[Nobbie]

I've currently got Invictor and although it has massive crops, I've been told by my better half that the berries are not as tart as the gooseberries that her dad used to grow I pick them good and early aand they seem fine to me. Does anyone have any recommendations for a very sharp variety?

[Salmo]

I do not know of a more tart gooseberry.

Invictor is always recommended as the one to grow for tart culinary gooseberries. It is a heavy cropper which allows fruit to be picked in two stages. First the crop is thinned out when the friut are still small. These are really tart for tart making. Finally the rest of the crop is harvested when full size. These are still pretty tart and never get the dessert sweetness of some other varieties.

[solway cropper]

I think it's true of most fruit that if you pick them before they are ripe they will have a much sharper taste!

I've grown Invicta, Leveller and Hinomaki Red and all are tart if picked early in the season. You could also sprinkle less sugar in the pies!