Cape Gooseberry Jam - Liquid Gold

(Physalis Peruviana)

Cape Gooseberries or Ground Cherries are a fantastic end of season crop/fruit. As the Summer abundance and flavours come to an end, the Cape Gooseberries start to ripen and come into their own, offering a great source of vitamin C right when we need it, as the seasons change.

Being a less well known fruit, you normally only see them seasonally (Autumn/early Winter) in the supermarket, which is great because seasonal eating means food is likely more local, often making it healthier, fresher and therefore more nutritious. Cape gooseberries are normally sold in quite small packets in the supermarket and this recipe calls for about 3 heaped cup fulls, so a Farmers Market would probably been the best place to source them, if you don't grow them yourself.

Having gotten used to their flavour over the last few years, it dawned on me that their tartness would probably mean they are high in Pectin, which is what helps jams to set, and with their sweet fruitiness, they would make a great jam! ... I actually think they would make a great chutney too - have to work on that another day!

This jam is surprisingly fruity and chunky – truly scrumptious.

You could reduce the sugar I think, if you wanted and it would have more of a marmalade type flavour, maybe even add in some orange, if thats your preference.

It is said that jam should set when it reaches a heat of about 220 oF/104 oC at sea level, but no matter how hard I've boiled jam in the past, I never seem to get a reading this high on any thermometer i've used... and every jam i've ever made has always set! I got the first batch of this Cape Gooseberry jam up to 202 oF and it set very well, I haven't bothered checking again since, I just watch for it all to start thickening and keep it at a good simmer for a few more minutes after that, that jar it!

I'm LOVIN this jam spread thickly on chunky Sour Dough toast – a real treat!

Cape Gooseberry Jam will be a permanent fixture in our pantry from now on, I'll be making a lot more of it!

What you will need:

  • A medium/large heavy based sauce pan

  • Potato masher

  • Sterilised glass jars with good lids

  • Small Plate

Ingredients:

  • 3 x generous Cups of Cape Gooseberries or about 900g (cases removed)

  • 1 x Cup Sugar (I use organic raw cane sugar)

  • 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

  • ¼ teaspoon Vanilla Power or Essence (Optional)

Method:

Place your small plate in the freezer – You'll use this later to check if your jam is set.

Remove cases/husk from Cape Gooseberries and put them in your Sauce pan with the 2 tablespoons of Lemon Juice.

Cook over a gentle heat for about 10 mins or so, until the fruits start to pop open and release their juices.

Once the fruit has softened, use the potato masher to break up the fruit a bit more and pop any remaining berries.

Add your sugar and vanilla powder/essence if using, stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Bring the jam to a gentle boil over a medium heat, then reduce the heat slightly and keep it going on a good simmer for about 15-45 mins (depending on how juicy your fruits were). Stir occasionally.

When your jam is cooking, pop you glass jars into a warm oven, on its lowest setting, for about 20 mins to sterilise, or you can boil the jars in a big pot of water along with the lids too, if thats easier.

When you can see the liquid has thickened and reduced a bit, take your plate from the freezer and put a teaspoon of jam onto your cold plate. Leave it for a minute and then see if the jam has formed a bit of skin or set a little when you press it with your finger...

If it has, your Jam is ready to go into the hot jars, if it is still a little runny, turn the heat up just a bit, stir and cook for a few more minutes, then repeat the test.

When it seems ready, remove you hot jars from the oven or pot and fill almost to the top with your beautiful golden jam, put the lids on tight straight away and level it on the bench to set over night.

In the morning, check that your lids have sealed by pressing the top down, if the seal pops up and down, your lids have not created a good seal .. your Jam will be fine, but jars like this will not store as long, so use them first. If the centre of the lid has sucked downwards, you've got a great seal.

Wipe away any sticky drips from the jars with a clean hot cloth and label your jars clearly - I use glass pens to save the hassle of removing sticky labels … You do need to make sure the writing has dried well though before moving/storing jars, as the writing can rub off easy at first.

Enjoy your beautiful golden jam ✌️🌿