Rhubarb Jam
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June 6, 2010
- Posted by: margaret
This year, we’re working hard to extend the productive season of our rhubarb. We love the bright, tart flavor, and when we can harvest those first stalks from the garden, we’re assured that spring really has arrived. By this time in the season, we’ve had countless pies, crisps, and cobblers, but we still want more! In the garden, I’ve cut out the seed heads, trimmed off the yellowed leaves, and prepared a plot so that we can divide our largest plant in the fall. In the kitchen, I’ve made a batch of jam, so we can keep savoring our stalks through the winter.
Though I’ll sometimes add a little orange zest and cardamom to rhubarb pie filling, around here, we generally prefer our rhubarb unadorned. And so, when I was searching for a good jam recipe, it was disappointing to find so few that really let the rhubarb shine. Finally, I just came up with my own. It’s tart enough to give your mouth a little pucker, but sweet enough that our girls have been eating it with a spoon!
Plain Old Rhubarb Jam
12 cups rhubarb, strings removed and cut into 1-inch lengths 3 cups sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 1/4 teaspoons Pomona’s Universal pectin powder2 teaspoons calcium water (prepared according to directions in pectin box) * In a large non-reactive pot, thoroughly combine rhubarb with 1 1/2 cups of sugar and let stand, covered, for several hours, until the sugar has dissolved into a syrup with the rhubarb juices. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sugar with the pectin powder. Add the lemon juice and calcium water to the rhubarb mixture, combine thoroughly, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir occasionally, breaking up some of the rhubarb pieces and leaving some intact. When the rhubarb has softened, remove the pot from heat and mix in the pectin and sugar, stirring gently until combined. Return to heat and bring to a boil before ladling into sterilized jars and processing.
