Gooseberry Jam: 8 Recipes

Gooseberries are one of the most common berries. Without requiring special care and too much attention, the bushes of this plant give a large number of fruits, which are used not only as an independent food product, but can also become the basis for making homemade compote and even jam. At the same time, the taste characteristics of jam made from gooseberries will exceed all expectations and will not leave indifferent even the most demanding gourmet.

Composition and calorie content

Gooseberries are appreciated not only because of their unique taste, but also because of their beneficial composition. They are saturated with a large amount of nutrients, which allows the use of gooseberries and its derivatives as a means for the treatment and prevention of many diseases.

100 g of fresh berries contain many vitamins, including:

• 15 mcg of vitamin A (1.7% of the daily intake).
• 6 mcg of vitamin B9 (1.5% of the daily intake).
• 0.4 mg of vitamin E (2.5% of the daily intake).
• 0.1 mg of vitamin B6 (6.2% of the daily intake).
• 27.7 mg of ascorbic acid (30.8% of the daily intake).
• 0.3 mg of vitamin B5 (5.7% of the daily intake).
• 0.3 mg of vitamin B3 (1.9% of the daily intake).

In addition to vitamins, minerals are present in this berry. Per 100 g of gooseberry have:

• 25 mg of calcium (2.5% of the daily intake).
• 0.6 μg of selenium (1.1% of the daily intake).
• 0.3 mg of iron (3.9% of the daily intake).
• 0.1 mg of manganese (6.3% of the daily intake).
• 10 mg of magnesium (2.5% of the daily intake).
• 0.1 mg of copper (7.8% of the daily intake).
• 27 mg of phosphorus (3.9% of the daily intake).
• 0.1 mg of zinc (1.1% of the daily intake).
• 198 mg of potassium (4.2% of the daily intake).
• 1 mg of sodium (0.1% of the daily intake).

Features of the preparation of gooseberry jam can save the maximum amount of vitamins and other useful substances that are present in fresh berries. That is why such jam is considered not only tasty, but also a useful delicacy, it is used not only for prevention, but also for the treatment of many serious diseases.

As for the calorie content of gooseberry jam - this figure is quite small. 100 g of the delicacy contains only 205 calories, which allows you to use it as a food product even during a diet, the purpose of which is to reduce weight.

What is useful gooseberry jam

Due to its rich composition, gooseberry jam can be called one of the most useful products. Not only traditional medicine experts, but also qualified therapists speak of its beneficial effects on the human body. Both those and others agree that with the regular use of this delicacy, a person will be able to get rid of many problems:

1. Constipation Gooseberries are an excellent laxative. It has a mild effect and is not able to irritate the intestines.
2. Stagnation of bile. Gooseberry jam is often recommended to stimulate the elimination of bile.
3. Swelling. The ability of berries to remove accumulations of excess fluid from the human body remains even after their heat treatment. That is why gooseberry jam can relieve minor edema.
4. Hypertension. Gooseberry jam will lower blood pressure, and with regular use it will prevent a sharp increase.
5. Atherosclerosis. The substances that make up this delicacy can have a beneficial effect on the body of a person suffering from atherosclerosis. With its regular use, there is an improvement in overall health and a halt to the development of the disease.
6. Gastroenterocolitis. Doctors advise including gooseberry jam in the diet of those patients who suffer from gastroenterocolitis. This delicacy will not only improve the overall well-being of a person, but in combination with medications will speed up the healing process.
7. Anemia. Iron, which is part of the berries, will help increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood and prevent its decrease in the future.

However, these are far from all the beneficial properties of goodies. With regular use of gooseberry jam:

• the risk of developing heart disease is reduced;
• walls of blood vessels are strengthened;
• the risk of malignant tumors is reduced;
• the general condition of the body improves;
• less likely to develop diseases provoked by disturbances in the central nervous system;
• the protective function of the body improves;
• bone and joint tissues are strengthened;
• reduced risk of tooth decay, thinning of enamel and other problems with teeth;
• metabolism improves;
• the risk of developing anemia is reduced;
• the body is saturated with many vitamins, which helps prevent the development of vitamin deficiency.

Based on the above facts, we can say that gooseberry jam has not only general strengthening properties, but also:

• refreshing;
• anti-inflammatory;
• choleretic;
• diuretics and many others.

Of course, one cannot fail to say that only gooseberry jam that has been prepared correctly can have a beneficial effect on the human body. Therefore, before you start preparing this delicacy, you should familiarize yourself with all the nuances and features, ignorance of which can negatively affect not only the taste, but also the useful properties of the finished product.

How to choose gooseberries for jam

Before you start making jam, it is important to pay attention to the fact that not all gooseberries are suitable for this. So that the taste of the finished treat does not disappoint the household, choose only ripe, dense berries. Unripe gooseberries spoil the taste characteristics of the finished jam, and overripe during the cooking process will lose its shape, which will negatively affect the appearance of the finished product.

When buying berries, pay attention to their quality. Gooseberries with traces of mold, signs of spoilage or parasite damage are not suitable for jam! Such berries are considered unsuitable for consumption and can cause serious food poisoning.

How to cook gooseberry jam: recipes

After the berries are bought and sorted, the question arises - how to cook gooseberry jam. There are many recipes for making this treat. However, the most popular are:

Classic gooseberry jam

Although this recipe is familiar to many experienced housewives, you cannot leave it unattended. Despite the simplicity of preparation and the absence of additional ingredients, its taste will delight every member of the family, and the beneficial composition will saturate the body with vitamins, which is especially true in the cold winter period.

To make a classic gooseberry jam, you need only three ingredients:

• 500 g of ripe gooseberries.
• 500 g of sugar.
• Purified water.

The preparation of this treat does not require special culinary skills and consists of the following steps:

1. Before proceeding directly to the preparation of jam, you should do the preparation of berries. Pour the whole gooseberry into any container (basin, pan or bowl), fill it with cold water and wash thoroughly, being careful not to damage the integrity of the berries.
2. Sort washed berries, removing unripened or spoiled gooseberries. After that, cut the tails and wash the berries again.
3. When the fruits of gooseberry are washed, you can proceed to the next stage of preparation. Pour them into a deep saucepan and pour so much water that it covers all the berries. Put the pot on low heat and bring to a boil, stirring the workpiece with a wooden spoon. This will help prevent the workpiece from sticking to the bottom of the pan, which in turn will negatively affect the taste characteristics of the finished product.
4. After boiling, pour the indicated amount of sugar into the pan from the gooseberry and bring the workpiece to a boil again, remembering to constantly stir and remove the froth.
5. After boiling, remove the jam from the heat and pour it into pre-prepared glass jars. Jars for jam should not only be thoroughly washed, but also sterilized. This will help keep the treat fresh for several years.

When the jam is poured into jars, cork it with lids and leave to cool completely.

Having tried the jam prepared according to this recipe, you will not be able to refuse it. The rich taste and mouth-watering aroma will conquer every member of the family and will delight every tea party throughout the winter.

Gooseberry jam without cooking

Those housewives who do not like to stand at the stove for too long will definitely appreciate this recipe. Choosing it, you do not have to cook jam for too long and make sure that the treat does not burn to the bottom of the pan. At the same time, the main advantage of this recipe is the preservation of the maximum amount of vitamins, macro- and microelements that are found in gooseberries. This will help to get the most useful product, without spending too much effort and time.

Before you start cooking, prepare the following ingredients:

• 1 kg of ripe gooseberries.
• 1.3 kg of granulated sugar.
• 3 medium oranges.

Stages of preparation:

1. Start with the preparation of gooseberries. Remove berries that show signs of mold, rot, or parasites, clean them of debris, tail and wash thoroughly in cold, running water. Make sure that green berries do not get into the jam. The presence of a large number of unripe fruits will lead to a deterioration in the taste characteristics of the finished dish.
2. Pour gooseberry berries on a clean towel and let them dry a little. While the gooseberry dries up, start preparing citrus fruits. Wash them thoroughly under running water, removing all impurities, and cut them into wedges.
3. Please note that when preparing oranges, the peel is not removed from them. It will give an unusual, pleasant aftertaste to the jam and make it truly unique.
4. Having prepared gooseberries and oranges, proceed to chop them. Do this with a meat grinder or household blender. The result should be mashed potatoes.
5. Do not mix oranges and gooseberries during the chopping phase.
6. Mix the fruit and berry puree in a container that is suitable in size, and pour it with the indicated amount of sugar. Stir the resulting mixture with a wooden spoon and leave to infuse for 2-3 hours.
7. After a specified period of time, the jam can be considered ready. Put it in clean jars, cover with tight lids and store in a dark, cool place.

The taste of this delicacy will differ significantly from the taste characteristics of its classic variation. However, it is impossible to say that citruses spoil the taste of goodies. Gooseberries and oranges combine perfectly and create an amazing duet that will conquer even the most demanding gourmet.

Royal jam

Probably every second mistress heard about the uniqueness of this recipe. The jam prepared according to it has an attractive appearance, a thick consistency and a refined, rich taste. Try this jam at least once and you can’t refuse it.

Despite its high-profile name, the usual ingredients are used to make king jam. To prepare it you will need:

• 1.5 kg of granulated sugar.
• 1 kg of gooseberries.
• 3 sprigs of cherry tree.
• 500 ml of purified water.

Having taken the specified amount of ingredients, the hostess will be able to prepare only 1.5 liters of jam. If desired, this amount can be increased. Take twice or three times more gooseberries, sugar, cherry branches, water, and the amount of the finished product will increase.

When preparing king jam, you must observe the following sequence of actions:

1. Prepare the gooseberries by washing it in a basin of cold water and trimming the tails. Do not forget to remove all spoiled berries, as their presence will spoil the taste of jam.
2. When the gooseberry is washed and slightly dried, remove seeds from each berry. Cut each berry and remove the seeds from it, using a clean hairpin or wire.
3. After removing the seeds, rinse the gooseberries again using cold, purified water and transfer to a container whose volume will correspond to their quantity.
4. Leave the berries for a while and start preparing cherry leaves. Tear them off the branches and rinse thoroughly under running water.
5. Gooseberries are transferred to a pot suitable for cooking. Put the cherry leaves on top and fill the workpiece with the indicated amount of water.
6. Leave the workpiece to insist all night, covering it with a lid. This will help prevent dust and other debris from entering.
7. In the morning, remove the cherry leaves, pour the water from the pan into a separate container and cook sugar syrup from it. To do this, pour the indicated amount of sugar into the liquid, mix thoroughly and cook for 5-7 minutes after boiling.
8. Do not forget that during cooking the syrup must be constantly stirred.
9. When the syrup is ready, fill it with gooseberries and leave for 3 hours. During this time, the berries are soaked and will be ready for cooking.
10. After the specified time, put the workpiece on fire, boil for about 10-15 minutes and leave to cool completely.
11. Repeat the procedure 3 more times.
12. After the last boil, pour the hot jam into the jars and roll up.

Gooseberry jam with banana

For some people, a combination of gooseberries with a banana may seem like a bold decision. However, only those who have never tasted this unusual delicacy in taste can think so. A delicate banana combined with gooseberries and spices creates an amazing, delicate and at the same time bright taste that will appeal to both adults and children.

To make jam, the following components are necessary:

• 1 kg of gooseberries.
• 1 kg of sugar (if desired, the amount of sugar can be reduced).
• 2 large bananas.
• 2 cinnamon sticks.
• 4 buds of cloves.

The preparation of goodies according to the proposed recipe consists of the following steps:

1. Prepare the gooseberries by rinsing them thoroughly in a basin of clean water, remembering to throw out the spoiled berries. If after the first rinse, the water is too dirty, drain it and repeat the procedure.
2. After washing, trim the tails and remove the unripe gooseberries.
3. Place gooseberries in any container of a suitable size and mash them with a wooden spoon.
4. Set aside the gooseberry puree and start preparing the banana. Remove the peel from it, and then cut into small circles with a sharp knife.
5. When the banana is sliced, pour it to the gooseberries, add sugar, the amount of which is indicated in the recipe, and mix the resulting mixture thoroughly.
6. Cover the blank with gauze or a thin clean towel, then leave for 2–2.5 hours.
7. After this time, add spices to the fruit and berry mixture, stir well and place on the stove.
8. When the jam boils well, it should be boiled for another 5-7 minutes, then remove the cinnamon and cloves with a slotted spoon. During this time, the jam will acquire light, spicy notes, which will improve its taste and aroma.
9. Remove the finished treat from the fire, pour into jars and cork with sterilized lids.

Such a delicacy can be used both for the preparation of sweet sandwiches, and as a filling for sweet pastries.In addition, it can complement morning cereal, cottage cheese dessert and many other sweet dishes. At the same time, its taste and pleasant smell will improve the taste of familiar products and will please every household or guest.

Emerald Gooseberry Jam

This unusual jam is very popular, which is easily explained not only by its amazing taste characteristics, but also by its incredible emerald color. It is the appearance of emerald jam that stimulates the desire to taste it.

To make emerald gooseberry jam, prepare the following ingredients:

• 150 g of granulated sugar.
• 350 g of ripe gooseberries.
• 50 ml of purified water.
• 2 drops of citrus essence.
• A little food coloring.

Emerald jam is prepared according to a special recipe:

1. Rinse the berries thoroughly under running water, removing dust and other impurities. Discard spoiled or unripe fruits during washing. Such berries should not get into the jam.
2. After the gooseberry has been washed, pour it into an enameled pan, the size of which will slightly exceed the amount of gooseberry. Add granulated sugar and water to the berries, then put on fire.
3. Bring the workpiece to a boil over medium-high heat. After the jam boils well, boil it for another 10 minutes.
4. During boiling, some gooseberries may burst. Do not worry - this will not affect the taste characteristics of the jam.
5. After the specified time, add a light green dye to the workpiece, mix thoroughly and boil the mass for another 2-3 minutes.
6. Pour the treat over the jars without cooling it, and roll up the lids.

After cooling, store the jam in a dark place, observing the temperature regime. Exposure to high temperatures will cause damage to the workpiece, and you just have to throw it away.

Gooseberry and Orange Jam

This recipe for gooseberry jam with the addition of orange will appeal to even the most capricious gourmets. Thin, citrus notes and a pleasant aroma will make the delicacy refined and unusual, and light acidity will give notes of freshness to the finished product. However, this is not all. The main secret of the popularity of this jam is the presence in its composition of walnuts. It is he who makes the delicacy spicy and gives the taste of uniqueness.

To make jam according to this recipe you will need such components:

• 1 kg of gooseberries.
• 1 kg of granulated sugar.
• 2 large oranges.
• 400 g of walnuts.

The preparation of this gooseberry jam consists of the following steps:

1. Rinse gooseberries under running, cold water. Trim the tail from each berry and wash them again.
2. Remember to carefully inspect gooseberries. Berries with signs of spoilage should be thrown out. Their presence will spoil the taste and quality of the finished treat.
3. Start preparing oranges. Wash them in clean water and peel the peel from each citrus.
4. Grind the peel of citrus on a fine grater, and cut the pulp in any convenient way.
5. Grind the walnuts. To do this, you can use a rolling pin or a special pusher.
6. After all the ingredients have been prepared, twist them in a meat grinder and mix thoroughly.
7. Pour the resulting mixture with the indicated amount of sugar, mix well and put on medium heat. Bring the mass to a boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
8. After boiling, boil the workpiece for another 2-3 minutes and remove from heat. During this time, gooseberries and orange have time to let the juice go, and the sugar is completely dissolved.

The jam is done. Pour it into the jars prepared in advance, and roll up the lids.

Jam according to this recipe can be used as an independent delicacy or used as a filling for baking or cottage cheese desserts prepared at home.

Gooseberry jam with nuts

Making preserves with this recipe can take a lot of time. However, having tasted it, each housewife will understand that the result was worth the effort.

Before you start cooking, prepare:

• 0.5 kg of gooseberries.
• 1 kg of sugar.
• 300-350 g of walnuts.
• 500 ml of purified water.
• A little star anise.

Cooking:

1. Remove the stalk from each gooseberry, then rinse it thoroughly in a bowl of cool water. Repeat the procedure if necessary.
2. Put clean berries on a towel or piece of cloth that absorbs moisture well and allow to dry a little.
3. After the gooseberries dry out, proceed to remove the seeds. Cut each berry with a sharp knife and carefully remove the seeds. This can be done with an ordinary hairpin or a small wire.
4. Set gooseberries aside and start processing walnuts. Peel the kernel and break the nuts into small pieces.
5. The next stage of preparation can be called the most difficult, but you can not skip it. Place one small piece of nut in each of the gooseberries. Try to do this as carefully as possible so as not to disturb the integrity of the berries.
6. After the nuts are inside the gooseberries, start cooking sugar syrup. Mix sugar and water in the indicated amounts, mix well and place the resulting mixture on the stove. Bring the syrup to a boil over low heat, remembering to stir it with a wooden spoon. When the syrup boils, and the sugar has completely dissolved, remove it from the heat.
7. Gooseberries stuffed with walnuts, put in a container that is suitable for cooking jam, and pour sugar syrup. Leave the workpiece for 12 hours in a dark and cool place. It can be a refrigerator or a cool pantry.
8. After the specified time period, put the pan with jam on the stove, add star anise to it and bring the workpiece to a boil over medium heat.
9. When the jam begins to boil, remove the star anise from it, boil another 10-12 minutes.
10. Gooseberry and walnut jam is ready. It remains only to pour it into half-liter, sterilized banks and cork with lids.

Quick recipe

It is difficult to find a hostess who at least once did not want to reduce the time to prepare this or that dish. If you are going to cook gooseberry jam and suddenly realize that you are experiencing such a desire right now, then pay attention to this recipe. Having decided to cook gooseberry jam on it, you can minimize the cooking time. In this case, the result will exceed all expectations!

Starting to prepare gooseberry jam for a quick recipe, take the following components:

• 600 g of gooseberries.
• 500 g of sugar.
• 100 ml of purified water.

The preparation of five-minute jam consists of several stages:

1. Prepare gooseberries by peeling the stalk and rinsing in clean, cool water. In order not to crush the berries, use a deep colander.
2. Put the gooseberries in a suitable bowl and pour 250 g of sugar into it.
3. Put the workpiece in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours and rest a bit. During this time, gooseberries will start juice in which most of the sugar will dissolve.
4. After 2-3 hours, pour the workpiece into a container prepared for cooking, add the indicated amount of water to the berries and put on low heat.
5. Bring the jam to a boil without increasing the heat, and add the remaining amount of granulated sugar. Mix the berries thoroughly, being careful not to damage them.
6. Boil the mass for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.

Gooseberry jam is ready. All that remains to be done is to pour it into the cans and roll it up with lids.

Gooseberry jam can be consumed immediately after its preparation. It will be a wonderful delicacy during evening or morning tea drinking and will delight you with its exquisite taste and sophisticated aroma of each household.

Jam storage rules

Having prepared a large amount of gooseberry jam, you should understand how to properly store it. So that the taste and useful properties of the goodies do not change, follow a few simple rules:

1. Temperature condition. The temperature in the room in which the jam is stored should not exceed the mark of 20 degrees Celsius. Failure to do so will result in acidification of the goodies. Please note that too low temperatures can also negatively affect the quality of the jam. If the air temperature is kept below 5 degrees Celsius, the jam may be sugared. Moreover, in some cases, not only the consistency of the finished product changes, but also its aroma, and even taste, which indicates the inadmissibility of its use.
2. Lack of light. Direct sunlight can cause damage to goodies. That is why it is recommended to store jam in the cellar or pantry. Light rarely penetrates into these places.
3. The right neighborhood. When storing open jam, contact with sharp, unpleasant odors should be limited. So, for example, jam, which stood next to the fish for several days, will be simply impossible to eat.

Jam, during storage of which all recommendations are observed, is considered suitable for use within 24 months. Remember - high temperatures or exposure to direct sunlight can reduce the shelf life of a treat by several times and lead to its quick spoilage. If you find an unpleasant odor, an uncharacteristic taste, or other signs of damage to the product, refuse to use it. The consumption of such jam can cause intestinal poisoning, which will require outpatient treatment.

Interesting facts about gooseberries

Gooseberries are considered one of the most popular berries. Bushes of this plant are found, if not on every, then on every second cottage and garden plot. Even without special care, the plant produces a large number of berries every year, which in turn are widely used not only in cooking, but also in folk medicine. And if all experienced housewives know about the beneficial properties and methods of using gooseberries, then only a few facts are known:

1. The English call gooseberries "goose berry", Belarusians - "agrest", and in modern Germany the name of this plant sounds like "Christ of thorns."
2. Gooseberries are closely related to currants.
3. In ancient times, gooseberries were known only to residents of European countries. It was on their territory that this plant grew in the wild, and in huge quantities.
4. Gooseberries were cultivated only in the 13th century. The French did it.
5. In France, gooseberries were used not only for the preparation of sweet dishes. It can often be seen in soups or sauces.
6. Holland and Germany only learned about gooseberries in the 17th century.
7. Gooseberries are a leader among berries in calorie content. Its calorie content is 44 calories per 100 g.
8. In an unripe form, gooseberries are able to protect the human body from exposure to radiation.

If you have not had time to try gooseberry jam, then do not waste a minute. Choose one of the suggested recipes, start cooking goodies and enjoy its unforgettable taste. Believe me: once you feel it, you will not be able to refuse this unique product!