GOOSEBERRIES ARE READY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 127, 28 November 1941, Page 45

GOOSEBERRIES ARE READY

PRING really seems to have come at last, for gooseberries are plentiful, though rather green still. We shall have to wait a little, longer for the ripe golden "eating" gooseberries, the rather hairy kind, with a wonderful flavour, which are especially delicious when eaten straight from the bush, and picked in the sunshine! Good preserves are to be made from the green gooseberries, and here are some suggestions. Also, I had a delicious Gooseberry and Apple Pie served me at Whangarei, while on my recent tour to meet the North Island Country folk. Let me recommend this to you-the apple softens the gooseberry flavour, and it makes a scrumptious and juicy pie. We had thick raw cream with it. :

Gooseberry Jelly (with Mint) This is excellent to serve with roast mutton or hare or venison, instead of red currant jelly-and gooseberries are generally more plentiful than red currants. To 2 Ibs. of green gooseberries allow half a dozen good stalks of fresh green mint. There is no need to top and tail the gooseberries, just wash them, put them inthe preserving pan, nearly cover with cold water, and cook until soft and pulpy. Strain through a sieve, or muslin. Then bring to the boil with the mint tied in a bundle. Add cup for cup of warmed sugar, stir till well dissolved, then boil till the jelly sets when. tested, stirring frequently. Remove the mint, and bottle and seal the jelly while hot. Green Gooseberry Jam This recipe is sent by a Daisy Chain Link at Woodend. Take 3 Ibs. of gooseberries and one quart of water, and boil together for half an hour. Then add ‘5 Ibs. of sugar, bring back to the boil, and allow to boil quickly for five minutes. Bottle while hot. This jam sets beautifully and remains green. Green Gooseberry Jam No. 2 This one came from one of the Scottish Women’s Rural Institutes. Pick the gooseberries when quite green and hard. Cover them with water and boil for an hour. Then add twice as much sugar, by weight, as the berries, and then boil for about ten minutes. Be careful to take the jam off the fire before the colour changes. The jam should be quite green.

Dark Red Gooseberry Jam Here is-another original Daisy Chain recipe. Only 3 Ibs. of topped and tailed gooseberries are used, yet almost ten pounds of jam result! Put into the preserving pan 2 pints of water and 5 Ibs. of sugar. Bring to.the boil and allow to Boil for a minute or

a two, to make a good syrup. Then add the 3 Ibs. of gooseberries and boil until it will set when tested, Gooseberry Pasty This is another Daisy Chain recipe. The sender says that this is an old Yorkshire recipe of her mother’s, and that everyone remarks how nice the dish is, as the gooseberries are not tart. Make sufficient pastry to cover your oven slide twice. Roll one piece out and place it

on the slide; cover thickly with gooseberries, topped and tailed. Place the other piece of pastry on top, and pinch the edges together. Place in oven and bake till the gooseberries are soft, and the pastry cooked. Remove from the oven, and with a sharp knife, cut a lid out of the pastry, leaving about 2 inches of pastry right round the edge, to prevent the juice from running out. Now add sufficient sugar to sweeten the gooseberries-two cups or moreand mash the gooseberries and sugar together with a knife. When thoroughly mixed together, put the pastry lid back on top, and leave it on the oven slide till cold. Then you can cut it into squares and put it away. This is delicious with cream, as a sweet. Don’t stint the sugar, as it needs a lot, yet does not taste sickly. Gooseberry Fool (from Woodend) One pound of gooseberries; 1% cup cold water; 42 Ib. sugar; and 1 cup of whipped cream. Cook to a pulp the gooseberries, sugar and water. Push through an enamel colander, and when cold add the cream. If necessary, add a little spinach juice to make it look a nice colour-or a little food colour-ing-these can be obtained in the three primary colours, so that you can make any shade at all. Gooseberry Fool No. 2 Make this as above, but add a good custard made with custard powder, to the strained pulp, instead of milk or whipped cream. A little condensed milk added to the custard is extra nice, too. (Continued on next page)

(Continued from previous page) Gooseberry Chutney (Woodend) Three pounds of green gooseberries; 2 Ibs. of raisins; 2 lbs. of onions; 44 Ib. sugar; 1 oz. ground ginger; 44 teaspoon cayenne pepper (a small half teaspoon); 2 teaspoons of salt; and 1 quart of vinegar. Top and tail the gooseberries, cut the raisins small, and chop up the onions. Put them all together, and boil gently for about 3% hours, keeping well stirred. Gooseberry Chutney No. 2 Put 2 lbs. of topped and tailed gooseberries in a large preserving pan and add lb. finely chopped prunes; ¥ Ib. stoned raisins; ¥ lb. sultanas; 1 Ib. sliced onion; 2 oz. ground ginger; 2 saltspoons cayenne pepper, and 1 small teaspoon salt. Pour over all that one quart of vinegar, boil until the fruit is

pulpy, then add 1 Ib. of brown sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, put into glass jars, and cover with airtight papers. .This is a delicious chutney. Less cayenne pepper may be used, according to taste. Gooseberry and Pineapple Jam This idea was given me at my Hastings meeting. The pineapple must be a fresh one, and minced. Do not use the hard middle part. The proportions are two thirds of gooseberries to one third of pineapple. Gooseberry Mincemeat Stew % Ib. green gooseberries in a little water until tender. Mash them, and add 4 oz. raisins; %¥%2 teaspoon grated nutmeg; 1 tablespoon golden syrup; 2 oz. candied orange peel, grated; 2 oz. brown sugar; % teaspoon ‘mixed spice; and 2 oz. fine breadcrumbs. Mix well together, and use for pies, or be-

tween two crusts of pastry cut into squares. This is also splendid for boiled roly poly pudding, Gooseberry Delight (a Sweet) One pound of gooseberries; some whipped cream; 1 packet of jelly crystals; some sugar and cinnamon to taste. Top and tail the. gooseberries, and stew with 2 tablespoons of sugar, and a little powdered cinnamon. When tender, rub through a sieve and allow to cool, Place the puree in a glass dish. Now choose a red jelly, and make it according to directions, and before it is quite cold pour it over the gooseberries. When set, decorate the top with blobs of whipped cream. Gooseberry and Apple Fluff One pound of gooseberries; some sugar; 1 pint of milk; % Ib. cooking apples; 2 eggs; 1% oz. gelatine; vanilla flavouring. Trim and wipe the gooseberries, and,place in a saucepan with ‘a little water, cooking gently until tender. Add sugar to taste, and set aside till cold. 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 yolks from the whites of the eggs. Beat up the yolks with the milk, and stir over a low heat until thick, Add the soaked gelatine and sugar to taste, then fold the whisked whites into the mixture, and add the vanilla. Pour over the fruit, and allow to set.