11 Best Recipes for Making Raw Gooseberry Jam for the Winter Without Cooking

Gooseberries can be either cooked or preserved raw for the winter. The latter method preserves the maximum amount of nutrients, as it's not subjected to heat treatment. The recipe for raw gooseberry jam is simple and doesn't take much time. To vary the flavor, you can add additional ingredients.

Benefits of Making Raw Gooseberry Jam

Raw jam means that the berries are not subjected to heat treatment, therefore they retain the maximum amount of nutrients: ascorbic acid, B vitamins, and minerals.

Jam prepared raw is extremely beneficial for the body and is recommended for supporting the immune system, alleviating the symptoms of viral and cold illnesses, normalizing digestive function, and strengthening blood vessels. It is used to treat high blood pressure, hormonal imbalances, gastritis with low acidity, and anemia.

Selecting and preparing berries

For preparation, use slightly unripe berries with strong and elastic skin.

Gooseberries are a rich source of pectin, which gives the product viscosity without cooking or adding thickeners.

The pits must be removed from the selected and washed fruits: cut off the stems with part of the skin, and use the end of a knife or other sharp object to remove each pit from the pulp.

It is advisable to pierce the skin in several places with a toothpick or a clean needle so that the sugar is better absorbed into the pulp.

What kind of container is suitable?

Take regular glass jars. Wash them and their lids with hot, soapy water. Then sterilize them using any method: place them in a pot of boiling water or in the oven at 150°C for 20 minutes.

Sterilize the lids in boiling water for about 3 minutes. After turning off the heat, keep them in the water for another 10 minutes.

Delicious cold jam recipes

Raw jam is the easiest way to preserve gooseberries for the winter. If desired, you can vary the flavor by adding a variety of ingredients.

Traditional cooking method

For preparation take:

• 1 kg of gooseberries;
• 1 kg of sugar.

Prepare as follows:

1. Wash the berries with the stems and seeds removed and grind them using a meat grinder or blender.
2. The berry mixture is poured into a deep container, covered with sugar, and mixed.
3. Place in the refrigerator for 3 hours to dissolve the sugar.
4. After the sweetener has dissolved, pour the jam into prepared jars, cover with a thick layer of sugar to prevent pathogenic bacteria, and seal with plastic lids.

A fragrant treat with lemon

Lemon is added to gooseberries not only to enhance the flavor but also to enrich them with vitamins. This jam is effective in combating vitamin deficiency, strengthening blood vessels, and improving metabolism.

For every kilogram of berries, use two small lemons. Wash the citrus fruits thoroughly and cut into wedges without peeling them. Remove the seeds. Then grind the lemon wedges and gooseberries together in a meat grinder.

With orange

Jam can be made with oranges using the same principle as with lemons. The dessert turns out thick because the orange peel gels when combined with sugar.

The product strengthens the immune system and normalizes cholesterol levels in the blood.

With cherries

Cherries are usually added to raw red gooseberry jamThe ratio of cherries to gooseberries should be 2:1. To make the dessert, wash the cherries, cut them in half, and remove the pits.

With bananas

A delicious jam is made by combining gooseberries and bananas. The banana pulp is mashed to a paste-like consistency and added to the crushed and sugar-coated berries.

Gooseberry puree with sugar

This dessert version isn't meant to be stored; it's eaten immediately. The berry pulp is mashed until smooth and sprinkled with sugar. Leave it on the counter until the sweetener is completely dissolved, stirring occasionally. This makes a fragrant, vitamin-rich jam to go with your tea.

No-Cook Black Gooseberry Jam Recipe

This recipe is called "Imperial." It's based on a fragrant syrup.

For preparation:

• pour water into a bowl, add sugar, and cook until thickened;
• aromatic mint and currant leaves are added to the syrup;
• pour in the gooseberries, turn off the heat, and leave to infuse for a couple of hours;
• remove the leaves, bring to a boil, and cook for about 5 minutes.

Cold green gooseberry jam

A wide variety of ingredients can be added to a dessert made from green gooseberries:

• a mixture of orange and lemon pulp with zest;
• black currant berries;
• a mixture of orange and banana pulp;
• a mixture of orange and kiwi;
• raspberries;
• orange with cinnamon.

With honey

Sugar in jam can be replaced with natural honey. Use 500 g of honey per 1 kg of gooseberries. It's a good idea to add chopped walnuts to the sweetener before mixing with the berry mixture to enrich the flavor.

Emerald jam

The jam acquires a beautiful emerald color and incredible aroma if made using cherry broth.

Take 50 washed cherry leaves, add 3 cups of water, bring to a boil, and pour the resulting infusion over the cherries. After cooling, refrigerate for 6-8 hours. Then prepare the jam according to the classic recipe.

An unusual recipe with kiwi

A jam combining gooseberries and kiwis has an emerald color and a pleasant flavor. Peel the kiwis, mash the pulp into a pulp, and add it to the berries. A little vanilla can be added.

Shelf life and storage conditions

Raw jam is much healthier, but its shelf life is short. Store the dessert in the refrigerator for no more than six months. You can keep it at room temperature, but then the shelf life is reduced to several weeks.