Camden New Journal - Reciepe for Gooseberry Jam by Clare Latimer

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The Review - FOOD AND DRINK - Cooking with CLARE
Published: 29 July 2008

Clare Latimer's recipe for
Gooseberry jam

Gooseberry jam
Gooseberries are often a forgotten fruit but when they have that yellowish tinge and are really soft there is hardly a better fruit.
These yellow ones remind me of my childhood, staying with my granny in Elstead, Surrey where she had a huge vegetable garden – well, it probably was not that huge, but I was small.
I used to sneak out and eat them straight from the bush.
I would hear cook asking why there were so few ripe gooseberries. It’s not often that I am quiet but I was on those occasions.
Sadly, most of the time they are picked earlier while still green, which is fine, but at this stage they do need to be cooked.
In this guise they are perfect if gently stewed with sugar and then turned into fool, made into a crumble, served with fresh mackerel or made into jam as below.

Ingredients
Makes 6 jars
2.7kg (6lb) gooseberries, slightly under-ripe, topped and tailed
2.7kg (6lb) sugar
1.1lt (2 pints) water
15g (½oz) butter.

Method
Use slightly under ripe gooseberries and remove the tops and tails. Place all of the fruit into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and cover with water.
Bring to the boil and cook, stirring occasionally for 25 minutes or until the fruit is tender. Remove from the heat and then mash the fruit. Add the sugar, stirring until fully dissolved. Add the butter. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes.
To test if the jam is ready, place a spoonful on a plate and allow it to cool slightly.
Drag your finger across the jam and if it leaves a line the jam is ready. Put the jam in warm, sterilised jars.
Allow to cool, then cover.

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