Gooseberry & Apple Jam has a beautifully delicate flavour and is delicious served with scones or your favourite teatime treat!
Today I’m sharing my Gooseberry & Apple Jam!
It’s been an exciting old time lately, first I was short listed in the MAD Blog Awards for Best Food Blog.
Then last week I was featured in The Sun (a secret ambition) which came as a huge shock as I just expected a few of my tips to be used in an article!
I’ve popped it at the bottom of this post if you’re interested!
Anyway, enough about about frippery lets get onto the important stuff, my latest jam creation – Gooseberry & Apple Jam!
A couple of weeks ago my dad dropped round a large carrier bag of gooseberries that he’d been invited to pick in a local allotment after a chance encounter !
Last year he got me Mirabelle Plums from a new neighbour so I just want to say “keep up the good work dad”!
I must say gooseberries remind me so much of my childhood as we often had them in desserts but I don’t think I ever really appreciated them at the time.
It’s only in recent years I’ve missed seeing them as they seem to have completely fallen out of fashion in the supermarkets.
Hence I hadn’t eaten a gooseberry since I was a child and had never cooked one either!
So when a glut of fruit comes to my door my first thought is always jam, after all I am “The Crazy Jam Lady” according to my daughter!
I thought a straightforward gooseberry jam recipe would be nice but then there would be umpteen recipes for that, so I shelved that idea.
I then racked my brain for what would go well with gooseberries (which from memory had quite a delicate flavour) and the obvious answer was apple.
I love adding apple to jams as it gives them such a delicate note.
I enlisted the help of my daughter (yes there was probably some bribery of going to get her favourite magazine) and she topped and tailed all the gooseberries for me.
I started her off with some small scissors which worked well on the green spike but for the bearded tufts it was easier to pinch them out and I think another time tweezers would be a good option.
Next we took it in turns stirring the jam and I gave my daughter the honour of doing the plate test which worked first time and after putting her finger through the jam she proceeded to lick the plate clean and declared the jam was delicious.
She then proceeded to say that she would be having it for breakfast the next morning, high praise indeed!
We then took it in turns to ladle the hot jam into the jars and then had to wait to try my new Gooseberry & Apple jam the following day. I was really pleased with the outcome.
The gooseberries and apple are a perfect match in this delicate pink jam (being a newbie I was amazed how a pan of green gooseberries turned pink when the sugar was added).
The jam was so good I was then torn as to which jam to enter into the local Parish Show which is this weekend.
I had planned to enter my Rhubarb and Strawberry Jam! I’ll keep you guessing for now!
I have entered the last 2 Parish shows with my Peach & Apricot Jam and last year my One Punnet Strawberry Jam and won 1st prize both times so I think it will be a very tall order to win a third time but I’ll keep you posted!
How long will Gooseberry & Apple Jam keep for?
This jam will keep for years in a cool, dark, dry place but is at its best in the first year.
Where should you store jam once open?
Once open keep your jam in the fridge and use a clean spoon to serve to avoid contamination.
More Gooseberry Recipes
For more gooseberry inspiration check out the following recipes:
- Gooseberry, Apple & Mint Jelly
- Gooseberry Frangipane Tart
- Vegan Gin & Gooseberry Jelly
- Red Gooseberry Cakes
- Gooseberry Cobbler
I’m sure you’ll love this Gooseberry & Apple Jam so do leave a comment below when you make it.
You can also share your jam with me on Instagram by tagging @fabfood4all as I love seeing your creations!
Pin Gooseberry & Apple Jam for later!
Gooseberry & Apple Jam
Ingredients
- 1 Kg firm gooseberries trimmed
- 500 g Bramley cooking apples, cored, peeled & chopped into roughly 1.5cm pieces
- 1.5 Kg Granulated sugar
- 500 ml Water
Instructions
- Start by placing 2 saucers in the freezer (for testing).
- Put the water into a large preserving sized pan and add the apples as you prepare them (to prevent browning).
- Bring pan to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the gooseberries and simmer for a further 15 minutes until the skins are soft.
- On a low heat (not simmering), add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Bring to the boil and time for 15 minutes.
- Place a few drops of jam onto saucer and pop in the fridge for 30 seconds.
- Run a finger through the mixture and if it forms a crinkle and is jelly like it’s ready.
- If the jam isn’t ready carry on boiling for 2 minutes at a time a re-do the test until it is.
- Remove any scum with a spoon.
- Ladle into hot jar sterilised jars and cover with lids immediately.
- Makes about 5 – 6 large jars.
Manila Spoon
This gooseberry jam looks delicious and would be a favorite spread of my kids for breakfast!
Camilla
Thanks, it is really good:-)
clare
Great recipe and bloomin’ well done on your recent achievements. Much deserved.
Camilla
Thank you so much Clare, very kind:-)
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
Congrats on being featured in the sun Madam. You deserve it.
Camilla
Aah, thank you Bintu:-)
sarah
I haven’t had gooseberries in years! Love the colour of the jam! Good luck at the parish show! I hope you win with whichever one you pick (this one! this one!). 😉
Camilla
Thanks Sarah. I was out bargain hunting in Tesco last night and a fellow shopper insisted I had her gooseberries when I said she could make my jam with them, so looks like I’ll be eating them again very soon:-)
Sarah James
Your jam looks delicious Camilla, another one for me to try. Congrats on your feature, very exciting 🙂
Camilla
Aah, thank you Sarah on both counts:-) It was rather a shock LOL!
Galina V
Excellent jam! I love gooseberries. Pinned for future reference. Big well done on being featured!
Camilla
Thank you so much Galina:-)
Elizabeth
What a gorgeous jam! Yes, I could quite happily sit and scoff this, and congratulations about your newspaper feature! How exciting! 😀
Camilla
Thank you Elizabeth, lots of jam and excitement lately:-)
Cindy @ Hun... What's for Dinner?
Wow, I haven’t seen a gooseberry since I was a teen. This jam sounds fantastic!
Camilla
Thanks Cindy, much like me:-)
Munchies and Munchkins
I haven’t had gooseberries in years and you are definitely inspiring me to start making jam again. Especially as my new breadmaker also makes jam! X
Camilla
Fab, you just can’t beat homemade for freshness and all the many flavour combinations you can make:-)
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs
My parents have a HUGE gooseberry bush in their garden and as a result they are always looking for gooseberry recipes. We usually have a lot of gooseberry fool when they are in season why had I never thought to make jam before?! Great recipe 🙂
Camilla
LOL Emma, you must get jam making. It’s like me, my parents had a Damson tree in their garden since I was 9 and it was only in last couple of years when I started making jam that I took note of it and that jam became one of my most popular post!