When to find them?
I usually find gooseberries around July here in South Dakota. But their season is short because the animals love them (including the hairless-two-legged animals) and a patch can be wiped clean very quickly.
How to identify them?
Gooseberries come from a plant with leaves shaped similar to a maple leaf. The stems are smooth and have long thorns. The berries start out green then turn dark purple. You can see striations inside the berry upon close inspection. The black currant has similar shaped leaves and berries but it lacks the large thorns.
How to eat?
Raw! Eat them while they are fresh!!!!
TREEfool 