Home made Rhubarb Jam

divorcingjack

Daisyroots - don't worry! I have a feeling it will be a triumph, and then you and the other contributors can take all the glory for my sucess!

If not.. there's no one else here, so it'll just be a guilty secret...

divorcingjack

Well, I have made a tremendous mess in my kitchen, there is jam literally EVERYWHERE.

I have also sustained many many burns. Owww.

However, I have 3 jars of a gloopy susbstance which looks remarkably like jam and a great sense of satisfaction. I don't know if it's going to set yet, but it's looking pretty good.

Thanks for all your help everyone - I think it's blackberry next!

The recipe that I used is here:

About 1.5 lbs rhubarb
same weight of sugar, although I think I might use a bit less next time
juice and bits from two fresh lemons
three big chunks of fresh ginger (a bit more next time I think)

- Cook down the rubarb on a low heat with 1 tbsp of water until tender
- Add sugar and stir until dissolved
- Add lemon juice and ginger
- Turn up heat to a rolling boil and stir for 10-15 minutes until ready to set
- I think I might have added a bit too much water as it was quite liquid, and spat all over the place. Might be because I used some frozen rhubarb.

Ah well. I'll see how the toast tastes tomorrow! Now to the clean up!

Thanks again all

moanymoany

Once the rhubarb has cooked you can use a hand held blender, or liquidiser. This will mash up the fibres. The other thing you can do is push it through a seive.

I was making raspberry, blackberry and rhubarb jam earlier this week. As they are all fruits low in pectin, I needed something else. I didn't want to go and buy anything so I had the brainwave of going and picking sloes that grow near me. They are like damsons and full of pectin. I cooked them till very soft with some water and then put them through the seive. I used 1 lb freshly picked sloes, put them with my berries etc. and ended up with 2 kilos of cooked fruit. It set beautifully and the taste and colour is fab.

Use any old lemons, or the lemon juice in a bottle. I love rhubarb jam, but have only ever bought it in France. My rhubarb is growing well so I am going to pick some and freeze it to make jam later.

divorcingjack

Thanks for that moanymoany. I quite like the bits, so I just left it as it was (and I'm lazy as well..).

We've got everything growing around here, I'll bet there are sloes and damsons, but are they out of season now? I've been looking for blackberries, but they aren't ready yet. Got loads of apples on the tree as well.

The jam is still quite soft this morning, but not liquid. I think it'll stay on the toast OK, fingers crossed. I'll give a jar to my ginger-loving mum as a test!

Anyone got some recipes for apple chutney? I've got hundreds on the tree (s)

Cheers all for babying me through the first jam experience; I think I might be hooked!

dj

daisyroots_2

Glad it turned out well dj. :AIf you find it does not stay on the toast, here are some uses for runny jam:

delicious sauce on ice cream

stirred into natural yoghurt - rhubarb yoghurt - ta da!

jam tarts

victoria sponge (surplus liquid sinks into the cake)

any pudd that requires a jam element: bakewell tart, etc.

Every jam maker has the odd batch which doesn't set, but it can still be used. Welcome to the world of the well-preserved:rotfl:

divorcingjack

I really am unduly excited at having made jam! It seems such a "grown up" thing to do and makes me feel totally in control of the house! More toast, I think..

Silly, I know, but it's made my day!

I've just been on another hunt round the garden and found a hazelnut tree with loads of nuts on! Crazy. We were thinking about selling this house as neither of us can cope with the garden, but I'd really miss it now.

I'm sure I can deal with it now.. if I can make jam, anything is possible.

Honestly, thank all you OS people so much; you've made me feel competent, and that's a big achievement!

dj

daisyroots_2

If you can get hold of today's Guardian, in the Weekend Section, Hugh Fearnley Whatsisname has got a whole article on hazelnuts, with recipes !

moanymoany

divorcingjack wrote: »

Thanks for that moanymoany. I quite like the bits, so I just left it as it was (and I'm lazy as well..).

We've got everything growing around here, I'll bet there are sloes and damsons, but are they out of season now? I've been looking for blackberries, but they aren't ready yet. Got loads of apples on the tree as well.

The jam is still quite soft this morning, but not liquid. I think it'll stay on the toast OK, fingers crossed. I'll give a jar to my ginger-loving mum as a test!

Anyone got some recipes for apple chutney? I've got hundreds on the tree (s)

Cheers all for babying me through the first jam experience; I think I might be hooked!

divorcingjack,

Sloes are a late fruit. If you don't know what they are, they look like little round black plums, the size on an m&m. When you pick them mind the thorns which are quite long. The tree I go to is absolutely laden this year. I'm going again to pick more. After the success of using them for pectin I'm putting some in the freezer for later. They are very common and often are in hedges.

I would love some of those crab apples that look like big rosehips in shape. Crab apple jelly is divine.

divorcingjack

Thanks for the info moany! I'll have a look around the hedgrows tomorrow.

I've been eating toast with jam all day! It's divine! I'm so proud of myself, and have been doing a little dance of vistory with every slice..

Off to see how many apples are ready now (and perhaps have some more toast).

I'll send some crab apples if I can find them - there's got to be some around here.

dj

misskool

:wave:

Got given some rhubarb from a work colleague today and was wondering if it's ok to make rhubarb jam?

I'm guessing same weight rhubarb and sugar and boil until done?

Could I use the jam to make ice cream and to put it in a layer of sponge cake?

Decisions decisions...