In 2018, a promising development occurred. A retiree in Cornwall named Geoffrey Hanks claimed to have found a bush growing behind a derelict bothy (a basic cottage) on the edge of Bodmin Moor. The berries matched the description: "pink-gold, hairless, sweet."
Anna propagated the mutation via cuttings. She named the variety simply "Ralphs' Pink Smooth" locally, but the traders at the Shrewsbury market began calling it "Anna’s Gooseberry" to distinguish it from other Ralphs family varieties. anna ralphs gooseberry
By 1870, the was listed in a Herefordshire nursery catalogue. The description read: "A dessert gooseberry of the highest quality. Skin thin, translucent, of a honey-amber blush. Flesh melting, with a high sugar content and a distinct note of apricot. Unsurpassed for eating raw. Requires a sheltered wall." Why the Gooseberry Disappeared If the Anna Ralphs was so delicious, why don't we have it today? In 2018, a promising development occurred
Anna’s mutant was different. The berry was larger than a cherry, pale golden-pink like a sunset, and crucially, hairless. In her diary (entry dated July 12, 1861), she wrote: She named the variety simply "Ralphs' Pink Smooth"
The Anna Ralphs fruits on two-year-old wood. The Victorian method was to grow it as a "standard" (a single stem with a ball on top) or against a south-facing wall. Prune in winter to create an open goblet shape.