GOOSEBERRY JAM

      A few weeks ago, by my husband's request, I made some gooseberry jam. It was my very first time making any kind of jam. The whole process of canning and all that jazz always intimidated me, but lately I have been becoming more and more brave in that department. And since my in laws have a big garden and offered to us lots of gooseberries, I thought why not. 

      Well... the whole jam making process was lots of fun. And the jam came out to be very yummy! I mean it has been only 2 weeks since I made it, and its already almost gone. So right after I am done sharing the recipe with you all, I will go and make some more (thank God for grandma's garden). 

      So here is the super easy, step by step recipe:

Ingredients: 

2 lbs gooseberries

2 lbs granulated sugar

You will also need: clean sterilized glass jars and tops, large sauce pan or dutch oven, wooden spoon. 

1. Clean your gooseberries by cutting off the stalk at one end of each berry and the remains of the flower at the other. Then wash all the berries and let them dry in colander.

2. Meanwhile wash your jars in warm water and place them into the oven and turn the oven on to 290F. Make sure you DO NOT preheat the oven, but turn it on as soon as you put your jars and metal tops in.  Bake your jars for about 20-30 minutes. 

3. Put the gooseberries into a large sauce pan or dutch oven. Cook over gentle heat until the juice starts to run. Then simmer for 15-20 minutes until the fruit is soft enough to mash with a spoon. If you like to have a whole fruit jam, prick each berry with a needle before starting the cooking process.

4. Add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved (a minute or so).

5. Bring the jam to full boil, this means lots of bubbles across the whole surface of the liquid in the pan. Be careful, don't lean over the pan.

6. Boil until the setting point is reached. To test for setting point, scoop out a teaspoonful of jam and drip it onto a cold plate. After few seconds touch the jam gently with your finger, it if "wrinkles" that means your jam has reached the setting point and is done cooking. 

7. Remove it from the heat and pour into clean glass jars. Seal the jars immediately. Store it in a cupboard until you are ready to eat. 

Of course in our house the jam didn't get to enjoy any time in the cupboard... because my sweet husband couldn't resist to have some right away. 

I hope you enjoy it as much as my hubby did! 

                                                                                                                       love, Lesya

3.