Our ancestors called sweet gooseberry blanks “royal”. Many people like the balanced sweet and sour taste of the delicacies from these berries. When the harvest of the “northern grapes” is rich, it makes sense to prepare gooseberry jam for the winter. It can serve as a separate dessert, used as a filling for pies and other confectionery. Even an aspiring hostess can cope with the preparation of this versatile sweet food if she knows several features of the technology.
Cooking Features
The preparation process of gooseberry jam takes a lot of time, but the result will not make you regret the effort. He will live up to his expectations if several things are taken into account when cooking dessert.
- Gooseberries can be of different varieties and can have berries of different colors. The color of the finished jam depends on the variety of gooseberry that was used to make it.
- For the preparation of jam, ripe or even slightly unripe fruits are taken - they contain most of all pectin. Overripe berries are also good, but to make jam from them you will have to add special thickeners (pectin, gelatin, agar-agar).
- Using thickeners, pay attention to the information on the packaging. Such powders are made from different raw materials according to different technologies; they can have a different consistency. On this may depend on some features of their use for cooking jam. If the information on the package varies with the recommendations in the recipe, it should be considered a priority.
- For the preparation of jam choose low, but wide containers. They have a large evaporation area, and excess moisture from the berry mass evaporates faster. Jam is considered a dessert, the liquid content of which does not exceed 25%.
- Aluminum dishes are not used in the preparation of fruit and berry dishes. When coming into contact with organic acids, this material forms harmful substances.
- The gooseberry has thin twigs and “tails” that must be removed before cooking. The most convenient way to do this is with scissors.
- The gooseberry contains many small grains, the presence of which in a jam does not improve its organoleptic qualities. Get rid of the bones in two ways. One option involves the extinguishing of the berries until they are completely softened, followed by grinding through a sieve. The other one is even more complicated: it is proposed to clean the pulp with stones from each berry separately, so that jam can be used to make the rest.
- The amount of sugar in recipes is usually indicated on the basis of average acid fruits, and can be changed at your discretion. The minimum amount of sugar - 0, 6 kg per 1 kg of berries; if you put less, you can only store dessert in the fridge.
- If the gooseberry jam is prepared for the winter, it should be laid out in pre-sterilized jars. Covers fit only metal, ensuring tightness. Before use, they must be boiled.
The storage conditions for gooseberry jam depend on the recipe used. It usually does not deteriorate for two years even at room temperature.
Classic gooseberry jam recipe
Composition (1 l):
- gooseberry - 1 kg;
- sugar - 0, 8 kg;
- water - 150 ml.
Method of preparation:
- Gooseberries will be picked, washed and dried. Scissors cut off the "tails" on both sides.
- Pour water into enamel basin, put berries in it.
- Put the pelvis on a slow fire. Boil 30 minutes after the water boils.
- Allow the gooseberries to cool slightly, wipe it through a metal sieve.
- Into the gooseberry sauce add sugar, mix. Leave for half an hour to dissolve the sugar.
- Return the basin to the stove, heat to a boil over low heat and boil, removing the foam and stirring occasionally, until the berry mass has a sufficiently thick texture.
- Sterilize the jars, boil suitable lids.
- Fill the prepared jars with jam, close them tightly.
Gooseberry jam in this recipe is tender, has a refined taste and looks appetizing. The recipe has only one drawback - the process of grinding the gooseberry through a sieve can seem tedious to busy housewives.
Simple recipe for gooseberry jam
Composition (1 l):
- gooseberry - 1 kg;
- sugar - 0, 75 kg;
- water - 100 ml.
Method of preparation:
- Prepare the gooseberry by washing it out, drying it and removing tails from the berries.
- Fold the berries into a bowl, cover with water, heat up.
- Simmer the berries on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Grind the gooseberry with a blender or turn it through a meat grinder.
- Add sugar, mix.
- Cook over low heat until the berry mass thickens.
- Spread the jam on prepared banks, roll them up.
According to the consistency of jam made according to this recipe, it will be a little more rough than the one prepared according to the previous one, but no less tasty. It can also be stored at room temperature.
Gooseberry jam with gelatin
The composition (1, 5 l):
- gooseberry - 1 kg;
- water - 0, 6 l;
- gelatin - 50 g;
- sugar - 0.5 kg.
Method of preparation:
- Gelatin Pour 0, 5 l of cold, but boiled water.
- Pour the prepared gooseberry into the bowl, add water, boil until the berries are soft.
- Grind the gooseberry with a blender or wipe it through a sieve.
- Mix with sugar, boil on low heat for 15 minutes, removing the foam that forms on the surface.
- Add loose gelatin, mix.
- Warm the jam for 2-3 minutes, remove the pelvis from the heat.
- Spread the jam on sterilized jars, close them tightly.
To store the jam made from the fruits of the gooseberry according to this recipe, preferably in a cool place and not more than a year.
Gooseberry jam turns out delicious and appetizing. It can be made according to various recipes. Often the gooseberry is supplemented with apples, currants, other fruits and berries. Additional flavors of dessert can give cinnamon, orange peel, thyme, mint.
