SHIFTING ROOTS

home, garden, food, and prairie lifestyle

Gooseberry Jam

Gooseberry Jam is a delicious topping for breads, and so worth the trouble of picking the gooseberries. The bushes have long thorns, which means that you can’t pick these berries in a hurry, and you probably don’t want to make your young kids help you with this task. I got a couple of scrapes each time I went picking, because I’m always so anxious to get the job done or grab the next berry.

Gooseberry jam on toast

My Mother-in-law just loves gooseberry jam, and specifically planted the bushes in her zone 3 garden so we could make this recipe. She shared a little secret with me to get the best tasting jam–make sure at least one cup of the gooseberries are underripe.

Finally, gooseberries are naturally full of pectin, so there’s no need to put any in the jam. I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Closeup of Gooseberry Jam from my easy canning recipe.
Yield: Approximately 7 250ml small jars

Gooseberry Jam

Gooseberry Jam

A basic Gooseberry Jam recipe without pectin.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 6 cups gooseberries (at least 1 cup should be under-ripe)
  • 6 cups white sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Wash gooseberries and remove the tops and stems.
  2. Sterilize jars you'll be using for canning be either boiling for 10 minutes, running through a bottle sterilizer, or cooking in the oven for 10 minutes at 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Boil the lids and rings in water for 10 minutes.
  3. Add gooseberries, sugar, and lemon juice into a tall pot.
  4. Cook on medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture reaches a rolling boil, reduce the heat and start timing the boil--15 to 20 minutes.
  5. Turn off heat and remove as much foam as possible.
  6. Pour jam into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace..
  7. Clean off any spillage on the rims with a clean cloth.
  8. Put on lids and secure with rims. Boil in water for 10 minutes. The water must be at least 1 inch over the top of the jars.
  9. Remove after 10 minutes and set jars on a clean towel. Do not tilt the jar as you remove it, as that could compromise the seal. Do not move jars for 24 hours.
  10. If you have any jars that don't seal, or a jar with too much headspace, put it in the fridge and use that one first.

Notes

If you live at a higher altitude, you may need to boil your jars, lids, rims, and jam for more than 10 minutes to sterilize them.

DO YOU JUST WANT THE RECIPE WITHOUT HAVING TO SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM?

Get over 25 of them– using Saskatoon berries, sour cherries, raspberries, rhubarb and more. For a limited time its only $7–60% off the regular price!

FIND OUT MORE OR BUY NOW!

Saskatoon Berry Jam

I love the taste of Saskatoon berries and this jam recipe keeps the deliciousness going all summer long. American friends, you might also know these berries as serviceberries or juneberries. Whatever you call them, this jam is delicious and easy to make.

One thing that might be a little different about this recipe than others you might find, is that I like to chop up the Saskatoons beforehand, instead of mashing them with a potato masher while they’re cooking. I just don’t like eating a full berry on my toast, I like the texture that comes from blending them up a bit beforehand better.

Enjoy!

Yield: 5-6 small jars

Saskatoon Berry Jam

Saskatoon Berry Jam

A basic Saskatoon Berry Jam recipe that your family will love.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 5 cups Saskatoon berries
  • 1 medium apple
  • 5 cups white sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 package pectin

Instructions

  1. Sterilize jars you'll be using for canning be either boiling for 10 minutes, running through a bottle sterilizer, or cooking in the oven for 10 minutes at 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Boil the lids and rings in water for 10 minutes.
  2. Pulse clean Saskatoon berries and cored apple in a blender for a minute.
  3. Pour mixture into a tall pot, and add sugar and lemon juice.
  4. Cook on medium high heat, stirring frequently. Add the pectin when the mixture boils.
  5. The pectin package says to boil for one minute, but I frequently find that my jam never sets with that short of a boil. I suggest boiling for 3-5 minutes.
  6. Turn off heat and pour jam into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace..
  7. Clean off any spillage on the rims with a clean cloth.
  8. Put on lids and secure with rims. Boil in water for 10 minutes. The water must be at least 1 inch over the top of the jars.
  9. Remove after 10 minutes and set jars on a clean towel. Do not tilt the jar as you remove it, as that could compromise the seal. Do not move jars for 24 hours.
  10. If you have any jars that don't seal, or a jar with too much headspace, put it in the fridge and use that one first.

Notes

If you live at a higher altitude, you may need to boil your jars, lids, rims, and jam for more than 10 minutes to sterilize them. Please see this guide for proper altitude adjustments.

DO YOU JUST WANT THE RECIPE WITHOUT HAVING TO SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM?

Get over 25 of them– using Saskatoon berries, sour cherries, raspberries, rhubarb and more. For a limited time its only $7–60% off the regular price!

FIND OUT MORE OR BUY NOW!

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies (It’s Not What You Think)

Every year we struggle with fruit flies. The temperature rises, you leave out one little piece of fruit, and the fruit flies slowly become overlords of the kitchen. Usually I’m able to get rid of them by keeping the fruit in the fridge, aggressively cleaning, and if all else fails, waiting until October or November when the temperature goes down far enough to kill them off for me.

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But not last year!! I don’t what kind of ridiculous strain of fruit fly came to live with us, but I could not get rid of them. There was no solution, bought or homemade that actually worked.

*gives death glare to anyone who suggests I make that homemade solution with fruit juice and a piece of saran wrap over a cup, or any variation of that*

It does. not. work.

And those sticky tapes? I’ve seen them work for other people, but my particular fruit flies refused to take the bait. Oh no, they laughed. We’ve seen those before and we’re faaaarrrr to smart.

To add insult to injury, the few fruit flies that managed to stick on the tape MANAGED TO FLY OFF AGAIN. What in the world!?!?!?

This fruit is a fruit fly's paradise.

So I had basically handed over my kitchen to the fruit flies and given up on ever having a bug free kitchen. Then one day, I tried to clean out my fridge and failed.

How can you fail at cleaning your fridge, you ask? Well, I had a small baby, was trying to do a million things at once, started cleaning out the fridge, got distracted by who knows what, and left out some containers of fruit. I remember thinking, “oh they’ll be fine. Fruit won’t go bad right away and I’ll put them back in a few minutes.”

A few minutes turned into a few days and suddenly my grapes were no good anymore. But something something interesting happened. The fruit flies finally disappeared.

You see, the grapes were in a Tupperware Fridge Smart. For once, the fruit flies were attracted to the fruit, but there was no way those slimy buggers could actually get out. Sure, it was gross cleaning out the container. But they were finally gone!!!!!!

I don’t sell Tupperware nor am I sponsored by them. If you know a Tupperware Lady, throw some money at her and buy a small herb sized Fridge Smart for around $20. You could also try these containers on Amazon that would likely do the job too. But I’m not sure if they actually work as well as the Tupperware.

pinterest image for how to get rid of fruit flies.

Raspberry Muffins with Chocolate Chips

The other day I went to make my favourite raspberry bran muffins with the fresh raspberries I had just picked, and realized that there was no way my son would eat them. While it’s not the end of the world, I really wanted to make a muffin that everyone in the family would actually eat. So this new recipe was born. It’s quick and easy to make and something the picky eaters will actually try.

Yield: 12 muffins

Raspberry Muffins with Chocolate Chips

Raspberry Muffins with Chocolate Chips

An easy and delicious muffin using fresh raspberries.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 5 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 beaten eggs
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup cooking oil
  • 1 cup raspberries
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

    1. Mix all dry ingredients and make a well in the bowl.
    2. Add in the beaten eggs, milk, oil, raspberries, and chocolate chips. Mix until just combined. The dough will be quite thick.
    3. Line a muffin tin with liners and spoon in batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the centre of one muffin. If it comes out clean, the muffin is ready.
    4. Cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 156Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 148mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 4g

DO YOU JUST WANT THE RECIPE WITHOUT HAVING TO SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM?

Get over 25 of them– using Saskatoon berries, sour cherries, raspberries, rhubarb and more. For a limited time its only $7–60% off the regular price!

FIND OUT MORE OR BUY NOW!

How to Make a Bouquet Look Stunning with 3 Simple Rules

Have you ever tried to make a bouquet, and found that it fell flat? And worse yet, you really didn’t know why? It’s not your fault. You just need to follow these three simple rules for a better bouquet every time. By using shape, colour, and texture to your advantage, you can make a beautiful bouquet, even if you feel you’re not creative or untalented.

Let’s go through the rules so you can make a nicer bouquet today

Rule 1: Play with Texture

A bouquet with all round flowers or all spiky flowers usually falls flat. When you’re choosing flowers, get a mix of spiky, round, and loose flowers.

Rule 2: Don’t forget the Greens!

A bouquet that sings isn’t all about the flowers. You also need a mix of greens and filler, or small flowers to give it more visual interest.

Rule 3: Play with Vibrants, Lights, and Darks

A bouquet with all one colour or tone will look nice, but it too can also fall flat. To keep your bouquet looking good, you’ll need two main colours that are vibrant, one darker colour, and one lighter colour. You can break this rule, but when you’re first learning, this rule will help you be successful every time.

Curious about more rules and styles? Grab a copy of my ebook, Bouquets Made Beautiful, the follow up ebook to Cut Flowers Made Simple. You’ll learn exactly how to get your bouquets to look good every time.

Watch this video to see how I do it!

Welcome!

Hi, I’m Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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