Vegan gooseberry jelly with elderflower and gin

This sweet and floral gooseberry jelly with elderflower and gin wafts onto your spoon and meanders down your throat in a cloud of loveliness. A refreshingly grown-up summer dessert.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I LOVE GOOSEBERRIES! And their season is always so over-before-you-know-it short. So it’s imperative to make the most of their tart but sweet, fruity, floral flavour before it disappears for another year.

Gin-spiration

I was eating one of my baked gooseberry and elderflower custards recently, when I had a sudden bolt of inspiration involving gooseberries and gin. I love gin, too. Especially at this time of year when its crisp, refreshing taste is perfect in a long, cold drink.

Gooseberry jelly

It occurred to me that gooseberries and gin would be a wonderful summery combination, and would make a deliciously grown-up jelly. No children allowed, for obvious reasons.

I also included some elderflower cordial – there’s a reason people put elderflower with gooseberries all the time. It’s because they taste amazing together!

The gooseberries were lightly poached in an elderflower syrup. Then the liquid was ‘jellified’ and enhanced with a good slosh of gin.

Vegan gooseberry jelly recipe

I set these elderflower and gooseberry jellies with agar, so they’re completely vegan. The texture is slightly different from a normal ‘gelatine’ jelly. Agar also produces a slightly cloudy jelly, but I don’t think that’s a problem.

If anything, a hazy, soft-focus gooseberry jelly was more the effect I was after! Much better than sharply defined fruit in a crystal clear dessert. The latter is too formal, almost. My cloudy gooseberry jelly wafts onto the spoon and meanders down your throat in a cloud of loveliness…

Gooseberry gin-tastic

Sounds like I’ve been at the gin again. Oops. This dessert turned out even better than I’d imagined. The softly set gooseberry jelly is sweet and floral from the elderflowers, with a subtle hint of juniper from the gin. Every other mouthful gets a berry – soft and sharp, cold and refreshing. This was just what I needed at the end of a long, hot day.

Enjoy this before the gooseberries disappear again. Makes 4. 

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📖 Recipe

Vegan gin and gooseberry jellies

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This sweet and floral gooseberry jelly is a refreshingly grown-up summer dessert.

5 from 1 vote

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Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Servings 4

Calories 132 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 200 g gooseberries
• 4 tablespoon elderflower cordial
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 5 g agar flakes
• 50 ml gin

Instructions

 

• 200 g (7 oz) gooseberries
  Top and tail the gooseberries and wash well.
• 4 tbsp elderflower cordial, 2 tbsp sugar
  Place the gooseberries in a pan with the elderflower cordial, sugar, and 600ml (approx. 2⅔ cups) of boiling water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1-2 minutes, just until the fruit is soft and starting to split.
• Remove from the heat and use a slotted spoon to gently remove the gooseberries and divide them between four dessert dishes.
• 5 g (2 tablespoon) agar flakes
  Sprinkle the agar flakes over the surface of the liquid and return to the stove. Heat gently without stirring until the liquid is simmering and the agar has started to dissolve. Stir gently and simmer for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the agar flakes are dissolved and the liquid is clear.
• 50 ml (3 ⅜ tablespoon) gin
  Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Stir in the gin, then pour the liquid jelly over the gooseberries.
• Chill in the fridge overnight or until set. Serve cold.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Vegan gin and gooseberry jellies

Amount per Serving

Calories

132

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

0.3

g

0

%

Saturated Fat

 

0.02

g

0

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

0.2

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

0.03

g

Sodium

 

7

mg

0

%

Potassium

 

119

mg

3

%

Carbohydrates

 

25

g

8

%

Fiber

 

2

g

8

%

Sugar

 

15

g

17

%

Protein

 

1

g

2

%

Vitamin A

 

145

IU

3

%

Vitamin C

 

14

mg

17

%

Calcium

 

22

mg

2

%

Iron

 

0.4

mg

2

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword gin, gooseberry, jelly

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More delicious gooseberry recipes

If you loved this gooseberry jelly recipe, and enjoy gooseberries as much as I do, why not also try these delicious gooseberry custards, or this yummy homemade gooseberry jam.

I’m entering my gooseberry jelly into the Simple and In Season challenge, hosted by My Custard Pie. And once again I’m also joining the Shop Local challenge, hosted by Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary, since these delicious gooseberries were grown (and bought) not too far away! Finally, these lovely jellies will be joining the fun over at Treat Petite, hosted this month by The Baking Explorer, and co-organised by Cakeyboi.