Gooseberry Jelly
Gooseberries are one of those berries that are high in pectin, especially when the gooseberries are green. So when my gooseberry shrubs are loaded with green berries in July, I get out and pick several pounds to make this jelly. The flavour is a nice balance of sweet and tart and can be made simply with just the berries, sugar and water. Enjoy this jelly on crackers with cream cheese or on your favourite scone.
YIELD : 5-125 ml jars
WATER BATH PROCESSING TIME: 10 minutes for altitudes of 1000 feet or below. Adjust processing time for other altitudes.
Equipment
- 12-litre stainless steel pot to cook the berries and make the pectin stock (juice)
- 8-litre stainless steel pot to make the jelly
- canning pot
- wire basket or tray for the bottom of the canning pot
- jar lift
- magnetic wand for lid placement
- 5-125 ml sterilized jars with lids and rings
- strainer
- funnel
- cheese cloth
Ingredients
To make gooseberry pectin stock:
- 4 lbs washed green gooseberries tipped and tailed- optional
- 5 cups water
- You should get 6-7 cups of pectin stock.
To make the jelly:
- 3 cups gooseberry pectin stock
- 2½ cups granulated sugar
Instructions
To make the gooseberry pectin stock:
- Bring the gooseberries and water to a boil in the 12-litre pot. Reduce to a low boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes. I put a lid on the pot so that liquid does not evaporate. Simmer until the gooseberries are tender. Mash the fruit with a potato masher a couple of times during the cook.
- Strain the fruit through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Let drip at least 20 minutes. For the clearest jelly do not press down on the fruit or squeeze the cheesecloth.
- Once the juice is strained, you can put the pectin stock in the fridge for up to 2 days.
To make the jelly:
- Preheat your oven to 225°F.
- Optional: Spread out your sugar onto a rimmed baking sheet and then warm it in the 225°F oven for 15 minutes. Preheating the sugar will mean that your jelly will reach the gel point quicker in step 4.
- Pour the gooseberry pectin stock into a 8-litre pot and bring to a boil. Add the sugar.
- Bring the mixture back up to a boil and continue to cook on high heat until you reach the proper consistency for jelly, or what is called the gel point. This should take about 10-14 minutes. You will want to watch this closely as you do not want to boil off too much of the liquid. To determine if your jelly has reached the gel point you can use a candy thermometer clipped to the side of your pan. When the thermometer reaches 220°F, your jelly should be ready to can. I like to just use a stainless steel spoon to determine if my jelly is ready. I run the spoon through the hot liquid and then turn the stainless steel spoon on its side. When the jelly forms droplets on the spoon edge, the jelly is done.
- Skim off any foam.
- Working quickly, ladle the jelly into sterilized jars leaving ¼" headspace. Top each jar with a washed and briefly warmed snap lid. (I put the snap lid in boiling hot water for 30 seconds, this softens the seal.) Add the sterilized ring and tighten to finger tip tightness. Process using the boiling water method in a canning pot for 10 minutes.
- Remove the jars and cool on a board or metal rack. Don't disturb for 24 hours.
- Remove the rings and inspect the jars. If some of the jelly has leaked out onto the jars, wipe them clean with a soapy cloth. Store the jelly without the rings on in a dark cool place for up to a year.
- Store jars that don't seal in the fridge and use immediately.
Video
Notes
When I make my gooseberry pectin stock, I always make some classic gooseberry jelly as this recipe states, and I use some of the pectin stock to make gooseberry jelly with blueberry liqueur. The only addition to the recipe is to add 2 tablespoons of blueberry liqueur to gooseberry pectin stock in step 3.
Nutrition
Serving: 1tbspCalories: 59kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 21mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 31IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Made this with red gooseberries. Looks absolutely gorgeous!
Taste, hmm, mediocre at best.