Gooseberrysquares Recipes

GOOSEBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Remove blossom and stem ends from gooseberries. Force berries through food mill. Measure 4 cups of the berry mash into a large pot. Stir in the sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in pectin at once. Skim off any foam with a large metal spoon.
• Sterilize jars and lids in boiling water for at least 10 minutes. Take turns with skimming foam, and stirring the berry mixture for 5 minutes to let it cool slightly. Ladle into hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
• Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

GOOSEBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Place a few small plates in the freezer. Put gooseberries and 1/4 cup water into a medium saucepan. Cover, and cook over medium heat, stirring halfway through, until berries are just beginning to soften, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in sugar, and mash berries against side of pan with the spoon. Cook, uncovered, stirring more frequently as jam thickens, until it is bubbling rapidly and the consistency of very loose jelly, about 30 minutes, skimming any foam that rises to surface. Remove from heat.
• Perform a gel test: Remove a plate from freezer, and drop a spoonful of jam on it. Return to freezer for 1 to 2 minutes, then nudge edge of jam with a finger. If jam is ready, it should hold its shape. If jam is too thin and spreads out, return to a boil, testing every minute, until done.
• Return jam to a boil before transferring to a jar. To seal and process, fill 3 hot, sterilized 4-ounce jars with hot jam, leaving 1/4 inch space in each jars neck. Wipe rims of jars with a clean, damp cloth; cover tightly with sterilized lids and screw tops. Transfer jars, using tongs or a jar clamp, to the rack of a large canning pot filled with hot water, being sure to keep jars upright at all times; cover with water by 2 inches. (Jars should be spaced 1 inch apart, and should not touch sides of pot.) Cover; bring to a boil. Process jars in gently boiling water for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool 24 hours. Press down on each lid. If lid pops back, it is not sealed; refrigerate unsealed jars immediately, and use within 1 month.

GOOSEBERRY DESSERT

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; cut in the butter until crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk egg and milk. Gradually add to flour mixture, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes or until easy to handle., For filling, in a large bowl, combine sugar and tapioca. Gently stir in gooseberries; let stand for 15 minutes. Divide dough in half. Roll out each portion to an 8-in. square. Place one portion in the bottom a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Top with filling and remaining pastry., Cut slits in pastry; brush with milk. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the top. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

GOOSEBERRY SQUARES

Steps:

• Grease a 13x9 pan with butter, then cover in tin foil and grease foil again wtih butter.
• For the base, sift together the dry ingredients and then cut in the butter until the mixture is like coarse crumbs. Press onto tin foil. Bake in an oven at 180' for 10 minutes or until pale golden in colour.
• Remove from oven.
• Mix together eggs, sugar, vanilla and flour. Then you can either roughly chop gooseberries and mix in or toss in gooseberries whole and mulch up with your hands (latter gives a more integrated flavour but it is messy).
• Pour wet mix onto base and put back in the oven for approx 35 minutes or until the top is nicely firm and the berries are showing up brown in places.
• Enjoy!

GOOSEBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare gooseberries by using scissors to snip each end. Rinse to remove dirt and debris.
• Transfer berries to a pot and add onion, sugar, and enough water just to cover. Cover and cook gently over medium heat until soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust level of sweetness. Remove from heat and transfer carefully to the bowl of a food processor or blender.
• Puree the mixture. Serve sauce warm or cold.

GOOSEBERRY & ALMOND STREUSEL SQUARES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Line a 27 x 18cm baking tin with baking parchment.
• Rub the butter into the flour, almonds and sugar to make crumbs, then firmly press two-thirds onto the base and sides of the tin. Toss the gooseberries with the caster sugar, then scatter over the top.
• Mix the flaked almonds into the remaining crumbs, then scatter over the gooseberries. Bake for 50 mins-1 hr until golden and the fruit is bubbling a little around the edges. Dredge with caster sugar, then cool in the tin. Cut into about 8 squares and enjoy with a cup of tea or serve as a pudding with custard or cream.

STICKY GOOSEBERRY SAUCE FOR THE SOUL

Steps:

• Put all ingredients in a small saucepan and turn hotplate onto its highest heat.
• Use a fork or potato masher to squish down on gooseberries. Keep doing this occasionally until the mixture comes to the boil. (We do not want the gooseberries to be completely pulverised, but we do want to help release their flavour, and help the skins to cook down/soften).
• When the mixture has come to the boil, turn the hotplate down by half. Continue stirring occasionally so as to prevent burning.
• Keep it on this heat for 5 minutes, before turning down by half again. Leave it on this heat for 5 minutes, continuing to stir occasionally.
• Turn it down by half again, letting it gently simmer for an additional 10 minutes, stirring now and then to make sure it is cooking down appropriately. When the skins of the gooseberries appear translucent - similar to the appearance of the skins of glace cherries - and the liquid has reduced and appears to be sticky/coat the back of a spoon, take saucepan off the heat.
• Spoon mixture into a small, clean glass jar.
• Attach lid of jar, screwing it on tight. Carefully tip the jar upside down so the scorching hot jam creates a natural heat seal (effectively sterilizing top of jar/lid).
• Allow to cool for 20 mins, then open jar and spoon compote over dessert of your choice.
• Re-seal jar and refrigerate for future use.