We have a rhubarb patch that yields generously and it seems we’re always looking for new ways to use rhubarb. We tried this recipe for rhubarb jam (a combination of recipes from the Leite’s Culinara and Wyse Guide websites) and we were pleased with the results. That distinctive tangy rhubarb flavor, yet sweet enough to be delicious on toast or an English muffin.
16 stalks of rhubarb provided 4# of rhubarb for this recipe.
Ingredients
4# of Rhubarb (~14 cups or 16 long stalks)
4 cups of sugar
The juice of one lemon
The juice of one orange
Water
The zest of 1 lemon
The zest of ½ an orange
Seeds from the lemon (helps to thicken the jam)
Red food coloring
Instructions
Prepare your jars, lids and rings for canning.
Cut up your rhubarb into ½ inch pieces
Squeeze your lemon and orange juice into a 2 cup measuring cup, and then add enough cold water to get a total of 1 ½ cups.
Combine the rhubarb, sugar, juices, water, zest, and seeds together in a large bowl and let sit on the counter for 1 hour.
To make the seeds easy to remove put them into a tea ball, tea bag, or cheese cloth to make them easy to remove later.
Allow these to rest together for an hour, and then put the mixture into a large stockpot and bring to a boil.
If you would like to use pectin to thicken the jam, dissolve 6 Tbsp pectin in ¾ cup of water and add to the mix.
After boiling for 15 minutes, lower the heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Skim any foam off of the top.
If you would like more pieces of rhubarb in your jam, you can use a spider to remove pieces before simmering and then add them back to reheat before canning.
Remove the seeds from the pot, and add some red food coloring a few drops at a time until you get to the right color.
Ladle into jars, clean the rims and can in a boiling water bath: 5 minutes for half pints and 10 minutes for pints.
