THE FIRST GOOSEBERRIES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 74, 22 November 1940, Page 52

THE FIRST GOOSEBERRIES

HE berry fruits are fast coming in-even strawberries are being sold fairly freely. Gooseberries, however, ‘are always the first of the summer fruits to be really plentiful, and cheap, and here are some suggestions for using them. Green Gooseberry Jam This was sent in as a special recipe, because the gooseberries are minced. The sender said that Gooseberry Chutney is also better made with minced berries. Seven pounds of gooseberries, 7Ib. of sugar, and 1 pint of water. Put the berries through the mincer, being careful to catch all the juice, Bring to the boil, and continue for about 45 minutes. Green Gooseberry Marmalade This one was described to me as "very delicious, and green in colour." Three pounds of+ gooseberries, 2 lemons, 5 small breakfast cups of water, and 6lb. of sugar. Shred the lemons as for marmalade, cover with two cups of boiling water, and let stand overnight. Next day, boil all together with the gooseberries and the other 3 cups of cold water for about an hour, Add sugar, and boil fairly fast for 5 to 10 minutes, no longer. Test after the first 3 minutes. Gooseberry Jam This is an Auckland recipe, and is very nice indeed. To every 1l!b. of gooseberries allow 2ib. of sugar, and 2 cups of water. Boil the fruit and water for 20 minutes, then add the sugar and boil for about 40 minutes. Bottle. Three pounds of fruit makes a lot of jam.

Gooseberry Delight One pound of gooseberries, 1 packet of jelly crystals, some whipped cream, sugar and cinnamon. Top and tail the gooseberries and stew them with two tablespoons of sugar, and a little powdered cinnamon. Do not put too much water. When tender, rub through a sieve and allow to cool. Place the puree in a glass dish. Choose a red jelly and make it according to directions, and before it is quite cold, pour over the gooseberries. When set, decorate the top with blobs of whipped cream, Gooseberry Fool One pound of green gooseberries, % pint of water, 20z. custard powder, 4oz. sugar, ¥2 pint milk. Stew the gooseberries with the sugar and water until tender. Put through a sieve and cool. Boil the milk and pour it over the custard powder mixed with a little milk, return to pan, and boil. When cool, mix with the fruit and serve in custard glasses. If preferred, cream can be used instead of custard. The cream should be whipped before added to the fruit. If raspberries or strawberries are used, they should be sieved raw and not cooked, Gooseberry and Apple Fluff One pound of gooseberries, 121b. cook- ing apples, vanilla flavouring, sugar, 2 eggs, 1 pint of milk, and Y20z. gelatine. Trim and wipe the gooseberries, and cook till tender in a saucepan with a little water. Add sugar to taste, and lay aside to cook. Peel and’ slice the apples, stew them, and pass through a sieve. Place the gooseberries in the bottom of a glass dish and pour over them the sieved apples. Separate the whites from the yolks of the eggs. Beat up the yolks with the milk and stir over a slow fire

until thick, Add the gelatine dissolved in a little water and sugar to taste. Then fold the whisked egg-whites into the mixture, and add a little vanilla. Pour over the fruit and allow to set. Baked Gooseberry Roll This is another good "family pudding." Rub 30z. of butter into 60z, of flour, and a pinch of salt, one teaspoon of baking powder, and a teaspoon of sugar. Make into a light dough with a well-beaten egg, and, if mecessary, a little milk. Put on a floured board and roll out. Top and tail llb. of goose-

berries, arrange them on the pastry, and sprinkle with sugar, a little nutmeg, and about a dessertspoon of golden syrup. Roll up, pinch the ends together, brush | over with egg, and bake in a good oven. Serve with custard or sweet sauce. Gooseberry Delight (Different) This is really delicious, served with custard. Top and tail 1lb. of gooseberries, put them in a pan, cover with water, and stew till tender. Sweeten with %lb. castor sugar. Rub through a fine sieve, and leave till cold. Whip up a small tin of condensed milk, dissolve Y2o0z. of gelatine in a little hot water, and add both these to the gooseberries. Beat up a little more and add a few drops of cochineal, Pour it into a wetted mould, and leave it to set. Children love this, and it is really quite substantial when custard is eaten with it. Spiced Gooseberries This makes a tasty preserve to eat with cold meat. Put 5lb. of green gooseberries, 141b, tomatoes and 114lb. sugar into a pan with half a pint of cold water and’ boil gently until soft. Brown sugar is best, but white will do. Add

another 144lb. of sugar, 42 pint of vine« gar, and 1 tablespoon each of ground cloves, ground ginger, and cinnamon, Boil slowly for 30 minutes, Green Mint Jelly This, too, is nice with cold meat. Wash some green gooseberries and put them in a pan, nearly cover with cold water, and cook till pulpy. Strain through a sieve. To each pint add 1\b. of sugar, add some stalks of fresh mint tied together in a bundle. Boil till it will set, then take out the mint, and bottle the jelly. Green Gooseberry Jams This is a Scottish recipe. Pull the gooseberries when quite green and hard, Cover them with water and boil for an hour. Add sugar in the proportion of double the weight of the berries, and then boil for about ten minutes. Be careful to remove from the fire before the colour changes. The jam should be quite green. Very Old Recipe This is another Scottish recipe for Green Gooseberry Jam, but this one is said to date back to the year 1789. Three pounds of unripe gooseberries, boiled with 5 breakfast cups of water for an hour. Add 6lb. of sugar and boil for 1 minute. If you do not want it too sweet, 442lb. of sugar would do.