As anyone with a garden knows, you have some great successes and some disappointing failures. Up until this year we have done really well with rhubarb. This year they are very anemic. We were able to freeze a few stalks but to do this jam I had to make a trip to the co-op to get more rhubarb.
When I made the Victorian Sponge in England this year I used my MIL’s rhubarb ginger jam. It was absolutely delicious. I couldn’t wait for rhubarb season. Didn’t realise it wasn’t worth the wait. So we will have to figure that out for next year.
I had about 6 stalks. Slice the rhubarb and add it to a saucepan. Add about a 1/4 cup of water and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Bring it to a simmer. I wasn’t sure how much ginger I should use so I started with a piece about 1 1/2in/4cm by 1in/2.5cm. Grate into the sauce pan.
As the rhubarb starts breaking down start adding brown sugar. To get the right balance with the heat of the ginger, the tartness of rhubarb, and the sweetness of the sugar, you need a lot of sugar. I used about a cup and a half for this. But add the sugar a bit at a time until the balance is right. The heat and tartness of the ingredients will be different each time. Simmer until the jam begins to thicken.
This isn’t lasting long. By the time the weekend was over there was just enough left to process one jar. Guess I’ll be going back to the co-op!
I love homemade jam. Haven’t tried this combination, so I will follow your recipe. I have plenty of figs but not sure I can still get rhubarb. It may be done for the season here.
If you do it with figs back off the sugar given the sugar content in the figs. But that sounds like a delicious idea.
I love rhubarb, but I’m the only one in the family who eats it! I should make this jam for my own private stash!
Maybe that way you can make it last longer than I can! 😉
I’m sure this is a fantastic recipe but I’m afraid I’ll never know. Rhubarb is not something that I enjoy. That’s OK. It just means all the more for you guys 🙂
I know a guy that eats it raw. 😳. That just makes me shudder.
Sounds yummy. I’ve learned a great new appreciation for rhubarb on our trip this year, so forward to trying your recipe.
I hope you enjoy it! Rhubarb is actually pretty versatile. You a do both sweet and savory.
I love rhubarb and I love ginger too…when we get back to England I’ll have to hope I can still get hold of some rhubarb as I really want to make this jam!
I hope you can still find some. Is it too hot in Spain to grow some?
I have a pal further up the mountain where it is cooler who grows it but where we are it didn’t survive. Currently we’re spending more time in England than Spain so maybe I need to find a spot in the garden there!
Maybe the pal will do a deal for wine. 😉
Funny, we have more rhubarb than we know what to do with this year! I have been giving it away – but always nice to have another recipe to try with it!
How lucky! When we have bumper years we freeze a lot of it. Great in crumbles and things. 🙂
I need a bigger freezer!
I bet these flavors are amazing! I’m wild about rhubarb, but the rhubarb I put in my yard has never really done well. Luckily, a friend usually gives me some. I’ll be trying this next time I get my hands on some!
I’m hoping mine do better next year. Fingers crossed.