Rhubarb Jam

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Delicious homemade rhubarb jam is a delicious way to use up your spring rhubarb. All you need to make this jam is fresh rhubarb and sugar and a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice! That’s it – no added pectin or other ingredients.

Rhubarb is in full season for us right now. I’ve been making lots of rhubarb recipes lately; rhubarb muffins, rhubarb bread, rhubarb crisp, rhubarb sauce and my latest is this rhubarb jam. 

Rhubarb is tart and it lends itself to a variety of dishes. Rhubarb jam is a perfect jam with a bit of tart and a bit of sweet. This jam is delicious on toast, English muffins or on a peanut butter sandwich.

This jam is only made with fresh rhubarb and sugar and a bit of fresh lemon juice. That’s it! There’s no added pectin, water or other ingredients. 

The trick to making this jam is macerating the rhubarb. Macerating is simply mixing the rhubarb with sugar and allowing the water to be extracted from the rhubarb.

The color of rhubarb jam

The color of rhubarb jam varies, depending on your rhubarb. The rhubarb from my garden tends to be more green than red, but my mother in law’s rhubarb is very, very red. When I use her rhubarb in this jam, my jam also turn out really red. 

It can also a light color with a pinkish hue. Sometimes it even turns a drab greenish brown color. Adding a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice helps keep the color bright. No matter the color, the taste is always the same. The color of rhubarb does not change the taste.  Adding a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice helps preserve the color. 

How long does it take to make this jam?

The actual cook time of this jam is about 30 minutes. However, the macerating of the rhubarb takes about 8 hours. I like to cut up the rhubarb in the evening, add the sugar, cover and then let sit overnight. I sometimes give it an occasional stir, if I’m thinking about it. 

To make the jam

1. Cut up rhubarb into small pieces and place in a bowl
2. Add sugar and stir
3. Cover for at least 8 hours or overnight
4. Add fresh squeezed lemon juice
5. Place rhubarb and all juices into a large pot
6. Cook over medium high heat until the mixture begins to boil
7. Lower to medium low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring often
8. Continue cooking over low heat until mixture begins to thicken
9. Remove from heat and place in a glass container

How do I know if the jam is done?

There are a couple of ways to determine if your jam is done:

• Cook until rhubarb is soft and most of the liquid has evaporated
• Cook until temperature of jam reaches 210-215 degrees. This is a slightly lower temperature than most jams that are cooked to 220 degrees, but it is a perfect temperature for rhubarb jam
• Test jam on a plate – scoop out a tablespoonful of jam onto a plate. Allow to cool for a minute and then run the back of a spoon through jam. If the jam stays separated, it is done. 
• Tilt the jam – the jam should only have a slight slide 

How do I store this jam?

This batch of jam does not make a large amount. It yields approximately 2 cups of cooked jam. Since this doesn’t make a large amount, I store the jam in the refrigerator. It will last for up to one month in the refrigerator. 

If you are making a larger batch and need a way to store it for a longer period, you can freeze the jam or can it into jars and process in a hot water bath. 

Other delicious homemade jam recipes

• Strawberry Jam
• Apricot Jam
• Seedless Blackberry Jam
• Apple Butter

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If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

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