Monday, August 11, 2014

Rhubarb Jam

The weather has finally broken, after what must have been 10 hours or more of solid rain even when the sun finally came out again the temperature and general humidity were more along the lines that a hardy northern type such as myself can handle (the heat is not my friend). It's just as well the temperature has dropped because there's an abundance of rhubarb in the garden and the idea of making jam is bearable for the first time in months.

Rhubarb and Ginger is apparently D's favourite, he certainly sounded very enthusiastic when I told him I'd make some (and seems more than pleased with the result) I'm not the biggest fan of ginger in sweet things but this was a really good opportunity to use up a jar of crystallised ginger in syrup, I'm also pleased with the result, the ginger is subtle but definitely makes the jam more interesting. The recipe is from the River Cottage preserves book.

Take 1 kilo of rhubarb and 900g of jam sugar (the sort with added pectin) along with 100g of crystallised stem ginger. Chop the rhubarb into 1 - 2 cm chunks and pour a layer of sugar onto the bottom of your jam pan followed by a layer of rhubarb. Repeat until all the rhubarb is used up and finish with a layer of sugar. Cover and leave for a couple of hours, even better overnight - it draws the juice from the rhubarb which in turn helps it keep it's shape once it's boiled (though I prefer it without to many chunks). Gently bring to the boil, stirring as you go, and then boil rapidly for 5-6 minutes before testing for setting point. When setting point is reached allow it to rest off the heat for 5 minutes before bottling. This jam is far nicer than the rhubarb jelly I made last time I had a glut, the jelly was a bit dull - to the point that it became something of a chore to use up, the jam is already going down nicely.

6 comments:

  1. I love rhubarb and ginger, you can pass on left overs in this direction!

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    1. If you were here a jar would definitely have your name on it.

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  2. Delicious - I am a big ginger fan, sweet and savoury. Buderim ginger factory in Queensland make a very unsubtle ginger marmalade which I suspect would not be to your taste at all! ;-)

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    1. I'm not good at hot food, so though I don't mind ginger in small amounts in mildly spicy things I consider it an act of aggresion when you put chocolate etc near it. D loved ginger biscuits so he thinks it's great - I'll never pinch them. The marmalade would not appeal to me at all, but in this jam I quite like it. Not a fan of chilli chocolate either.

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  3. I love River Cottage! Every recipe I've ever tried from them turned out beautifully. I find it so funny that you're making rhubarb jam in August. Here in the US, our rhubarb is all wilt-ey and we're drowning in tomatoes :)

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    1. Love them too, very reliable recipes and just the kind of food I like. I have a very obliging rhubarb plant - it might be a temperly but I can't remember for sure. It starts providing in about april may and just keeps going. It hasn't flowered and hasn't gone woody yet. Other plants I've known have gone over by now. Tonight it's been raspberry jam, would make more but I've all but run out of jars :-)

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