THIN YOUR GOOSEBERRY CROPS

GOOSEBERRIES are beginning to plump up nicely. With dessert varieties, thinning the crop will result in larger, richer-flavoured fruits. If your timing is spot on, you can use the thinnings for cooking. When thinning gooseberries, remove alternate fruits along each branch. Those left behind will grow larger and can be harvested when fully ripe, soft and sweet. Red varieties such as Leveller will turn deep crimsonred when completely ripe. Dessert gooseberries are delicious to eat raw. They’re sweet, aromatic, full of juice and good for you. But they don’t keep for long, so enjoy them fresh. And, although ripe gooseberries can be cooked, slightly firmer ones are better for that tart-sweet flavour.