Red Gooseberry Jam

Okay, so I thought I would be away from the laptop for a few days over our holiday period but no, it's absolutely pouring down and I refuse to go outside today so instead...a recipe for you :)

I have this red gooseberry bush on the plot of shame (14b) that is so prolific that I think we could be incredibly fed up with the very thought of eating red gooseberries by the end of summer. So thinking ahead I thought; 'well, I've only harvested a quarter of what's there and there's no way I am letting the birds pilfer the rest so I need to think laterally...jam, jam for the miserable winter mornings, jam for my porridge....'

Thus I made red gooseberry jam and this is how. It only made enough for half sized Kilner jar, perfect for storing away as and when I make batches.

I used the basic BBC Good Food recipe which I thought it was fabulous; my weights were different but it's always the same weight of fruit to sugar really with any jam I've made so far. Don't skip that lemon!

 http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2303641/gooseberry-jam

* first sterilise your jar/s by washing thoroughly in very hot soapy water. Rinse in very hot water and put on a baking tray and into the oven at 140C fan oven until totally dry. I usually turn the oven off and leave it/them in the oven until I need it at the end...

* put the gooseberries, juice of half a lemon and water (enough to just cover the berries) in a large wide pan (use a preserving pan if you have one). Bring to the boil then simmer for 15 minutes until the fruit is very soft and pulpy. Put 2 or 3 small saucers in the freezer (these will be used to test the setting later on)

I didn't get any scum and under the activity of top and tailing I just used my nails. I did start out with taking a little knife to both ends but somehow I felt the world was laughing at me and I was seriously wasting minutes of my life, haha.

The time wasting stops!!!

Stuff all the gooseberries, lemon juice and water in a saucepan, cook until boiling - BE CAREFUL

* Add the sugar and stir over a gentle heat for another 10 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Once you can’t feel or see any grains of sugar bring to the boil and boil hard for 10 minutes, skimming the surface as you go and stirring now and again to stop it catching.

* Spoon a little jam onto a chilled saucer, leave to cool then run your finger through it. If it’s ready it will wrinkle up. If this doesn’t happen boil for another 5 minutes then keep testing and boiling until it does.

Add sugar and cook for what feels likes forever. This is how mine looked when the wrinkle test was passed.

 * Do a final skim on the finished jam then pour into the sterilised jars and seal. Store in a cool dark place – the jam will be good for up to 6 months.

Pretty :) Hot jam in a hot jar - the seal works best this way as it contracts.

May the weather be less depressing where you are today but if not - bake or make jam maybe :)
Love and hugs
Carrie