Gooseberry Captivator - Ribes uva crispa

The 'Captivator' Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) is an early and vigorous variety, producing numerous small dark red fruits with a tangy flavour. It is an inermous variety, meaning it is without thorns, which makes picking easier. The Gooseberry is a bushy shrub, easy to grow but sensitive to drought. Delicious to eat, the berries are ideal for jams, jellies, pies, or as accompaniments to meats and fish. Plant from October to March for a harvest in July.

Cultivated in northern Europe since the 16th century, the Gooseberry is a fertile hybrid resulting from the cross-breeding of two species native to Europe and North Africa, still found in montane forests in Scotland, France, and the Caucasus. The Gooseberry (Ribes uva crispa) belongs to the Grossulariaceae family, like the Redcurrant (Ribes rubrum). This shrub resembles classic currants but differs especially in terms of the fruits: larger and with a sweet flavour, they appear solitary along the branches, unlike clustered currants.

The Gooseberry is a bushy shrub, branching from the base, reaching a height of 1m (3ft) with a spread of 75cm (30in). Its leaves, deciduous, are dentate and pubescent, ranging from bright green to medium green. Apart from a few inermous varieties, the Gooseberry has prickly stems. In spring, it is adorned with tiny, honey-scented flowers, pale greenish-white in colour. These will transform into translucent berries, round to oval, with a diameter of 1.5cm (1in), distributed along the branches. Depending on the variety, these berries can be red, white, or yellow-green. The fruits are harvested when fully ripe and easily detach from their support. The harvest is about 3 to 4kg per plant.

The Gooseberry is a fruit that is not very sweet, therefore low in calories, rich in vitamins C, A, and B, and well supplied with minerals (calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus). The fruit is a purifier for the body thanks to its diuretic, digestive, liver decongestant, and laxative properties, provided it is consumed when barely ripe. Gooseberries can be enjoyed freshly picked or in sweet preparations (pies, jams, jellies etc) or savoury dishes (accompanying meats or fish). Traditionally, in Nordic countries, the juice of the fruits was used in the preparation of a sweet and sour sauce that accompanied mackerel dishes (hence the origin of the shrub's name).

In the garden, Gooseberries can be used in a small edible hedge, mixed with other currants and raspberries. This inermous variety is ideal for bordering vegetable gardens, for example. It is a very hardy shrub, easy to grow but sensitive to drought.