With the coming and going of each month we also have a change in fruits and vegetables fresh from the fields available in stores and markets. One of them is Rhubarb, which usually comes in season mid/end of March. It can be very tricky to grow Rhubarb, as it can’t be eaten if it’s damaged by severe cold, as it may be high in oxalic acid, which comes down from the leaves and can cause illness. That’s why apart from field-grown rhubarb you can also get forced rhubarb, which some consider to taste better than ‘normal’ rhubarb. Now don’t worry about the word ‘forced’, no one is doing anything unhealthy here! All they do when forcing rhubarb is putting it inside and deprive it of light, so they shoot upwards looking for light, which results in a more delicate flavour and sourness although it still needs extra sweetness. These are of course available for a longer period, compared to traditionally grown rhubarb.
It’s not a hugely popular vegetable, I’ll give you that, as many people are simply not sold on the flavour. I wasn’t used to eating it either, but I discovered how much I like it last year as I made Rhubarb Oatmeal Cookies, Rhubarb, Strawberry and Mint Limenade and my absolute favourite: Rhubarb – Plum tart. Rhubarb itself is very sour, but as I usually combine it with sweet ingredients the result is sweet instead of sour.
When I saw that rhubarb was back on the market I immediately bought a bunch without really knowing what to make with it. I decided to try making some jam again, after previously making plum jam nearly 2 years ago. Making rhubarb jam is slightly different than other jams as it has less pectin in it (same as for Apricots, Blueberries, Cherries, Peaches, Pears, Raspberries, Rhubarb and Strawberries). Pectin, combined with sugar when heated it causes a thickening that is characteristic of jams & jellies. As Rhubarb doesn’t have it, I’ve soaked the rhubarb in jam sugar (which has pectin in it too), vinegar and juice. However you can also make it with normal sugar, but you’ll just have to boil it for longer later).
Makes: 1 lovely jar of jam, around 0,35l
Ingredients
- 450g rhubarb
- 35ml rasberry vinegar
- 250g jam sugar
- 200g strawberries
- 25ml lemon juice
Preparation
Remove the leaves and bottom of the rhubarb, wash it thoroughly and slice it up in chunks of about 2 cm.
Put it in a bowl along with sugar, vinegar and lemon juice and let it stand for 1,5-2 hours.
Heat up a pot and add your mixture and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer until you’ve reached the thinkness you prefer. If it’s too thick you can add water, if it’s too thin you can add more sugar and leave it boil for longer. Also make sure to taste it, as some people may prefer more lemon juice and others more of a sweet flavour. You can always add more sugar or more juice depending on how you prefer it.
14 Comments
Anouk
April 5, 2017 at 12:38 pmThis looks delicious! I was just talking with my mum about rubarb a few days ago, and she told me I never wanted to eat it as a child because it had ‘strings’ in it? It had a weird consistency. My grandmother used to bring it and I always refused to eat it until I was in a restaurant a few years ago. Suddenly I loved it! Thanks for the recipe, i’ve never tried to make something with rhubarb before
Anne
April 5, 2017 at 12:49 pmI’ve got such a bad memory on Rhubarb. My grandma had lots and lots of it in her garden and we always had to help her pick them, clean them up and soak them for hours. After that my appetite was totaly gone.
But..I have to be honest. This recipe sounds pretty good…maybe I’ll try it some day
serafina juarez
April 5, 2017 at 1:20 pmDelicious, never made it myself! I’m a bit too scared hahaha
Judith
April 5, 2017 at 2:19 pmNot a big fan of rubarb, but did try rubarb and rasperry jam the other day and it was so delicious!
Carly @caffeinatedcarly
April 5, 2017 at 7:03 pmI LOVE Rubarb, but have never made anything with it myself! I have to try this!!
Cheryl
April 5, 2017 at 9:27 pmI love rhubarb! This looks delicious 🙂
Alexandra
April 5, 2017 at 11:31 pmJust putting in a new garden this year and rhubarb is planned. I love it. We had a patch when I was a child and we’d pick it, dip the ends in a bowl of sugar, and eat it just like that. Good memories.
Cait Weingartner
April 6, 2017 at 8:56 amThis jam looks delicious. I love Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, and I’m guessing this jam on a few warm slices of toast, would make for a very tasty breakfast! The little glass storage jar is lovely too!
layla
April 6, 2017 at 10:56 amDit lijkt mij zo lekker. Vorig jaar had ik bramen en aardbeien jam gemaakt. Dit jaar ook weer hoop ik.
lauramariskadegraaf
April 6, 2017 at 11:18 amZiet er lekker uit
Nathalie - Volgmama
April 6, 2017 at 12:17 pmMy grandmother always make jam in the sommer. I will send her this recipe 🙂
sabine | so far so Sabine
April 7, 2017 at 9:54 amYes it’s the time of the year to make jam with strawberries. I love this! Strawberries are very healthy for pregnant woman and in general 🙂 Inspiring, I would like to start doing this also now!
MamaPlaneet
April 7, 2017 at 10:39 amThat looks absolutely yummie!
Rhubarb - Raspberry crumble with coconut (Gluten & Dairy-Free, Vegan) | Tine at Home
June 6, 2017 at 8:34 pm[…] it’s very popular this year! I’ve made quite a few rhubarb recipes in the past already, like Rhubarb – Strawberry jam, Rhubarb Oatmeal Cookies, Rhubarb – Strawberry – Mint Limenade and Rhubarb – Plum tart but […]