Page 28 - ALG Issue 1 2019

Expert Guide to...
Gooseberries - Ribes uva-crispa
Native to the northern hemisphere, gooseberries have been grown in the UK for hundreds of years. It’s likely that our native varieties hybridised with European fruit brought in by traders to produce the hundreds of varieties popular up until
the early 20th century, when American Gooseberry Mildew decimated the industry. In the 19th century the fruit was so popular that, in the north of England and the Midlands, hundreds of Gooseberry Clubs were created, competing to grow the heaviest gooseberry. There are not
too many left now, but the oldest is Egton Gooseberry Show in North Yorkshire which has been around since the 1800s.
www.egtongooseberryshow.org.uk
The gooseberry is the earliest of the soft fruits to be ready for harvesting. They flourish in cooler conditions and make long-lived plants. Normally they are grown on a single short leg as open centred bushes but where space is at a premium they can be trained
as a fan shape or cordon. Gooseberries are tolerant of a wide range of soil types provided that they are not waterlogged or too free draining. The gooseberry flowers early in the spring so it is essential to provide them with a sheltered site that will protect the flowers against frost damage. A sunny site is not essential; it is possible to grow gooseberries trained against a north facing wall.
Plant bare root from October to March whenever soil conditions permit. Do not plant into frozen or waterlogged ground.
Plant with the roots just below the soil surface. Avoid planting too deeply because this will encourage root suckers to develop.
Gooseberries are hungry feeders. Top dress around the bushes with a general fertiliser each March. To avoid suckers, do not disturb the soil to any depth around
the root area. The fruits will need thinning during May; the thinnings will be too sour to eat uncooked but they will make excellent jam, pies, tarts and sauces. Take alternate
fruit, leaving the remainder to swell into ripe, sweet berries to gather in July or August. Gooseberries start to ripen from early July.
Protect against birds with fine gauge netting. They are very sensitive to any potash deficiency in the soil. This is indicated by
the leaves of the plants turning brown around their edges. If any plants display the symptoms, water around them with tomato fertiliser which is high in potassium.
Gooseberries freeze well and can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes. They are used in a traditional sauce for mackerel,
in fact they are known as Groseillier à maquereau in France.
Gooseberry Varieties
Gooseberries range in colour from almost white through to pale yellow, and on to deep red, and there are many varieties. A dessert variety can give you fruit that can be picked from late May/early June for culinary purposes and then right through to July and August for desserts and eating fresh.
Gooseberry & lemon thyme cake
• 210g golden caster sugar, plus 2 tbsps • 210g butter
• 31⁄2 tsp lemon thyme leaves
• zest of 2 lemons
• 5 large eggs
• 125g plain flour
• 125g ground almonds
• 11⁄4 tsp baking powder
• 585g gooseberries
Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan), line a 26cm cake tin with baking parchment, top and tail your gooseberries, sift the flour and baking powder together. Beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, add the eggs to the butter and sugar one at a time adding a spoonful of flour each time to prevent curdling. Grind the thyme and lemon zest together in a pestle, mix into the cake batter. Fold in the flour and almonds. Pour into cake tin and level the mixture with a spatula. Toss the gooseberries in 2 tbsp of sugar and scatter them on top of the cake, pressing in slightly. Bake in the oven until a skewer comes out clean - about 45 minutes. Allow to cool slightly in the tin. Meanwhile, put the sugar, lemon and thyme leaves
in a pan and bring to the boil and boil for 2 minutes until slightly syrupy. Take the cake out of the tin and place on a dish, prick the cake all over with toothpicks and spoon the syrup over the cake. Serve on its own or with crème fraîche!
For the syrup
• juice of 3 lemons
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp lemon thyme leaves
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