Such a Delicious Jam! Rhubarb’s unique tart-sweet taste is heavenly scented – combined with some strawberries for the perfect balance. Lower in sugar and simply simmered to the ideal consistency
Rhubarb Shine in So Many Recipes!
- Rhubarb is considered a vegetable botanically, but it is often treated as a fruit when used in cooking
- The pretty pink plant is tasty, puckery, and perfect for dessert recipes and savory ones ~ offers a gorgeous color and addictive flavor. One of my favorite ingredients to work with!
- Rhubarb’s tart flavor is flattered by a constellation of other fruits and flavors, but I like to keep it simple, and not overpower with much… so the plant’s essence is forefront
- I LOVE using in sweet and savory preparations
- Rhubarb is one of those flavors that is deliciously addicting! For those of you who have experienced it’s earthy yet tangy taste – it can not be compared to any other fruit!
SEE BELOW ALL MY FAVORITE RHUBARB RECIPES!
Category: My Love of Rhubarb (all the recipes!)
Here we go… Jam or Spread?
- The key difference between jam and a fruit spread lies in their sugar content and texture
- Jams are typically defined by the FDA as needing at least 55% sugar and 45% fruit
- Fruit spreads can have lower sugar content and a smoother texture
- And – Jams also tend to have more texture due to smaller fruit particles, while spreads are often smoother
- My “jam” contains more fruit than sugar… so a “low sugar jam!”
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a spread has to be made from at least 55% sugar to classify as a jam.
Look for rhubarb at shop near you – it’s in season NOW, and shortly at your local farmers’ market.
About Rhubarb:
- Rhubarb is one of those flavors that is deliciously addicting.
- For those of you who have experienced it’s earthy yet tangy taste – it can not be compared to any other fruit!
- The pretty pink plant is tasty, puckery, and perfect for dessert recipes ~ offers a gorgeous color and addictive flavor
- One of my favorite ingredients to work with; balances well with Strawberries.
- Rhubarb is also used for medicinal purposes in traditional Chinese and medieval Arabian and European medicine
- One of the main reasons why people cultivate and eat rhubarb is for its astounding nutritional value. Rhubarb is packed with minerals, vitamins, organic compounds, and other nutrients that make it ideal for keeping our bodies healthy
- Color counts: Red colored stems carry more vitamin-A than the green varieties
Some say Red Stalks are sweeter than green ones… others say does not have a large taste difference - I choose the darkest most vibrant Rhubarb Stalks because they lend the best color to recipes
- Rhubarb is a high antioxidant food – At only 26 calories per cup
- Rhubarb is technically a vegetable – the USDA classifies as a fruit
Rhubarb has a love affair with Strawberries ~ they are in the height of the season together and complement each other’s flavor, texture & color.
Lower in Sugar than Most Jams!
I always try to lower the sugar when making jam – and find pectin is not necessary.
The consistency is thick and loaded with fresh fruit.
Rhubarb is a fruit that is very tart, but I was still able to keep the sugar low.
The Jam is full of FRUIT FLAVOR, with the sweetness as an accent and not the primary flavor.
Four Ingredients – That’s All!
I like to use a large wide pot for making Jam:
Cooks nicely and quicker in my enamel cast iron dutch oven – mine is 11 1/2 inches wide
I pour into sterilized jars (which are easily found in supermarkets, hardware stores and online.) Screw the caps tightly and refrigerate when fully cooled. Can in a water bath for longer storage. Jam will stay fresh refrigerated for up to 6 weeks.
It is not difficult to make Rhubarb Jam Lower in Sugar!
Makes a great gift.. I just gave my mother one!
Making Jam Without Pectin:
- Fruits low in pectin usually need to pair with high-pectin fruits to get a good gel.
- BUT I find by cooking in a wide pan- for evaporation and cooking to the right consistency makes a damn good Jam! It might me a softer texture, and not too “jell-like” but I like it that way!
- Rhubarb and Strawberries are low in pectin – lemon juice; an acid (you can use orange juice too) helps to set.
- It is not difficult to make Rhubarb Jam Lower in Sugar!
I grew up enthralled with my grandparents fruit and vegetable garden and remember the huge crimson colored rhubarb stalks with elephant-ear shaped leaves (which are cut away because they are poisonous) in their sprawling garden.Back then, we ate stewed rhubarb with a dose of sugar and orange juice. It was a wonderful treat at the end of a meal. The flavor still lingers with me today.
Enjoy! Jam makes a great gift!
Karen
More Rhubarb Recipes:
All Rhubarb Recipes – I have a whole Category!
Karen’s Chunky Rhubarb Jam – No Pectin
Equipment
- 1, 4 quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven or any heavy pot, about 11" wide
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, preferably organic
- 6 tablespoons pure cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, can use fresh orange juice
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh rhubarb stalks, with vibrant red hue
- 1 1/4 cup pure cane sugar
Instructions
Recipe Overview:
- Start with strawberries as a base. Add the rhubarb and sugar and cook uncovered until jam is set. Using a 11" wide pan makes the recipe quicker than a smaller pot. Recipe makes 4 cups of jam.
- Clean and red the strawberries. Hull them and cut large ones in 1/4's and small ones in half. Add to a heavy 11" wide pot with 6 T sugar and 1 t. lemon juice.Bring to a boil, stir up well, and lower heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring until just softened. Mash strawberries, I use a potato masher in the pot, until the berries are coarsely chopped. Cook until jam like and thick, another 8 minutes.
- Wash and dry the rhubarb stalks, discarding any leaves. Slice the rhubarb into 3/4" slices. Add to the pot with 1 1/4 cups sugar – give a big stir and bring to a boil. Now, lower the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring every five minutes and cook for a total of 20 minutes.Jam should be thickened and ready to fill into jars.
Pouring into Jars:
- Add hot jam to 4 half pint jars or two pint jars. (A jam funnel works great!) Fill 1/4" to the top and fasten tops tightly. Cool, then refrigerate. Also, you might like to water bath can for longer storage.
Try the "Jam Test Trick"
- Add a small plate in the freezer at the start of the recipe. When the jam seems done – take out 2 teaspoons and add a dollop to the frozen plate. It should set. Push your finger through the jam on the plate – you're looking for it to wrinkle and not flood back in to fill the gap. If it's not ready, turn the pan back on, simmer for five minutes and test again.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this jam today and wow loved it. I liked the instruction to cook in a heavy wide pan which I had. Easy to follow instructions and came out chunky and so tasty. Great rhubarb flavor, amazed to use less sugar! Thanks.
Thank you Elisa for writing – happy you loved the rhubarb Jam!
Yep, less sugar; delish.