For once, our rhubarb and the local strawberries managed to peak at the same time! I love this time of year when everything is fresh and bright - and nothing reminds me more of one particular childhood summer than strawberry rhubarb jam. I'm sure my paternal grandmother made it more than once, but there is a definite memory of a summer when I was about 10 or so where we visited a community garden and farm stall prior to me helping her make dill pickles and strawberry rhubarb freezer jam. I used to swear I hated rhubarb too - what kid would like this sour / bitter vegetable of all things? But her jam convinced me that it was possible to make it taste good with enough sugar and strawberries added in!
I came across a recipe similar to my grandma's on Food52 and decided to give it a go with a few other tricks I had from an old church cookbook, namely freezing the strawberries, rhubarb and a tiny bit of sugar first before completing the maceration. I'm not entirely sure what this does to be honest, except draw out extra liquid and leaving the berries and rhubarb a bit more chunky. Whatever it did or didn't do, this recipe is a keeper - it's perfect for a small glut of strawberries or when you only have a few jam lovers in the house (shocker, I know).
1 1/2 cups sugar
- Combine the strawberries, rhubarb and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a ziploc bag and place in the freezer overnight.
- In the morning, take the bag out of the freezer and add the remaining sugar. Let stand at room temperature until thawed.
- Transfer the contents of the bag to a large, wide pot and bring to a boil.
- Cook, stirring frequently, for 14-17 minutes. You will have to stir constantly near the end as the mixture thickens.
- Jam is done when a drop on a fridge-cold plate doesn't run off the edge - don't judge doneness by the actions of the jam in the pot as the sugar is liquid and acts differently!
- Spoon into jars and store in the fridge or waterbath can for 10 minutes.
No comments :
Post a Comment
Thanks for the feedback!