My Great Great Grandmas Gooseberry Jam Recipes

Steps:

• Remove blossom and stem ends from gooseberries. Force berries through food mill. Measure 4 cups of the berry mash into a large pot. Stir in the sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in pectin at once. Skim off any foam with a large metal spoon.
• Sterilize jars and lids in boiling water for at least 10 minutes. Take turns with skimming foam, and stirring the berry mixture for 5 minutes to let it cool slightly. Ladle into hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
• Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Chop gooseberries, raisins, and oranges finely; reserve orange rinds. Mix with sugar and water in a large pot. Cook until it becomes gelatinous or to desired thickness, about 40 minutes. Grate orange rind and add to the thickened mixture. Mix in well.
• While jam cooks, inspect glass pint jars for cracks and rings for rust, discarding any defective ones. Immerse in simmering water until jam is ready. Wash new, unused lids and rings in warm soapy water.
• Pack jam into hot, sterilized jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a clean knife or thin spatula around the insides of the jars to remove any air bubbles. Wipe rims with a moist paper towel to remove any residue. Top with lids and screw rings on tightly.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars 2 inches apart into the boiling water using a holder. Pour in more boiling water to cover jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil, cover, and process for 10 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and let rest, several inches apart, for 12 to 24 hours. Press the center of each lid with a finger to ensure the lid does not move up or down. Remove the rings for storage and store in a cool, dark area.

Steps:

• First sterilise your jars by washing thoroughly in very hot soapy water. Rinse in very hot water then put on a baking sheet in a 140C/fan 120C/gas 1 oven until completely dry.
• Put the gooseberries, lemon juice and 400ml water 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).
• Add the sugar and stir over a gentle heat for another 10 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved. You don't want it to boil at this point as the sugar could crystallize. 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. The jam will start to turn a pinky red hue as it cooks.
• 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.
• 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. Keep in the fridge once opened.

Steps:

• Bring boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling.
• Remove blossom and stem ends from fruit. Finely chop or grind berries. Measure exactly 5-1/2 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot.
• Stir pectin into fruit in saucepot. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
• Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

Steps:

• Place a few small plates in the freezer. Put gooseberries and 1/4 cup water into a medium saucepan. Cover, and cook over medium heat, stirring halfway through, until berries are just beginning to soften, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in sugar, and mash berries against side of pan with the spoon. Cook, uncovered, stirring more frequently as jam thickens, until it is bubbling rapidly and the consistency of very loose jelly, about 30 minutes, skimming any foam that rises to surface. Remove from heat.
• Perform a gel test: Remove a plate from freezer, and drop a spoonful of jam on it. Return to freezer for 1 to 2 minutes, then nudge edge of jam with a finger. If jam is ready, it should hold its shape. If jam is too thin and spreads out, return to a boil, testing every minute, until done.
• Return jam to a boil before transferring to a jar. To seal and process, fill 3 hot, sterilized 4-ounce jars with hot jam, leaving 1/4 inch space in each jars neck. Wipe rims of jars with a clean, damp cloth; cover tightly with sterilized lids and screw tops. Transfer jars, using tongs or a jar clamp, to the rack of a large canning pot filled with hot water, being sure to keep jars upright at all times; cover with water by 2 inches. (Jars should be spaced 1 inch apart, and should not touch sides of pot.) Cover; bring to a boil. Process jars in gently boiling water for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool 24 hours. Press down on each lid. If lid pops back, it is not sealed; refrigerate unsealed jars immediately, and use within 1 month.

Steps:

• Sterilise the jars and any other equipment before you start (see tip, below). Put a couple of saucers in the freezer, as you'll need these for testing if the jam is ready later (or use a sugar thermometer). Put the berries and juice (or water) in a preserving or very large deep pan, bring to a simmer, then cook for about 15 mins until the fruit is very tender.
• Add the sugar to the pan and heat gently until all the sugar has dissolved - do not boil at this point. Turn up the heat and cook the jam at a rolling boil, skimming away any scum that comes to the top as it cooks. After about 10 mins, spoon a little jam onto a cold saucer. Leave for a few secs, then push the jam with your fingertip. If it wrinkles, the jam is ready. If not, cook for a few mins more and test again on another cold saucer. (If you have a sugar thermometer, it will read 105 degrees when ready.)
• Give the jam a final skim, stir in the butter, then the vanilla seeds and the pod too. Let the jam cool for a few mins - this will thicken it and prevent any lumps from sinking to the bottom of the jars - then ladle into hot jars, seal and leave to cool.

Steps:

• Tip the gooseberries into a large saucepan or preserving pan with 300ml water. Cook over a low heat for about 15 mins, stirring occasionally, until the fruit has broken down into a soupy purée.
• Add the sugar and cook over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then turn up the heat as high as it will go and boil everything for 10 mins, stirring the bottom to make sure the jam doesn't burn and skimming any scum off when it appears. If you have a jam or digital thermometer, the optimum temperature for the jam to set is 105C, but anything around 104C will be fine.
• Do the wrinkle test (see tip) on a frozen saucer to make sure it's set, then add the elderflower cordial and leave to cool before decanting your jam into sterilised jars.