Make the most of seasonal rhubarb in this foodie project for the weekend. The perfect balance of sweet and sharp, this homemade jam makes a lovely edible gift and is delicious spread on toast or swirled through yoghurt for breakfast
Genevieve Taylor is a writer and food stylist whose love of travel inspires her colourful herb and spice-infused food. A little bit obsessed by fire, she is currently working on a book about the wonderful versatility of cooking in a wood-fired oven
See more of Genevieve Taylor’s recipes
Genevieve Taylor
Genevieve Taylor is a writer and food stylist whose love of travel inspires her colourful herb and spice-infused food. A little bit obsessed by fire, she is currently working on a book about the wonderful versatility of cooking in a wood-fired oven
See more of Genevieve Taylor’s recipes
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Ingredients
1kg jam sugar (see tip)
800g rhubarb, washed and chopped into 3cm lengths
zest and juice of 2 medium oranges
150g stem ginger in syrup (drained weight)
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Step by step
Put all the ingredients in a large pan and stir thoroughly to mix. Cover and set aside for at least a couple of hours for the rhubarb to ‘macerate’ – start releasing its delicious juices. You can leave the fruit for longer if you want, overnight would be fine.
Put 4 saucers or small plates in the freezer to chill, ready for testing the ‘set’ of the jam as it cooks. To sterilise the jam jars, preheat the oven to 120°C, fan 100°C, gas ½. Wash the jars and lids really thoroughly in hot soapy water, rinse well and arrange the jars upside down on a baking tray, tucking the lids alongside. Dry in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the jars the right way up (use oven gloves) without touching the rims, so they stay sterile.
Meanwhile, set the pan with the rhubarb over a medium heat, stirring as it comes up to the boil. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, turn the heat up to high and boil rapidly for about 10-15 minutes. Begin to test for setting after about 8 minutes. To do this, take a cold plate from the freezer and spoon on a little jam, tipping so it spreads to a thin layer. Allow to cool for 30 seconds. If the jam is ready, it will wrinkle up when you push it with your finger. If not, continue boiling for another minute or so before checking again. Keep stirring the jam, as it can catch on the bottom.
Once the jam has reached setting point, remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool and settle for 10 minutes. Stir well to distribute the bits of ginger then ladle the jam into a jug and pour into the warm jars, using a jam funnel if you have one. Seal tightly with the lids. Leave to cool completely before adding labels. Unopened jars keep for at least six months. Once opened, store in the fridge and use within a month.
Tip
It’s important to use jam sugar when making rhubarb jam, as the fruit contains very little pectin – the component that makes the jam ‘set’. Jam sugar is simply sugar with added apple pectin.
The time to soak orange in boiling water should not be too long will cause the orange martial is too ripe. Wait until the boiling water is completely fresh for the orange peels to boil, this will help remove the bitterness and essential oil in the orange peel.
Combine rhubarb, sugar, water, orange juice, and orange zest in a saucepan over high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 45 minutes. Jam will continue to thicken as it cools. Ladle into hot sterile jars; seal with the lids and rings.
Adjust the cooking time: The bitterness in marmalade can come from overcooking the citrus peel. Try reducing the cooking time, or using a lower heat setting to avoid overcooking the peel. Soak the citrus peel: Soaking the citrus peel in water overnight can help to reduce the bitterness.
What turns your jam brown is the same substance that turns cut fruit brown: Oxygen. The head space in your jars is filled with air, albeit less than at normal pressure.
Although strawberries and rhubarb are naturally high in acid, they are low in pectin. However, they cook down to a lovely, thick consistency all on their own, without any added pectin using the easy tricks in this recipe.
Just wait. You've followed the recipe and even tested the jam for thickness by smearing a bit of the cooked jam on a cold spoon straight from the freezer, but it still looks runny in the canning jars after processing. ...
Why does jam taste bitter? Your jam may taste bitter because it's over-cooked. Sometimes overcooked jam can be a good thing, as it has a nice caramel flavor that will work well used in desserts. However, if it's really overcooked the sugar will give it a bitter burnt taste.
The presence of certain flavonoids (neohesperidine, naringine, etc.)in the peels of the Bigarade gives the fruit a bitter taste, which is felt in the jams' preparations [6].
Take the seeds out of the orange before you blend it. It's the seeds that cause the bitterness. You can add little bit of salt and keep it in refrigerator for a while…then serve with adding honey and lemon juice..it works well..
Blame limonin. Limonin is a bitter compound found in most citrus but especially in navels oranges that increases in concentration the longer it sits. So, drink that juice quick, or use varieties that have less limonin for juicing, like Cara Cara navels, Valencias, or blood oranges.
Introduction: My name is Terence Hammes MD, I am a inexpensive, energetic, jolly, faithful, cheerful, proud, rich person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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Prep time: 40 mins
