Gooseberries



Pulping the gooseberries with a whizzer. Not recommended by purist winemakers but fine if you stick it through a muslin bag (see right-hand photo).



On closer inspection, the rest of the gooseberries were not so small or tough. In fact, many were big, plump and juicy so the wine should be excellent. With wine making, I never, ever bother taking off the tops and tails. All the leaves and sticks go in and it never seems to make any difference to the flavour. I'm sure wine purists would disapprove, but I'm all up for shortcuts! 

The jam turned out really well; the perfect colour and flavour. The sun is still shining so I'll finish picking the small scraggy gooseberries for the wine.





Twelve jars of gooseberry jam

I have just picked 6lb of gooseberries from three bushes and only picked the big fat juicy ones for the jam. Small scraggy ones will go into the wine. It is a massive chore washing and trimming the tops and tails of 6lb of gooseberries. 

It is a bright and breezy Sunday morning and time to tackle the gooseberries. With around twenty gooseberry bushes in the garden, there will be plenty to make jam and wine. Gooseberries make a delectable champagne style drink and if you cork it before it has finished you will get the fizz for authenticity! We have a few red gooseberry bushes and this fruit will go into the jam to ensure the colour is more ruby than emerald.