seede hereof hath produced bushes bearing berries, hauing few or no prickles vpon them.The Vse of Gooseberries.The berries of the ordinary Gooseberries, while they are small, greene, and hard, are much vsed to bee boyled or scalded to make sawce, both for fish and flesh of diuers sorts, for the sicke sometimes as well as the sound, as also before they bee neere ripe, to bake into tarts, or otherwise, after manie fashions, as the cunning of the Cooke, or the pleasure of his commanders will appoint. They are a fit dish for women with childe to stay their longings, and to procure an appetite vnto meate.The other sorts are not vsed in Cookery that I know, but serue to bee eaten at pleasure; but in regard they are not so tart before maturity as the former, they are not put to those vses they be.
Chap. III.Vua Crispa siue Grossularia.Gooseberries or Feaberries.Wee haue diuers sorts of Gooseberries, besides the common kinde, which is of three sorts, small, great, and long. For wee haue three red Gooseberries, a blew and a greene.The common Gooseberrie, or Feaberrie bush, as it is called in diuers Countries of England, hath oftentimes a great stemme, couered with a smooth darke coloured bark, without anie thorne thereon, but the elder branches haue here and there some on them, and the younger are whitish, armed with verie sharpe and cruell crooked thorns, which no mans hand can well auoide that doth handle them, whereon are set verie greene and small cornered leaues cut in, of the fashion almost of Smallage, or Hawthorne leaues, but broad at the stalke: the flowers come forth single, at euerie ioynt of the leafe one or two, of a purplish greene colour, hollow and turning vp the brims a little: the berries follow, bearing the flowers on the heads of them, which are of a pale greene at the first, and of a greenish yellow colour when they are ripe, striped in diuers places, and cleare, almost transparent, in which the seede lyeth. In some these berries are small and round; in others much greater; a third is great, but longer then the other: all of them haue a pleasant winie taste, acceptable to the stomacke of anie (but the long kinde hath both the thicker skin, and the worser taste of the other) and none haue been distempered by the eating of them, that euer I could heare of.The first of the red Gooseberries is better knowne I thinke then the rest, and by reason of the small bearing not much regarded; the stemme is somewhat bigge, and couered with a smooth darke coloured barke, the younger branches are whiter, and without anie thorne or pricke at all, so long, weake, small, and slender, that they lye vpon the ground, and will there roote againe: the leaues are like vnto the former Gooseberries, but larger: the flowers and berries stand single, and not manie to bee found anie yeare vpon them, but are somewhat long, and are as great as the ordinarie Gooseberry, of a darke brownish red colour, almost blackish when they are ripe, and of a sweetish taste, but without any great delight.The second red Gooseberry riseth vp with a more straight stemme, couered with a brownish barke; the young branches are straight likewise, and whitish, and grow not so thicke vpon it as the former red kinde, and without any thorne also vpon them: the leaues are like vnto the former red, but smaller: the berries stand singly at the leaues as Gooseberries doe, and are of a fine red colour when they are ripe, but change with standing to be of a darker red colour, of the bignesse of the small ordinary Gooseberry, of a pretty tart taste, and somewhat sweete withall.The third red Gooseberry which is the greatest, and knowne but vnto few, is so like vnto the common great Gooseberry, that it is hardly distinguished: the fruit or berries grow as plentifully on the branches as the ordinary, and are as great & round as the great ordinary kinde, but reddish, and some of them paler, with red stripes.The blew Gooseberry riseth vp to bee a bush like vnto the red Curran, and of the same bignesse and height, with broader and redder leaues at the first shooting out, then the second red Gooseberry: the berries are more sparingly set on the branches, then on the small red, and much about the same bignesse, or rather lesser, of the colour of a Damson, with an ouershadowing of a blewish colour vpon them, as the Damson hath, before it be handled or wiped away.The greene prickly Gooseberry is very like vnto the ordinary Gooseberry in stemme and branches, but that they are not stored with so many sharpe prickles; but the young shootes are more plentifull in small prickles about, and the greene leafe is a little smaller: the flowers are alike, and so are the berries, being of a middle size, and not very great, greene when they are thorough ripe as well as before, but mellower, and hauing a few small short prickles, like small short haires vpon them, which are harmlesse, and without danger to anie the most dainty and tender palate that is, and of a verie good pleasant taste. The seede hereof hath produced bushes bearing berries, hauing few or no prickles vpon them.The Vse of Gooseberries.The berries of the ordinary Gooseberries, while they are small, greene, and hard, are much vsed to bee boyled or scalded to make sawce, both for fish and flesh of diuers sorts, for the sicke sometimes as well as the sound, as also before they bee neere ripe, to bake into tarts, or otherwise, after manie fashions, as the cunning of the Cooke, or the pleasure of his commanders will appoint. They are a fit dish for women with childe to stay their longings, and to procure an appetite vnto meate.The other sorts are not vsed in Cookery that I know, but serue to bee eaten at pleasure; but in regard they are not so tart before maturity as the former, they are not put to those vses they be.
Wee haue diuers sorts of Gooseberries, besides the common kinde, which is of three sorts, small, great, and long. For wee haue three red Gooseberries, a blew and a greene.
The common Gooseberrie, or Feaberrie bush, as it is called in diuers Countries of England, hath oftentimes a great stemme, couered with a smooth darke coloured bark, without anie thorne thereon, but the elder branches haue here and there some on them, and the younger are whitish, armed with verie sharpe and cruell crooked thorns, which no mans hand can well auoide that doth handle them, whereon are set verie greene and small cornered leaues cut in, of the fashion almost of Smallage, or Hawthorne leaues, but broad at the stalke: the flowers come forth single, at euerie ioynt of the leafe one or two, of a purplish greene colour, hollow and turning vp the brims a little: the berries follow, bearing the flowers on the heads of them, which are of a pale greene at the first, and of a greenish yellow colour when they are ripe, striped in diuers places, and cleare, almost transparent, in which the seede lyeth. In some these berries are small and round; in others much greater; a third is great, but longer then the other: all of them haue a pleasant winie taste, acceptable to the stomacke of anie (but the long kinde hath both the thicker skin, and the worser taste of the other) and none haue been distempered by the eating of them, that euer I could heare of.
The first of the red Gooseberries is better knowne I thinke then the rest, and by reason of the small bearing not much regarded; the stemme is somewhat bigge, and couered with a smooth darke coloured barke, the younger branches are whiter, and without anie thorne or pricke at all, so long, weake, small, and slender, that they lye vpon the ground, and will there roote againe: the leaues are like vnto the former Gooseberries, but larger: the flowers and berries stand single, and not manie to bee found anie yeare vpon them, but are somewhat long, and are as great as the ordinarie Gooseberry, of a darke brownish red colour, almost blackish when they are ripe, and of a sweetish taste, but without any great delight.
The second red Gooseberry riseth vp with a more straight stemme, couered with a brownish barke; the young branches are straight likewise, and whitish, and grow not so thicke vpon it as the former red kinde, and without any thorne also vpon them: the leaues are like vnto the former red, but smaller: the berries stand singly at the leaues as Gooseberries doe, and are of a fine red colour when they are ripe, but change with standing to be of a darker red colour, of the bignesse of the small ordinary Gooseberry, of a pretty tart taste, and somewhat sweete withall.
The third red Gooseberry which is the greatest, and knowne but vnto few, is so like vnto the common great Gooseberry, that it is hardly distinguished: the fruit or berries grow as plentifully on the branches as the ordinary, and are as great & round as the great ordinary kinde, but reddish, and some of them paler, with red stripes.
The blew Gooseberry riseth vp to bee a bush like vnto the red Curran, and of the same bignesse and height, with broader and redder leaues at the first shooting out, then the second red Gooseberry: the berries are more sparingly set on the branches, then on the small red, and much about the same bignesse, or rather lesser, of the colour of a Damson, with an ouershadowing of a blewish colour vpon them, as the Damson hath, before it be handled or wiped away.
The greene prickly Gooseberry is very like vnto the ordinary Gooseberry in stemme and branches, but that they are not stored with so many sharpe prickles; but the young shootes are more plentifull in small prickles about, and the greene leafe is a little smaller: the flowers are alike, and so are the berries, being of a middle size, and not very great, greene when they are thorough ripe as well as before, but mellower, and hauing a few small short prickles, like small short haires vpon them, which are harmlesse, and without danger to anie the most dainty and tender palate that is, and of a verie good pleasant taste. The seede hereof hath produced bushes bearing berries, hauing few or no prickles vpon them.
The Vse of Gooseberries.The berries of the ordinary Gooseberries, while they are small, greene, and hard, are much vsed to bee boyled or scalded to make sawce, both for fish and flesh of diuers sorts, for the sicke sometimes as well as the sound, as also before they bee neere ripe, to bake into tarts, or otherwise, after manie fashions, as the cunning of the Cooke, or the pleasure of his commanders will appoint. They are a fit dish for women with childe to stay their longings, and to procure an appetite vnto meate.The other sorts are not vsed in Cookery that I know, but serue to bee eaten at pleasure; but in regard they are not so tart before maturity as the former, they are not put to those vses they be.
The berries of the ordinary Gooseberries, while they are small, greene, and hard, are much vsed to bee boyled or scalded to make sawce, both for fish and flesh of diuers sorts, for the sicke sometimes as well as the sound, as also before they bee neere ripe, to bake into tarts, or otherwise, after manie fashions, as the cunning of the Cooke, or the pleasure of his commanders will appoint. They are a fit dish for women with childe to stay their longings, and to procure an appetite vnto meate.
The other sorts are not vsed in Cookery that I know, but serue to bee eaten at pleasure; but in regard they are not so tart before maturity as the former, they are not put to those vses they be.