Rhubarb Ginger Jam

Bright red rhubarb stalks have hit the grocer’s shelves. I bought some and went online searching for something different to do with it. I found a recipe for Rhubarb Ginger Jam on the British blog, frugal feeding. Nick’s recipe has measurements in grams and calls for “forced” rhubarb and “stem” ginger. You can click on the links for more information, but forced rhubarb is rhubarb that is “forced” to grow indoors in late winter to early spring. It is bright red and tender because the season lasts just a month before the plants need to be moved outdoors. I have never seen “forced” rhubarb here in the US, but now that I think about it, don’t we force everything to grow and then harvest it before it ripens? Maybe I have bought forced rhubarb and just never knew it. Hmmm. Stem ginger is tender, young ginger root preserved in syrup. You can buy stem ginger on Amazon but I found the shipping to be prohibitive. I may have to cave in and order some because I have a new-found love of ginger and I must try all things ginger. I never liked ginger before. Go figure. I used Nick’s recipe as inspiration and created my recipe for Rhubarb Ginger Jam, minus the forced rhubarb and stem ginger. It is spectacular, if I do say so myself. The rhubarb makes it tangy and the ginger gives it a real flavor kick. I plan to use some of my jam to make Rhubarb Ginger Jam Cake, also from frugal feeding. My work-around for the not having stem ginger was making a ginger syrup. It is best when allowed to sit overnight. I made the ginger syrup in the evening and made the jam the following morning. This beautiful jam will be topping my morning toast, and I can’t wait.

Rhubarb Ginger Jam

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Ingredients

• 2 thumb-sized pieces of ginger root
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 6 cups red rhubarb (cubed in 1/2" chunks)
• 3 cups sugar
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions

• Peel one piece of ginger root and slice it into 1/2 " pieces. Place the ginger, one cup sugar, and one cup water into a small saucepan. Reserve the second piece of ginger.
• Bring the sugar, ginger water mixture to a boil over medium high heat being careful not to let it burn. Reduce the heat and simmer on low until thick and syrupy. Store in a covered bowl for at least two hours, preferable overnight.
• Remove the ginger slices from the syrup and discard, or use for something else calling for candied ginger.
• Pour the ginger syrup into a large, deep, heavy bottomed pot. Add the rhubarb, sugar, and lemon juice to the pot. Peel the second piece of ginger and great it into the rhubarb mixture. You can use as little or as much as you like. I really wanted to taste the ginger.
• Place a small plate in the freezer to use verifying that the jam has set.
• Bring the rhubarb mixture to a full rolling boil then reduce the heat. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the rhubarb has broken down.
• After 20 minutes take a small amount of the jam and place it on the chilled plate. After one minute push the cool jam with your finger. If the surface of the jam wrinkles it’s ready. If not, continue cooking until the jam passes the chilled plate test.
• When ready, transfer the jam into three sterilized canning jars, seal and process the jars in a water bath following canning protocols strictly. You can also freeze the jam in plastic containers or simply store in the refrigerator. Do not store unprocessed jam without refrigeration!