Simple recipes for making gooseberry jelly for the winter
With the onset of summer, housewives begin to sweet fruit preparations for the winter. This is a jam or jam made from cherries, strawberries, currants, apricots, apples or other berries. Sometimes you want to move away from the usual dishes and cook something new. Jelly from gooseberry berries prepared according to different recipes will help to 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. Preservation preparation does not take much time. And there are no special rules that will be beyond the strength 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 making gooseberry jelly for the winter
Jam and jelly are two types of harvesting berries for the winter, which should not be confused. The sweetness is often called jam because it has a thick consistency. The presence of individual berries will only make it more interesting. In addition, this feature is popular with chefs and those for whom they cook.
To make gooseberry jelly, cooking must go through several stages. The heat treatment is changed several times by complete cooling. As a result, the mass is slightly less than at the initial stage of cooking. In order not to spoil the taste of the jelly, remove the foam during cooking and cook over low heat.
Product selection and preparation
Green gooseberries are different from other berries. Compotes are prepared from it, jam or frozen. 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 the jelly work, you must adhere to a number of rules:
- Using unripe berries adds a sour note to the mass. 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.
- With the help of scissors, remove the dry corolla and green stalk.
- In order for the gooseberry not to lose its taste and aroma, it is set off with various ingredients. It can be other fruits and berries with sourness.
Strong spices are not recommended in order not to upset the flavor balance. You can also make from red and black gooseberries. The variety is the last thing to think about. Gooseberries must be ripe so that they contain a large amount of vitamins and other nutrients.
How to make gooseberry jelly at home
Gooseberry blanks for the winter at home is a process that even a beginner can handle, without missing a single nuance during cooking. There are many recipes for cooking. The preparation method affects the taste. The jam contains classic ingredients - water, berries and sugar, as well as spices and seasonings - cinnamon, cloves, mint and more.
Without cooking
To preserve the taste of berries and a unique aroma, you can do without boiling. The absence of heat treatment also guarantees an almost complete composition of nutrients. To make jelly, you 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 gnats, dust and dirt, gooseberries are soaked in water. After selection of 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 mass is left for 10 hours to completely dissolve the sugar, stirring no more than 1 time per hour. As soon as the jelly resembles a uniform consistency, it is laid out in 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
For better thickening of 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 is odorless and tasteless. How to use it is indicated in the step-by-step instructions on the back of the package. But when cooking gooseberry jelly, it is added after boiling to a warm mass.
With orange
For good storage of the jelly, a large amount of sugar is added during cooking. Despite this, not everyone likes overly sweet foods. To remove excess sweetness, while not reducing the amount of sugar, you need to cook the dessert with an 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 its density to be even more. To achieve the desired result, you have to use a trick - add gelatin. Under the influence of this substance, the jelly hardens well and gets the necessary consistency. Before adding gelatin, the mass is boiled and allowed to cool slightly. Then it is boiled with a portion of gelatin, after which it is rolled into jars.
Through a juicer
This device is necessary to obtain the juice from which the jelly is made. During processing, the berries are separated from the peel and grains. It turns out only a liquid with a small amount of pulp. To make the juice more liquid, it is passed through the juicer several more times.
In a multicooker
You can make gooseberry jelly for the winter using a multicooker. Some models provide the function "Jam", which makes the process of cooking easier for housewives. To do this, pour chopped berries or juice into a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. After cooking, the finished mass is poured into cans and rolled up.
With red currant
Certain varieties of gooseberries lose a barely noticeable taste during the cooking process, and the color becomes cloudy. In this case, it is recommended to combine berries with other ingredients. The jelly acquires a bright color and sourness after adding red currants. During the cooking process, a few currant berries are added to the juice, which makes it even more interesting.
Through a meat grinder
This device is available in the kitchen of every housewife, and when making 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 gooseberry will have time to give off the juice, and the sugar practically dissolves. After that, they start cooking to bring the mass to readiness.
With mint
Gooseberries may lose their flavor during the cooking process, since they are very subtle and the aroma is barely perceptible. In this matter, mint will come to the rescue. Just a few leaves will make the jelly fresh and flavorful. The jam is tasty and fresh, which is so necessary on cold winter evenings.
With lemon
The gooseberry flavor is devoid of excessive acidity and sweetness. It is tender and becomes too sweet during cooking after adding sugar. Lemon will help remove sweetness and add sour notes to the jelly-like mass. Gooseberry jelly with lemon has an unusual taste that will definitely please not only the household, but also the guests. It also brightens the jam, which is nice too.
Seedless
The gooseberry berry is covered with a skin that retains the delicate pulp and barely visible seeds. To get a pitted and skinless jelly mass, use various devices - a juicer, cheesecloth or a sieve. You can grind the berries with a meat grinder, and then use gauze. Lightweight fabric, gathered in several layers, will prevent seeds from entering the jelly.
How much and how is jelly stored
The raw dessert is kept in the refrigerator door. The allowable period is 12 months. If gooseberry jelly has passed the cooking process, you can store it in the basement, pantry or cellar. The storage duration depends on the amount of sugar. It is not recommended that jars of gooseberries be kept in a cellar or other room for more than 2 years.
