Extreme Knitting Redhead: Elderflower and gooseberry jam

Friday, June 29, 2012

Elderflower and gooseberry jam

Yesterday I picked my first crop of gooseberries, variety 'Leveller'.

It's only a young bush so I was very happy with a yield of 750g.

As there are still some Elderflower heads in the hedgerows I decided to make Elderflower and Gooseberry jam, which I've never tried before, as I've heard they make a good combination.

So for 750g gooseberries I had 5 heads of Elderflowers.

I topped and tailed the gooseberries, washed the Elderflowers, removed their stalks and tied them up in a piece of muslin.

I added 350ml water and the gooseberries to a heavy-bottomed pan and placed a small plate into the freezer (more on that later).

Then I tied the muslin bag of Elderflowers and placed it on top of the gooseberries, tying it to the pan handle so it was easy to remove.

I simmered the mixture for about 30 minutes by which time it had reduced by about 1/3.

Whilst it was simmering I warmed 750g sugar (just plain old granulated) and the jam jars.

I removed the pan from the heat, took out the bag of Elderflowers and squeezed the liquid back into the pan.

With the pan still off the heat, I added the warmed sugar to the mixture and stirred it over a low heat until it was dissolved completely.

Then I boiled the mixture rapidly, without stirring, for about 6 minutes, until it reached the 'jam' temperature on the thermometer.

I removed the pan from the heat whilst I tested to see if was setting.

I tested for 'set' by dropping a spoonful of the mixture onto a cold plate (I'd put it into the freezer when I started making the jam).

The first test wasn't quite ready so I boiled it for another 2 minutes.

The next test showed it was ready - I've tried to show how the mixture wrinkles when you push it with your finger.

The white ring around the mixture is the scum and should be removed before bottling.

I used a metal spoon to skim it off.

I spooned it into jam jars (I have a jam funnel which I put into the neck of the jars which makes it easy) to within .5cm of the top and sealed them with their lids.

There was just a little bit left when I'd filled the jars so I put it into a small bowl for tasting when it had cooled.

I couldn't wait to try it as the smell was absolutely amazing!

As soon as it had set I tasted it and it was wonderful. The combination works a treat.

The only thing I would change is I think that when I make it again I might use slightly fewer Elderflowers. Having said that, when spread thinly on a fruit scone, homemade of course, it was divine.

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Mum's Story

In 1997 my mother, then aged 81, had a series of minor strokes. Shortly after that we started to notice behavioural changes notably memory loss and confusion over everyday items. We thought it was just old age finally catching up with her. Then she started wandering and had violent mood swings. Although she already lived with us it became obvious that she couldn't be left alone for long and so I left my job to care for her. The next few years saw a gradual decline into the blackness that is 'vascular dementia'. My normally placid mum became violent and aggressive. She had psychotic incidents where she would see imaginary people (children hiding in her wardrobe, Russians sitting on the stairs, women stealing her clothes) and she would shout at them and sometimes throw things too. She was so convincing that we used to go and check that there wasn't anyone there! When my sister died mum did not know who Judy was or that she was her daughter. There came a point when I suddenly realised she no longer knew that I was her daughter and this was a terrible time for me. In the last 2 years that she lived with us, life for us all became almost unbearable as she needed 24 hour care - she couldn't be left alone at all because she would either wander off or hurt herself, she never slept for more than 30 minutes at a time during the night, she became incontinent and incapable of doing anything for herself. Finally my husband and I realised that we could no longer provide her with the care that she needed and she went to live in a special care home where the team did a splendid job caring for her in the last few months of her life. There she lived a zombified existence unaware of who she was, what she was or where she was. It was heartbreaking. She died in March 2005, the day after her 89th birthday.

Thank you for taking the time to read mum's story and I hope you'll dig deep and sponsor me using the link below to help find a way of beating this destructive disease.