Gooseberries! When is the last time you guys saw or ATE a gooseberry? The old standard of my childhood, something once grown in every grandmother's garden, the gooseberry has all but disappeared from modern gardens, but oh how I remember that puckery super tart little gem growing in my grandmother's backyard. Growing up it was common to see gooseberries in those little green plastic square baskets like cherry tomatoes used to be sold in, for sale in every grocery store and local fruit market, but now, if you're lucky, you might find some at a farmers' market.
Well, since being inspired by a pie recipe I came across over the cold winter months, I have been on a quest to find these tasty little memories and create something new and "totally me" and you can't get more ME than a boozy jam. The hunt has finally paid off- gooseberries at the farmers' market in Stuart. The hunt for this delicious little tidbit has also unearthed a fascinating discovery- the wild gooseberry. Even better, apparently the woods surrounding the Little Lake House is just teeming with them. After The Chef's recent battle with a tick, we are a little reluctant to go scampering into the woods. Luckily, the gentleman at the farmers' market is NOT so he can do the hunting and I will gladly pay him.
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| The lovely gooseberry |
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| Beautiful red gooseberries |
I love fruit combinations when making jams. Many times I will find myself with a little bit of this fruit, and a half cup of these berries in the freezer, maybe half a bag of some other fruit- not enough of any one to make a single fruit recipe but enough combined fruits for an interesting flavor combo, and adding a boozy kick is right up my alley. Adding liquor to jams and sauces really ups the flavor impact and the alcohol cooks off so you don't have to worry about catching a buzz with your eggs and bacon. I have decided to pair my gooseberries with one of my very favorite berries, the blueberry. To me it just seemed like a natural combination- like peas and carrots! Similar in size, they will cook uniformly and won't required any chopping beforehand- easy peasy in the pot they go. Because I have added alcohol I won't want to use pectin in this recipe. Instead I'll use the "old fashioned plate test" to see when the jam has reached the jelling point. Don't worry- it's super easy and you may never go back to using pectin.
So let's get started with this crazy boozy jam I am going to call Kinky Blue Goose Jam. You will need:
- 6 cups fresh blueberries
- 4 cups fresh gooseberries
- 7 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup Kinky Blue liqueur
- zest of one lime
Place a small plate in the freezer. In a very large stockpot, slightly crush the berries. Mix in the Kinky, sugar and zest. Bring to a full rolling boil. Reduce heat and cook, stirring frequently, about 30-35 minutes. At this time, remove the plate from the freezer. Place a couple drops of jam on the plate and tilt. If the jam is firm and doesn't run, it's ready to jar. If it's too thin, continue cooking, checking every 5-10 minutes. When ready, remove from heat. Skim off foam if needed and ladle into hot jars. Adjust lids and rings and process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes (pints and half pints).
**You can omit the liqueur if you don't want to use alcohol.
Interestingly, the gooseberries I purchased from the farmers' market were a mixture- half cultivated gooseberries from bushes in the garden, and half from the wild, and were a nice mix of green and red gooseberries. Combined with the blueberries, the color of the jam is so beautiful and rich.
Every year it seems like I send up making way more jams than we reasonably need, but that's not a bad thing. It gives me something to give away as a last minute gift and something to swap with other canners. It's also a fun way to experiment with flavors, and create something totally unique.
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| It's hard to see in the picture but the gooseberries are easily seen in the jam |
***Berry pics from WikipediaCommons
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