Note: I know that this is a little out of season for this post but I have just found it in my drafts, so thought I would post it before I forget about it again!
We have had a huge harvest this year from our fruit bushes at our allotment. We had a huge amount of blackcurrants- which we used to make blackcurrant cordial and then lots of gooseberries, raspberries and strawberries. For most of these, we washed them as soon as we got them home and then placed them into the freezer until we had enough to do something with. Jams are easy to make, but do take time. We made a gooseberry jam and a mixed berry jam as we didn't have quite enough strawberries. Both follow a pretty similar technique though.
Here is where the internet deceived me. From what I had read, this was a quick process. For us, it took a long time to turn into a runny jam like substance. So trust your own instincts! | The first thing to do is to prep the fruit- top and tail the gooseberries and remove any greenery from the berries. This seemed to take forever so next year I will do this bit by bit as we bring the fruits home. Boil the gooseberries in a little water until they are softening. You do not need to do this with the berries- they are ready to go. Add the same amount of sugar as fruit to the pan and heat until all sugar has dissolved/ melted. |
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When you think it is ready- spoon a small amount onto a chilled plate and leave for a minute or so. Then push with your finger- it should wrinkle at this point and have a jelly like consistency. If it doesn't- it needs boiling for longer. If it is ready, put into your sterilized jars, ready for storage.