Cat(h) wrote:
I would like to be able to eat the gooseberries raw, with maybe a
little added sugar and cream,

What variety do you have? The more "traditional" ones are a bit tart,
most of the golden or red/pink ones are sweeter. The catalogues
appear to use the expression "Culinary" and "desert" as code for "need
stewing with sugar" and "can be eaten straight"

When I had gooseberries I grew Whinhams, but it's too damp round here
and they got horrid mildew. Recent climate changes may persuade me to
try again.