Savour the flavour of gooseberries, a real garden gem

Gooseberries (Ribes uva-crispa L.) are one of those quintessentially delicious summer fruits that readily grow in Ireland but for some reason they receive much less attention than their strawberry and raspberry berry brethrens.

If you profess that you have no interest in gooseberries, it may be just that you have never tasted a fine dessert variety, packed with sweetness and a unique flavour, with the sweetest cultivars usually being red in colour.

Known as berries, gooseberries may be smooth, fuzzy or spiny, opaque, translucent, or white and are actually a member of the Ribes (currant) family. They are particularly delicious when eaten in season, which happens to be now.