Is this gooseberry?

[lambertiana]

On my hike out of Mineral King today, I saw a lot of this:

Is this gooseberry? There was a huge amount of it, and if this is edible it would make a great food source in a pinch. I'm no expert, but to my eye this looks like it.

 

[Horse]

I believe they are wild currants- related to gooseberry, but actually better to some folks.

 

[Wandering_About]

Gooseberry, if I'm thinking of the correct plant, is very thorny and tends to grow in places I like to hike and hunt.

 

[Watchful]

I agree with Horse. They look like currants--which by the way, are very good, too. Currant jam? Currant pie? Or--throw a cup of them into a blender with two cups ice cream and a half cup of milk. Interesting milkshake.

 

[Grampa]

Yes, it's a gooseberry - or currant! Both are members of the genus Ribes, and both berries are edible. Flavor varies quite a bit. The distinction between gooseberries and currants is that gooseberries have prickles on either the berries or the branches, and currants don't - but otherwise, they are the same critter!

BTW, there are a number of Ribes species in the Sierra - and they are all edible.