On Saturday I went to the market. Red currants and gooseberries caught my eye. The currants were a mass of beautiful red jewels and a tangle of stems. The gooseberries were rosy red and reminded me of the farm when I was little. Both have good natural pectin perfect for jam.
Currant & Gooseberry Jam
Ingredients
2 cups currants, stemmed and cleaned
2 cups gooseberries, cleaned
1/4 cup of water
11/4-11/2 cups sugar
zest from 1 lemon
Order of Events
1. Crush the berries in layers in a heavy non reactive pot with a potato masher. The gooseberries are big enough to crush, the currants mostly missed the potato masher, that's ok.
2. Add the water and bring the fruit to a simmer, watch carefully and stir so the fruit does not scorch on the bottom of the pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes, letting the natural pectin release from the fruit.
3. Add the sugar 1/4 cup at a time, simmering and stirring as you go. Stir in the lemon zest. Taste to make sure you like the sweetness. When most of the currants have popped and you can see the jam thickening on the back of your spoon it is done. Remove from heat and pour into a clean glass container. Jam will thicken as it cools. Cover with a tight fitting lid when cooled and store in the refrigerator. With hungary mouths arond this jam will not last long but you can keep it in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.
Enjoy!
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