With the onset of summer, housewives begin making sweet fruit preparations for the winter. This is jam or jam made from cherries, strawberries, currants, apricots, apples or other berries. Sometimes you want to move away from your usual dishes and cook something new. Gooseberry jelly prepared according to different recipes will help diversify the assortment on the shelves, in the cellar or pantry.
This dessert has a delicate and weightless structure and retains a light berry flavor. Preparing the preserves does not take much time. And there are no special rules that will be beyond the control of the hostess. All that is required is to follow certain nuances so that gooseberry jelly becomes a regular guest on the table.
Features of preparing gooseberry jelly for the winter
Jam and jelly are two types of preparing berries for the winter, which should not be confused. The sweetness is often called jam, as it has a thick consistency. The presence of individual berries will only make it more interesting. In addition, this feature is liked by chefs and those for whom they cook.
To prepare gooseberry jelly, cooking must take place in several stages. The heat treatment is changed several times by complete cooling. As a result, the mass turns out to be slightly less than at the initial stage of preparation. In order not to spoil the taste of the jelly, during cooking you should remove the foam and cook over low heat.
Product selection and preparation
Green gooseberries are different from other berries. It is used to make compotes, jam or freeze it. It is suitable for fresh consumption. The most suitable way is to prepare gooseberries in the form of jelly. This option practically does not change the structure of the berry.
To make jelly, you must adhere to a number of rules:
- Using unripe berries adds a sour note to the mixture. In this case, add a little more sugar or honey depending on the recipe.
- Spoiled berries - damaged or with a cloudy film - are not suitable for jelly.
- Using scissors, remove the dry corolla and green stalk.
- To ensure that gooseberries do not lose their taste and aroma, they are enhanced with various ingredients. These can be other fruits and berries with sourness.
Strong spices are not recommended so as not to upset the flavor balance. You can also make it from red and black gooseberries. The variety is the last thing you need to think about. Gooseberries must be ripe so that they contain a large amount of vitamins and other useful substances.
How to make gooseberry jelly at home
Preparing gooseberries for the winter at home is a process that even a beginner can handle without missing a single nuance during preparation. There are a lot of recipes for cooking. The cooking method affects the taste. The jam contains classic ingredients - water, berries and sugar, as well as spices and seasonings - cinnamon, cloves, mint and more.
No cooking
To preserve the taste of the berries and their unique aroma, you can do without cooking. The absence of heat treatment also guarantees an almost complete composition of nutrients. To make jelly you will need the following ingredients:
- gooseberries - 1 kg;
- sugar - 1 kg.
Instead of sugar, honey is added, the taste is no worse. Without boiling, the dessert will become even thicker and healthier. To eliminate small midges, dust and dirt, gooseberries are soaked in water. After selecting the best berries, excess moisture is allowed to evaporate.
Then the fruits are crushed in any convenient way and mixed with honey or sugar in a saucepan. The mixture is left for 10 hours to completely dissolve the sugar, stirring no more than once an hour. As soon as the jelly resembles a homogeneous consistency, it is put into jars and sent to the refrigerator.
Storage containers must be sterile. If you adhere to this condition, you can extend the shelf life.
With pectin
To better thicken the jelly for the winter, you can use pectin, a thickener of natural origin.It does not affect the quality of the final product, as it has no smell or taste. How to use it is indicated in the step-by-step instructions on the back of the package. But when preparing gooseberry jelly, it is added to the warm mass after cooking.
With orange
To ensure good storage of the jelly, a large amount of sugar is added during cooking. Despite this, not everyone enjoys overly sweet foods. To remove excess sweetness without reducing the amount of sugar, you need to cook the dessert with orange. Moreover, the ingredient is used in the preparation of raw jelly. A medium-sized orange is enough for one serving.
With gelatin
Gooseberry is a berry with which you can make jelly-like jam. Sometimes you want it to be even thicker. To achieve the desired result, you have to use a trick - add gelatin. Under the influence of this substance, the jelly hardens well and obtains the necessary consistency. Before adding gelatin, boil the mixture and let it cool slightly. Then they are boiled with a portion of gelatin, after which they are rolled into jars.
Through a juicer
This device is necessary to obtain the juice from which jelly is made. During processing, the berries are separated from the peel and grains. The result is only liquid with a small amount of pulp. To make the juice more liquid, it is passed through the juicer several more times.
In a slow cooker
You can make gooseberry jelly for the winter using a slow cooker. Some models provide “Jam” functions, which makes the cooking process easier for housewives. To do this, you need to pour chopped berries or juice into a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.After cooking, the finished mass is poured into jars and rolled up.
With red currants
During cooking, certain varieties of gooseberries lose a barely noticeable taste, and the color becomes cloudy. In this case, it is recommended to combine berries with other ingredients. The jelly acquires its bright color and sourness after adding red currants. During the cooking process, several currants are added to the juice, which makes it even more interesting.
Through a meat grinder
This device is available in every housewife’s kitchen, and when preparing gooseberry jelly it simplifies the work. Using a meat grinder, the berries are crushed and covered with sugar, leaving for 3-4 hours. During this time, the gooseberries will have time to release their juice, and the sugar will practically dissolve. After this, start cooking to bring the mass to readiness.
With mint
Gooseberries may lose their taste during cooking, since it is very subtle and the aroma is barely perceptible. Mint will come to the rescue in this matter. Just a few leaves will make the jelly fresh and fragrant. The jam turns out tasty and fresh, which is so necessary on cold winter evenings.
With lemon
The taste of gooseberries is devoid of excessive acidity and sweetness. It is tender, and during the cooking process it becomes too sweet after adding sugar. Lemon will help remove the sweetness and add a sour note to the jelly-like mass. Gooseberry jelly with lemon has an unusual taste that will definitely appeal not only to your family, but also to your guests. In addition, it lightens the jam, which is also nice.
Seedless
The gooseberry berry is covered with a skin that stores tender pulp and barely noticeable seeds. To obtain a jelly mass without seeds and skin, use various devices - a juicer, gauze or a sieve. You can grind the berries using a meat grinder, and then use gauze. Light fabric, assembled in several layers, will prevent seeds from getting into the jelly.
How much and how to store jelly
The raw dessert is stored in the refrigerator door. The acceptable period is 12 months. If gooseberry jelly has gone through the cooking process, it can be stored in the basement, pantry or cellar. The duration of storage depends on the amount of sugar. It is not recommended that jars of gooseberries stand in a cellar or other room for more than 2 years.
