Delicious strawberry and gooseberry jam
I love this time of year, with so much growing and ripening in the garden. One of my absolute favourite things to to to preserve the fruits that we grow is to make jam. This recipe, for strawberry and gooseberry jam, only uses 4 ingredients and is absolutely delicious. It’s quick and very simple to make and will last for up to a year once it’s made. Not that ours ever lasts that long.
Ingredients
1kg Strawberries , Small and firm, stalks and leaves removed
1kg Gooseberries , Topped and tailed
2kg Sugar, White granulated
Juice of a Lemon
Method
Wash your jars and put into a low oven 50-100 deg C to dry and sterilise. Hull the strawberries and cut any large fruit in half. Top and tail the gooseberries using small scissors.
Put the strawberries and gooseberries into a preserving pan with the lemon juice and set over a low heat to gently cook the fruits, stirring often to prevent sticking. When softened, take off of the heat and stir in the sugar to dissolve as much as possible.
Put back onto the heat and increase to bring the contents to a fast boil. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Cook for around 5 minutes then test for a set on a cold saucer. Turn off heat, pour a small amount on the saucer and leave for 2-3 minutes to cool. If the surface crinkles up when pushed with your finger the jam is ready. If no set yet place back on the heat and repeat after around 5 minutes extra boiling.
Pour into the warm jars, right to the top, and seal immediately. This jam will keep for at least a year and there is no need to refrigerate either before or after opening.
