I remember my mom preserving amla or Indian gooseberry after her first class at the local canning centre. I was only a little girl of about six, but the taste of my mom’s preserved gooseberries is still a beautiful and fresh memory. Making this myself brought my mom very close to me.

Ingredients

(Serves family and friends)

Indian gooseberries 20
Sugar 2 cups plus 2 1/2 cups
Water
Saffron few strands

Method

Wash the gooseberries and boil in plain water for 10 minutes. Drain.

Dissolve 2 cups of sugar in 3 cups of water. Add the boiled gooseberries and bring to a boil. Cook for 30 minutes. Switch off the heat and leave the pan untouched for two days. Drain.

Use the sugar syrup to make candy or something else. It has a slightly sour taste that works well in candy.

Dissolve 2 1/2 cups of sugar in 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, add the strands of saffron and add the drained gooseberries. Boil for 20 minutes. Cool and put into sterilised bottles.

These preserved gooseberries can be kept for a year.