We Be Jammin'... Orange Groundcherry Jam with Rosemary

Orange Groundcherry Jam with Rosemary

Found on 200birdies.wordpress

Makes 1 pint or 4 quarter pints 

1-1/2 quarts ground cherries, yielding 2-1/2 cups after husking 

2/3 cup water 

About 1 cup sugar 

1 Tbsp grated orange zest 

Small sprigs of rosemary 

Make sure the groundcherries are free of dust and dirt. Place them in a saucepan with the water and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook until the groundcherries start to collapse, and mash them lightly with the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and measure the fruit. 

Return the fruit to the pan and add sugar equal to half the measure of fruit (for 2 cups of fruit add 1 cup of sugar). Bring the mixture back to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and add the orange zest, stirring to combine. 

Add to a bowl with a lid and set it aside for 2-3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. The purpose of this step is to build up the gelling capacity. 

Bring the mixture to a boil and cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Start testing for gel. Could take up to 10 mins to reach gel stage. 

Pour into jars to 1/4 inch headspace, remove air bubbles, wipe rims and assemble lids. (Submerge a few leaves of rosemary (3-4 leaves) in the hot jam, making sure they are covered and there are no air pockets.) 

Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the canner lid and let sit for 5 minutes before removing.