I was invited to pick gooseberries and red currants at a friend's place because his mom (who usually makes the jams and jellies) injured her hand and can't do it this year... so I've got a bunch of gooseberries just waiting for me to do something with them (as soon as I get over the mild sunstroke from spending three hours out there picking)...
Common consensus is that they're high in acid and pectin, don't need tannin and for wine you'd want 3 lb per gallon, I think I'd drop it to 2 lb per gallon if I made a mead with it... I think I'm going to use a couple pounds of the gooseberries for jam, but the rest of it's going to be wine or mead (haven't decided, depends on how much honey I have left after I make my twin 3-gal traditionals that I am GOING to get off the list dammit).
The red currants may end up experimental, I want to find out if not scalding them has any effect on the colour retention. That one at least IS on the list, even if the gooseberries are bumping their way to the head of the line. I probably have enough for a three-gallon batch just what I've picked this year, and I think there might be a bag or two in the freezer that I missed last time.
That said, anyone else have experience with gooseberries, jam, mead or wine? I now know that picking them is an exercise in bloodletting... I look like I had an argument with a cat... but I've never made anything with them before. If I have a few handfuls extra after jamming and fermenting, I may try them with custard... there's a name for that but I've forgotten it already.
Common consensus is that they're high in acid and pectin, don't need tannin and for wine you'd want 3 lb per gallon, I think I'd drop it to 2 lb per gallon if I made a mead with it... I think I'm going to use a couple pounds of the gooseberries for jam, but the rest of it's going to be wine or mead (haven't decided, depends on how much honey I have left after I make my twin 3-gal traditionals that I am GOING to get off the list dammit).
The red currants may end up experimental, I want to find out if not scalding them has any effect on the colour retention. That one at least IS on the list, even if the gooseberries are bumping their way to the head of the line. I probably have enough for a three-gallon batch just what I've picked this year, and I think there might be a bag or two in the freezer that I missed last time.
That said, anyone else have experience with gooseberries, jam, mead or wine? I now know that picking them is an exercise in bloodletting... I look like I had an argument with a cat... but I've never made anything with them before. If I have a few handfuls extra after jamming and fermenting, I may try them with custard... there's a name for that but I've forgotten it already.
