We have 2 bushes and they are dripping with gooseberries. Spent a couple of hours there in the midday sun and only picked half a bush so far. I'm planning to bottle a fair few, but I may have to resort to jam making. My jam-making record is Not Outstanding. "Caramelised rubber" best describes the one shameful venture that I can remember. So any advice on easy gooseberry jam is most welcome. Are they the ones with lots of pectin? Is it best to bottle them whole, or make a fruit compote and bottle that?
Sorry Madahhlia i can't help you there....i've never successfully mastered soft fruit jams....my goosegogs are getting frozen for pies and crumbles
I think you may find this link useful: Gooseberries I recall my own mother would freezer them (we grew apples, pears, gooseberries, greengages, mint and rhubarb in our garden when I was a wee lass: correction, they grew in our garden! ) The link has an interesting recipe for Gooseberry Relish ... got to be worth a shot?
So far I have nine kilner jars of compote and one bush to go. I don't normally eat much chutney so I think I'll have to go with the jam option.
Palustris, do you think you could get her to share it with us? I have lots of gooseberries but I don't really like them so don't bother picking them. I'm a big fan of chutney though so maybe this could be the answer!
Gooseberry Chutney 3lbs of gooseberries 1 lb sugar 1 lb apples cooking type 1/2 lb onions 1 pt Vinegar (ordinary stuff) 1/2 pint water (ordinary stuff!) 1/2 oz salt 1 level tablespoon Ginger. 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Top and tail gooseberries, Chop onions. Cook in water till soft. Add the rest of the ingredients. Boil till Chutney becomes thick. Quite a 'hot' chutney this one.
Thank you very much, that actually sounds yummy! I can always tone down the spices a little if needs be. Plus it sounds simple enough that even I can do it Can't wait to try it.
Use a very thick bottomed pan and the lowest heat your cooker will go to. She often has trouble with Chutney burning as our Hob just will not go low enough.
