There are various recipes for making jelly from gooseberries and black currants; the product turns out to have a rich sweet taste with sourness. It is necessary to strictly follow the rules for preparing canned food and pre-treat the containers. The choice of ingredients and the organization of proper storage of products are also important. To cope with the process, you should familiarize yourself with the nuances below.
Features of preparing gooseberry and currant jelly for the winter
The main nuance of preparing gooseberry and currant jelly is that the fruits cannot be boiled for longer than 20 minutes. Otherwise, peptide bonds will not be established and the product will remain liquid.
The mixture may thicken within 1 week. During this period, it is better not to touch the containers so that the gelling substances have time to strengthen and do not collapse. It is also recommended to use iron utensils to a minimum.
Since gooseberries contain a lot of ascorbic acid, oxidation occurs upon contact with metal, and an iron taste is possible in the jelly.
Specifics of ingredient selection
To make currant and gooseberry preserves tasty and rich, you should prepare the ingredients correctly:
- For lovers of sour taste, it is advisable to take currants and gooseberries in a slightly unripe form. If you want a sweet product, slightly overripe fruits are suitable.
- There should be no traces of rot on the berries. Specimens that are damaged, covered with spots, or have a cloudy film are rejected.
- The taste of gooseberries may not be felt in the jelly, but it is enhanced by the addition of citric acid, orange pulp or kiwi fruit.
- When removing gooseberries from the fruit stalks, it is necessary to remove the remains of the dried corolla with scissors. If we are talking about further separation of seeds and peel, obtaining juice, manipulation can be omitted.
- It is recommended to add vanilla, cardamom, and mint to currant and gooseberry jam.
- Unripe berries give the product a sour taste; you will need to add more granulated sugar to the jelly.
Any variety of currants and gooseberries is suitable for cooking; the shade is also not important.
Rules for preparing containers
The containers are pre-washed with soda, as are the lids.You can disinfect jars in any convenient way. The simplest is sterilization in an oven:
- Place clean containers on the grate of a cold oven upside down or down, it doesn’t matter.
- If the lids do not have rubber bands, they can also be placed in the oven. If they have rubber bands, boil them in boiling water for 5 minutes.
- Close the oven, setting the temperature to 100 degrees. Keep the jars for 20 minutes.
Turn off the oven, wait 5 minutes, then remove the jars. Place them upside down on a clean towel.
How to make gooseberry jelly with currants
It is recommended to cook the jelly on the day you buy or pick the berries. It is better to use enamel cookware and strictly observe the cooking time. Instead of granulated sugar, you can use honey, a sugar substitute.
Recipe with red currants
To make jelly, you will need the following products:
- 0.5 kg of both berries;
- 300 g granulated sugar;
- 250 ml water.
Place the washed and peeled fruits in a saucepan and place over low heat. Do not add water yet, as the blackcurrants will immediately begin to release juice. Heat the fruits for 5 minutes, while kneading them with a wooden spoon. Pass the resulting mixture through a juicer or sieve. Measure the amount of juice: 250 ml requires 1.5-2 cups of granulated sugar. Pour the mixture into a wide container, add sugar little by little, stirring. The process takes about 1 hour.
When the granulated sugar has dissolved, cover the jelly and leave overnight. During this period, the workpiece will begin to thicken. If the jelly has already hardened, you can melt it over low heat to pour into a container. When the workpiece is not too dense, you should melt it, add a small amount of sugar, heating it at the same time, without bringing it to a boil.Pour the warm product into containers, wait for the jelly to cool, and roll up the lids.
With black currant
Gooseberry and blackcurrant jelly is prepared using the following ingredients:
- ripe fruits - 11 cups;
- water – 250 ml;
- sugar – 0.3 kg.
Pour water into a saucepan, add currants and gooseberries, put on fire, boil for 10 minutes after bubbles appear. Remove the dishes from the heat, add granulated sugar, stir, let cool. Place the finished product in jars and roll up.
How to properly store the finished product
It is recommended to keep the preservation in a cool place where the air temperature does not exceed +20 degrees. Cans should not be exposed to sunlight.
If the storage rules are followed, the jelly remains good for 1 year.
