Gooseberry jam

I bought some gooseberries the other day just to try them out. The Samascott Orchards employee at the Inwood Greenmarket told me most people eat gooseberries or make jam. The gooseberries taste sweet and tart, and have the texture of grapes. The employee said the berries have a lot of pectin, meaning the berries gel and thicken very easily if you make jam.


I love the jam. I've been slathering it on cream scones and eating them every day. (I made the scones using a recipe from Savory Sweet Life at this link.)

Ever since I made homemade jam a year ago, I've stopped buying it at the grocery store. I like that feeling of self-sufficiency when I make my own jam.


Gooseberry jam
Yield: roughly less than a pint
1 pint gooseberries
1.5 cups sugar, or to taste
half a lemon
several mint leaves
Mason glass jar pint size

Fill a large pot with water. Place a plate in the bottom of the pot---face up--- and submerge a glass jar, the lid and screw top. Bring to a boil and sterilize the jar for about 10 minutes. (The plate prevents the jar from shattering if the bottom of the pot gets too hot.)

While the water is being heated, wash gooseberries and pinch off stems. Mix berries, sugar and juice of half a lemon in a saucepan. (If you prefer less sugar, adjust the amount.) As the berries cook, mash them. Cook for about 10 minutes. Take off heat and infuse the jam with mint leaves for a few minutes. Then discard the mint.

Fill the sterilized jar with the jam. Screw the top, but not super tight. Place back in the water bath. Bring to a boil and sterilize for 10 minutes. Remove the jar and let cool before placing it in the refrigerator.

The jar is sealed if the lid is lowered in the middle. The lid will pop when you open the jar. Enjoy the jam right away, or save for later.

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