Gooseberry jam

I'd forgotten just how hideous picking gooseberries is - our giant bush has very prickly thorns.

This makes about 2.5 normal-sized jars of jam - perfect for putting two in the cupboard, and starting one right away. It's definitely on the sweet side. You'll need:

650g gooseberries (topped and tailed)
900g sugar
300 ml water

Stick the gooseberries and water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently until the skins have gone soft and the gooseberries are reduced to a gloopy pulp (this should take about half an hour). Add the sugar and stir, until it's all dissolved. Bring the jam quickly to the boil, and then boil rapidly for about 10 minutes - you really need to stir it well.

Pop a plate in the fridge or freezer, and drop a tiny amount of the mixture onto it. If it wrinkles when you push your finger across it, you've reached setting point. Beware - don't boil this jam for too long, as gooseberries contain a lot of pectin. I made that mistake, and my jam is (a) very dense and (b) very stiff!

Decant into some sterilised jamjars, and leave to cool.

(You can sterilise jamjars by washing with hot soapy water, and then drying out in the oven on a low heat. Using warm jars also stops the glass from cracking when you pour the boiling hot jam in.).