Gooseberry Sauce Recipes

GOOSEBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Remove blossom and stem ends from gooseberries. Force berries through food mill. Measure 4 cups of the berry mash into a large pot. Stir in the sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in pectin at once. Skim off any foam with a large metal spoon.
• Sterilize jars and lids in boiling water for at least 10 minutes. Take turns with skimming foam, and stirring the berry mixture for 5 minutes to let it cool slightly. Ladle into hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
• Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

GOOSEBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Place a few small plates in the freezer. Put gooseberries and 1/4 cup water into a medium saucepan. Cover, and cook over medium heat, stirring halfway through, until berries are just beginning to soften, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in sugar, and mash berries against side of pan with the spoon. Cook, uncovered, stirring more frequently as jam thickens, until it is bubbling rapidly and the consistency of very loose jelly, about 30 minutes, skimming any foam that rises to surface. Remove from heat.
• Perform a gel test: Remove a plate from freezer, and drop a spoonful of jam on it. Return to freezer for 1 to 2 minutes, then nudge edge of jam with a finger. If jam is ready, it should hold its shape. If jam is too thin and spreads out, return to a boil, testing every minute, until done.
• Return jam to a boil before transferring to a jar. To seal and process, fill 3 hot, sterilized 4-ounce jars with hot jam, leaving 1/4 inch space in each jars neck. Wipe rims of jars with a clean, damp cloth; cover tightly with sterilized lids and screw tops. Transfer jars, using tongs or a jar clamp, to the rack of a large canning pot filled with hot water, being sure to keep jars upright at all times; cover with water by 2 inches. (Jars should be spaced 1 inch apart, and should not touch sides of pot.) Cover; bring to a boil. Process jars in gently boiling water for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool 24 hours. Press down on each lid. If lid pops back, it is not sealed; refrigerate unsealed jars immediately, and use within 1 month.

GOOSEBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Drain gooseberries, reserving the syrup.
• In a small saucepan combine gooseberry syrup, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, cloves (if using) & salt, cooking & stirring constantly, 4 to 5 minutes, until chickened & glossy.
• Stir in gooseberries & heat through, 1 to 2 minutes, then serve warm with meat or poultry, as a spread (great on bagels & whole wheat toast), or . . . !

GOOSEBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare gooseberries by using scissors to snip each end. Rinse to remove dirt and debris.
• Transfer berries to a pot and add onion, sugar, and enough water just to cover. Cover and cook gently over medium heat until soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust level of sweetness. Remove from heat and transfer carefully to the bowl of a food processor or blender.
• Puree the mixture. Serve sauce warm or cold.

ROAST PORK WITH GOOSEBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Stab meat here and there with a small skewer or knife. Set on a large sheet of parchment or waxed paper. Grind salt, peppercorns, bay leaf, allspice and fennel seeds together in a spice grinder. Pour powder into a dish, and stir in garlic and brown sugar. Rub spice mixture evenly over pork. Enclose in paper, then wrap in foil. Refrigerate 1 to 2 days.
• When ready to cook, preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• In a flameproof casserole large enough to hold meat and bones, heat peanut oil; brown bones on all sides, then set aside and reserve. Meanwhile, discard paper and foil; tie meat to form a neat cylinder. Pat roast dry, and then brown well on all sides. Pour off fat, then return bones to pan with meat. Cover and set in center of oven. Roast until a meat thermometer placed in the center of the roast measures 170 degrees; test at 1 hour. When meat is cooked through, transfer to a cutting board, cover with foil and set aside. Discard bones.
• Skim fat from pan juices, which should measure about 1/2 to 3/4 cup. Add gooseberries and 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar to pan. Simmer, mashing berries as they change color and soften to a thick, creamy puree -about 5 to 7 minutes. Add remaining sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Slice meat, and arrange on a bed of watercress. Serve hot sauce alongside.

STICKY GOOSEBERRY SAUCE FOR THE SOUL

Steps:

• Put all ingredients in a small saucepan and turn hotplate onto its highest heat.
• Use a fork or potato masher to squish down on gooseberries. Keep doing this occasionally until the mixture comes to the boil. (We do not want the gooseberries to be completely pulverised, but we do want to help release their flavour, and help the skins to cook down/soften).
• When the mixture has come to the boil, turn the hotplate down by half. Continue stirring occasionally so as to prevent burning.
• Keep it on this heat for 5 minutes, before turning down by half again. Leave it on this heat for 5 minutes, continuing to stir occasionally.
• Turn it down by half again, letting it gently simmer for an additional 10 minutes, stirring now and then to make sure it is cooking down appropriately. When the skins of the gooseberries appear translucent - similar to the appearance of the skins of glace cherries - and the liquid has reduced and appears to be sticky/coat the back of a spoon, take saucepan off the heat.
• Spoon mixture into a small, clean glass jar.
• Attach lid of jar, screwing it on tight. Carefully tip the jar upside down so the scorching hot jam creates a natural heat seal (effectively sterilizing top of jar/lid).
• Allow to cool for 20 mins, then open jar and spoon compote over dessert of your choice.
• Re-seal jar and refrigerate for future use.