YIELD: AROUND 4 CUPS
Golden, delicious jam and a quick favourite with my children, cape
gooseberry jam has a sweet, zippy flavour that announces spring has arrived! Cape
gooseberries (also known as Peruvian ground-cherries) grow on a bush quite
easily here in Australia, and once ripe, the berries turn yellow with a
semi-transparent, paper-textured husk/covering that is easily removed. Cape
gooseberries can be washed and frozen to make jam when you get enough fruit. Do
not use unripe (green) cape gooseberries because they are poisonous.
Ingredients for
CAPE GOOSEBERRY JAM
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Cape
Gooseberries
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1kg (husks removed), fresh or frozen (thawed)
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Water
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1/2 cup
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Lemon
Juice
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1/4 cup (fresh or bottled)
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Sugar,
White
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5 cups
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METHOD:
1. Remove husks (coverings) from fresh cape
gooseberries.
2. Weigh fruit to determine the batch yield.
2. Sterilise all equipment by washing in hot
soapy water and rinsing well before use.
3. Wash and drain fresh gooseberries (or thaw
frozen gooseberries before using).
4. Finely dice cape gooseberries – a second or
two of blending or using a food processor is helpful!
5. Combine all ingredients in a large, wide
stainless steel pot.
6. Simmer fruit mixture (uncovered) over low-medium heat
until sugar has dissolved, stirring occasionally.
7. Prepare clean, empty jars by boiling in a pot of water
for 10 minutes before filling.
8. Meanwhile, bring jam to a boil and continue boiling
uncovered until jam has set (reached gel stage):
a) Freezer Plate Method - while
you are boiling the jam, place three small saucers into the freezer. When ready
to test for gel stage, remove the jam pot from heat. Remove one saucer from the
freezer and place a spoonful of jam onto the chilled surface. Within 30 seconds,
gelled jam will thicken and develop a skin (and when you push a spoon through
the jam, it will be thick and not runny when the saucer is angled). If the jam
is still loose (runny), return jam to the stovetop and continue boiling for
around 5 minutes or until ready to test with the second saucer.
TIP: Forgotten
to put the plates into the freezer? Use a glass filled with iced water to chill
several teaspoons to check the consistency instead.
b) Temperature Method: if the fruit, sugar,
acidity and pectin in the jam mixture is balanced (ingredient ratios change
with different fruits being used), jam will set (gel) at approximately 105°C (220°F).
A sterilised stainless steel thermometer can be used to measure the temperature
accurately. This method is not accurate with low-sugar jam, because low-sugar
jams often have to be boiled for a longer period.
c) Sheeting Method: Mix jam and then lift the spoon
above the pot and angle so the jam drips back into the pot. If the jam covers
the spoon’s surface thickly and is not runny but thick jam that drops slowly,
the jam has set.
9. Soak lids in hot water (not on heat) for at
least 5 minutes before use.
10. Skim and discard foam from the surface of
the jam – this foam is delicious on bread or frozen for baking, store foam in
the refrigerator or freezer.
10. Pack hot jars with the hot jam to 0.5cm (1/4
inch) from the rim of each jar.
11. Using a non-metal utensil, remove any
bubbles and add extra jam if required.
12. Wipe rims to remove any food residue.
13. Add warm lids and twist to secure.
14. Place sealed jars into a pot of boiling
water and boil for the processing time stated below. Start the timer once the
water comes to a full boil.
15. Turn off the heat source once the time is
up. Remove jars from hot water after 5 more minutes. Cool jars overnight on a
wood or fabric surface. Do not adjust lids during this time.
16. The next day, check jars have sealed before
labelling and dating.
17. Store jars in a cool, dark and dry
place for up to 12 months. Store mason jars without bands on the jars.
18. Refrigerate jars upon opening and consume jam
within several months.
Processing Time
for CAPE GOOSEBERRY JAM in a
Boiling Water Bath
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Jar Size
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Altitude ≤ 6,000 feet
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Altitude ≥ 6,000 feet
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Hot Pack
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≤ 500ml (pints)
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10 minutes
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15 minutes
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