A friend recently linked an article about using gorse flowers to make cordial, and since it seemed a good idea, I politely roped my mother-in-law into collecting a sack-ful from her local heath in Sunny Suffolk. I did get a bit of a funny phone call which seemed to indicate that I was pretty mad, but she knows me well enough to know that it's probably true.
So, not only will this post attempt to answer the
Gin or Jam question, but will also rate the foolhardiness of the whole endeavour, which probably is on a par with getting stuck in a thicket of Blackthorn. Gorse is sharper and the spines are certainly more prolific!
Your best bet is to snip bits off the bush and then pluck off the individual flowers later, in the comfort of your own home. Try to get them so that they are buds or just fresh blossomed, because they seem to degrade pretty quickly after harvesting. You'll quickly learn how to pluck the flowers off without pricking yourself, but pop them in a bowl of cold water (or directly into the gin) while you're at it - a carrier-bagful is likely to take you the best part of an hour.
[drumroll]
GIN OR JAM?!
I thought it'd be a good idea to make a syrup to keep the flavour/smell fresh and then decide what to do, so plunged all the petals in boiling water, brought it quickly to a simmer, turned it off and left it to cool overnight. The next morning, I strained it through a colander and then through a coffee filter, and out came a lovely amber liquid that smelled vaguely floral, but also vaguely tea-like.
Staring at a pot full of this stuff at 8 in the morning, it was clear that there was far too much water in it to make a decent alcoholic beverage, so I plucked off a few remaining flowers and set them to steep in a bit of gin, with a teaspoon of sugar, just to see if it'd ever be worth going out and collecting more gorse.
Jam it is!
I concocted a jam/jelly recipe (see below) and decided to add some gold glitter to it too, possibly because I need to big it up to get my children to eat it, possibly because it's Easter and I like glitter.
The verdict is that the jam doesn't really taste like gorse smells, but does have an interesting floral hint, mainly as a pleasant after-taste. I'm holding out for better results with the gin.
Gorse Jelly
- Gorse-flower liquid (as above) - say 2l
- apple purée (no sugar added, say 750g - more if you want a jammier jam)
- sugar (I used just over 1kg for the quantities above, which gives a sweet, soft set)
- sachet of pectin (because I prefer to use it rather than boil things silly, but other people prefer not to)
- lemon juice
- knob of butter
Bring to the boil gently, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. During this time prepare your jars (sterilise them, etc...) and pop a small plate in the fridge or freezer, ready to do the drop tests. Then, when you're ready, wham up the heat to get a full, rolling boil. Continue with the boil until the mixture starts looking glossy, which could be 10 minutes or more. If you notice the jam forming gloopy drips on the spoon, do a set test straight away, but if not, take it easy!
When you're ready, take the plate out of the fridge and drop about a teaspoonful of the liquid onto it. If it forms little wrinkles when you push it with your finger (let it cool slightly first), then it's time to take it off the boil and put it in jars. If not, let it boil for a few more minutes and repeat until you do get the set.
Oh yes... foolhardiness. Haha. For jam alone, no, I really wouldn't do this again unless you got a willing helper to pluck the flowers.
