Gooseberries

The most expensive jam I make is gooseberry.  I buy the berries locally for $2.50 lb.  I did try to grow some at one point, but wasn't very successful.  Since I don't spray, there were a lot of wormy berries, and since I never seemed to get around to pruning them, the bushes were a thorny bushy mess, with actually not a lot of berries on them.  So in the end, it was just easier to buy them.  I did go and U-pick them once, and saved a bit of money, but spent time of course, and time is money....and those bushes have such big wicked thorns on them, that the first time was the last time.

And every gooseberry has both a stem and a dead blossom that has to be picked off.  I use a sharp paring knife to remove them.  It can take about an hour to clean up enough berries (8-9 cups solidly packed) for a batch of jam.  I'm always happy when the berries are quite large.  This year, unfortunately, there seemed to be an awful lot of small berries, which of course means more to be 'top and tailed' to get those 8 or 9 cups.

If you've never tried gooseberry jam though, you really should.  It has a wonderful tart flavour.  We only ever eat the last bit in the pot that isn't enough to fill up another jar, it's too expensive in time and money otherwise:)