A Berry Nordic Gooseberry Jam

Gooseberries, which are related to currants, were banned from cultivation in the U.S. until 1966 to protect white pines from a fungal disease. That's the only reason we can think of as to why these tart little fruits aren't as common and popular here as they are in Europe. Here, Mette Nielsen and Beth Dooley of the book "Savory Sweet: Simple Preserves from a Northern Kitchen" show you what to do with them.

Purchase the book:
https://www.danishmuseumstore.org/sho...

Recipe:
2 pounds gooseberries (about 7 cups)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise

Put a small plate in the freezer for the set test. With a sharp paring knife, cut off the blossom and stem ends of the gooseberries. Rinse the gooseberries well.

Combine the gooseberries, sugar, water, lemon juice, zest, and vanilla bean in a 10-inch sauté pan. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat. Simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened, about 30 minutes. Discard the vanilla bean.

Remove the pan from the heat, and do a set test by removing the plate from the freezer. Put a spoonful of hot jam onto the plate, and push the finger through the jam on the plate. It should wrinkle, rather than flooding back in to fill the gap left by your finger. If it is not thick enough, return it to the heat for a few minutes before repeating the test.

Wash the jars, lids, and bands in very hot, soapy water, rinse them well, and place them upside down on a clean towel to drain.

Spoon the jam into the jars, leaving a half inch of headroom to allow for expansion during freezing. Wipe the rims with a clean wet cloth or paper towel, add the lids and bands, and finger tighten the bands.

Label the jars. Cool completely and tighten the bands before storing the jars in the refrigerator or freezer.