Ribes uva-crispa Crispa Nibbling - Gooseberry

The Crispa ‘Nibbling’ Gooseberry Bush is a high-quality red fruit to be harvested from the end of June, with a high and regular yield. This small bush is covered in greenish flowers in April, which is relatively insignificant but a food source for bees and other beneficial insects in the garden. The harvest period lasts until the end of July or August. For weeks, the large-sized fruits become more and more colourful and concentrate sugar, favouring a staggered harvest as they can remain on the bush. With a thin and smooth skin, almost hairless, aromatic and distinctly fruity, they can be enjoyed directly from the bush—plant from October to March for a harvest in August.

The delicious and fruity taste of this gooseberry is a culinary treasure. Its versatility is unmatched, enhancing salads, savoury dishes, desserts, pastries, and tasty jams. With moderate growth, the bush is easy to maintain and can easily find its place in the garden, on the ground, or grown in a large pot.

The Gooseberry, in Latin Ribes grossularia var. uva-crispa, also called Spiny Gooseberry or Curly Grape belongs to the Grossulariaceae family, like the Red Currants (Ribes rubrum) and Blackcurrants (Ribes nigrum). The name Gooseberry comes from the English, who have been using this gooseberry for a long time to make a sweet and sour sauce to accompany mackerel. Cultivated in northern Europe since the 16th century, the Gooseberry is a fertile hybrid resulting from cross-breeding two species native to Europe and North Africa, still spontaneous in mountain forests in Scotland, France, and the Caucasus.

The Ribes uva-crispa Crispa ‘Nibbling’   is a recent Swiss creation from the Crispa range. A range composed of gooseberries selected for their high yields, juicy and fleshy fruits, and high sugar content on vigorous and disease-resistant plants. It forms a bushy, spiny bush with a tufted habit of slightly stiff, branched, and spreading branches. This very hardy bush reaches a height of 1 m with a spread of 80 cm. The foliage is deciduous, composed of palmate, lobed, aromatic leaves, and medium green. This bush resembles classic gooseberries but differs mainly in fruits: larger, with a sweet flavour, they appear solitary along the branches, unlike clustered gooseberries. Apart from a few inermous varieties, the Gooseberry has thorny stems. Flowering occurs in spring in clusters of small, insignificant greenish flowers intensely visited by bees. Fruiting occurs more on one- and two-year-old branches. The harvest extends from the end of June to the end of July or August. The bush is then covered in berries, round to oval, with a smooth, almost hairless skin, 1.4 cm in diameter, distributed along the branches. At maturity, the gooseberries turn red and are filled with translucent, juicy, fruity, sweet, and slightly acidic pulp containing tiny seeds.

The 'Nibbling' Red Gooseberry is self-fertile, so it does not need a companion to bear fruit, but the presence of another variety nearby will increase production. The picking is done as the fruits ripen. It is simplified due to the size of the berries. The yield of a gooseberry bush is about 2 to 4 kg of fruit per plant, depending on the age and growing conditions of the plant. The fruits are rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, minerals, and trace elements, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus. In addition, their low sugar content classifies them among the tiny fruits with the lowest energy content (50 kcal per 100 g). The fruit purifies for the body thanks to its diuretic, digestive, liver decongestant, and laxative properties, provided it is consumed when barely ripe. Picked from the bush, they are exquisite when eaten fresh, and for more indulgence, they can be sprinkled with a bit of granulated sugar. In cooking, to reduce the acidity of the fruits, they can be blanched for a minute and then cooled under cold water. Excellent in jellies or jams, they can also be used to garnish pies and make cakes. They will be perfect for making syrups, sorbets, ice creams, or desserts. The subtle balance between the flavours and acidity of the fruits offers an exciting use to accompany meats (game, poultry...), fatty fish (sardines, mackerel, tuna...), or as a slight touch in mixed salads.

During the summer, the Gooseberry provides the satisfaction of beautiful harvests and the pleasure of tasting delicious fruits, but be careful of watching out for the thorns. You can associate it with Blackcurrants, Raspberries, Blueberries, May Berries, or other varieties of small fruits to form a gourmet hedge, which it will strengthen with its multiple culinary assets. As in any planting, it is essential to alternate species and varieties where possible. This limits the risk of diseases and promotes pollination, even if the variety is self-fertile. This variety can be grown in a pot. However, you must choose a container at least 40 cm tall and water regularly with non-calcareous water.