Monday 7 September 2015

The Gooseberry---From Bush to Table

I love gooseberries!  
I think one of the hardest things I found when moving was leaving my berry bushes behind.  I was delighted to discover a nice big gooseberry bush growing in our back garden in Flatrock. 
The bush in Gambo produced the green gooseberry, and the Flatrock gooseberries are red---both delicious, trust me!!

I have been watching these jewels grow all summer, and so was hubby.....I had a hard time keeping him away from them!  I went out early today and picked about a liter and made a small batch of jam.

 There are still lots of berries that aren't quite ripe yet...

 yummmmy.....

I find that the best way to clean them is with a small pair of sharp, pointed scissors, 
to simply snip  off both stems.  
Wash them and pat them dry, place them in the cooking pot and sprinkle with a small amount of sugar......
and cook them on a long slow simmer...

 I usually mash mine down a little after they have been cooking for a few minutes....

 They smell superb while cooking, and I love the color when it is poured into the jars......

I use very little sugar so I keep the jam refrigerated.
It is delicious on crackers with a little cream cheese, on toast, or hubby's favorite way---used as a topping on vanilla ice-cream.

Cheers
:)