Pick on a dry warm sunny day. Rain washes away the pollen which gives the plant its floral flavour. The best time to pick is in late morning after the dew has evaporated. Choose creamy white flower heads where most of the blossoms are open with a few still budding. Avoid wilted or brown flowers which taste bitter. Use scissors to snip the stems.  Only forage from young reachable bushes, avoid busy roads and never take more than 50% to allow the tree to regenerate and produce berries in the autumn.

Shake any insects off the flowers then put into a large deep bowl along with the fruit zest. Cover with 1.5 litres boiling water. Cover and leave overnight. The following day strain the liquid through a jelly bag, muslin cloth or fine sieve. To every 500mls liquid add 350g sugar, 2 tbsps lemon juice and 1 tsp tartaric acid. Heat stirring to dissolve the sugar, boil removing any scum. Remove from the heat. Cool then strain again. Use a funnel to pour into clean bottles, seal and label. Store in a cool dark place. Serve diluted to taste with cold water.

Add to rice pudding or drizzle over soft fruit.

Alternatively the cordial can be frozen in ice trays, decanted into freezer bags and used as required.

Gooseberries thrive and fruit well in Orkney and Shetland. Many ‘wild bushes’ are in fact descendants of old cultivated gooseberries which have naturalised from former gardens. Found in shaded damp areas the fruits are hairy, round or oval green, yellowy green or purplish red found in dropping clusters. Pick only ripe berries leaving the rest to ripen later. Watch for thorns!

Dust with icing sugar, serve with cream or ice cream or both!

Simply stew with a little sugar, knob of butter adding chopped mint or fennel if liked. Blitz smooth or break up with the back of a wooden spoon for a rougher sauce.

It compliments the oily the fish and tastes delicious.

Grossert; the old Scots word for a gooseberry another is ‘goosegog!’

Serves 4

Simmer fruit in a little water with the sugar till soft. Sieve or puree in a food processor, or blitz smooth. Cool. Fold into custard, chill and enjoy. Delicious.