This was a bit of an accident to be honest, though I suspect someone has written about it before. I was making gooseberry jam and needing to make up the weight added a couple of handfuls of handy home grown rasps. Perfect addition as it turned the pink jam a brilliant jewel like red.
Ingredients:
900g Gooseberries
100g Raspberries
400ml water or elderflower cordial if you have it
1kg Sugar (ordinary sugar)
juice of 1 lemon
Method:
Top and tail gooseberries, place in a pan with 400ml water/cordial and lemon juice bring gently to the boil and simmer for 10 mins. Or until gooseberries start to lose their shape and go pulpy. At this moment put 2 saucers in the feezer for later. Add the rasps and boil for a further 5 mins. Once the fruit has gone soft reduce the heat and add in the sugar and stir gently until it has all dissolved. One it has all dissolved and NOT BEFORE bring it to a rolling boil for 10 mins. At this point put your clean jam jars into the oven on a low heat. Once you hit 10 mins take the jam off the heat and a chilled saucer out of the freezer and start testing for the set. Spoon a little jam onto the saucer leave for about a minute, I put mine in the fridge for this minute, then push your finger through the jam, if it wrinkles then it’s done! If not return jam to the heat and keep boiling and try again in 5 mins. I rinse the plate and return it to the freezer. It usually takes me about 15-20 mins at this final boil stage but it all depends on how much pectin your fruit has so it’s not an exact science.
As soon as you have reached set point, add a small knob of butter. It dissolves any residue on the jam, Pam the Jam tip from River Cottage. Remove your jars from the oven and bottle your jam immediately. Lids on asap and screw them tightly shut.
It’s delicious with Scones and cream, on ice cream or just your morning toast.
