You’ll need to use jam sugar for this (or ordinary sugar with added liquid or powdered pectin) as rhubarb has next to none!
Ingredients for Rhubarb Jam:
- 4lbs (2 kg) rhubarb
- 4lbs (2 kg) jam sugar
- 3 oz (75 g) root ginger
- Juice of 2 lemons (or 4 tablespoons bottled Lemon Juice)
Method for Rhubarb Jam:
- Trim, wash and wipe the rhubarb and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) lengths. Put into a bowl, sprinkle with the sugar, cover and leave overnight to soak.
- Next day, pour into a pan, add the lemon juice, bruise the ginger and wrap in a piece of muslin and place it in the pan, bring slowly to the boil, stirring occasionally until all the sugar has dissolved.
- Boil rapidly until the jam sets when tested and the fruit sinks to the bottom of the pan.
- Remove the scum and leave to cool slightly. Pot into warm sterilized jars and seal whilst still warm.
Makes about 5 lbs (2.5 kg) of jam.
General Information on Jam Making
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Store, preserve, label and cover your home grown fruit and vegetables with this extensive range of products. You've made it so it is only fair to show it off at its best!
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Did you know if you add a tsp of butter near the end the froth will disappear.
Thanks for the tip. I did know about the trick with butter.
I clean and chop the root ginger very finely and add it to the rhubarb half way through the boiling.
I am new to jam and chutney making but going to try your rhubarb jam today how long will it keep for and how long will chutney keep?
The “official” line is 12 months but we’ve had jams and chutneys that are a lot older than that and have still been fine.
thanks for time scale I am making them for christmas gifts so that is great, made the rhubarb ginger jam today put ginger in choped very finely it is lovly.
Hi Val
In the rhubarb jam recipe could I use a sugar substitute like Splenda or canderel granuales instead of granulated sugar? Would this affect the way the jam will set?
many thanks
Davina
I’ve never tried so I’m not sure. My main concern would be that pound to pound, Splenda and Canderel are far sweeter than sugar and you’d end up with a extremely sweet jam. If you had problems with the set, you could add in some pectin stock (rhubarb is low in pectin anyway) or stir in a sachet of dried pectin.
can i open jars to check i have put wax disks on flat if there not on flat what will happen to jam?
hey did you know that they have this in norway on christmas?
I use a fine cheese grater to shred the root ginger which I add more than half way through cooking. Yummy!
im 12 and i grow ruhbarb so i will try this recipe
Hi, I keep ginger in freezer and it is very easy to grate straight into the pan, put unused ginger back in freezer.
i made the peach jam the other day and it was abso fantastic with my homegrown peaches, thank you…..xxx
I made the rubarb jam and its really nice so glad I found this website…..
I have read your lovely recipes and tips and intend to start my own rhubarb jam tomorrow, when I have bought a few last minute ingredients, such as ginger and maybe fruit sugar. Happy to have found this website. Thank you.
Do I need to use jam sugar when making jam or is granulated as good
Help! I don’t like ginger, but l-l-love rhubarb and clove jam. But I can’t find a recipe just with rhubarb&cloves. Anyone know if I substitute the ginger in this recipe with cloves, how much would I use?
Just read about your rhubarb jam and will be making some later. Just a Q is rhubarb high in pectin and how well does it set or is it worth adding a pectin substitute. Thanks
Rhubarb has next to no pectin. It’s worth using jam sugar or having some liquid or dry pectin at hand.
HI Val and everyone.
I would like to ask for a clarification about rhubarb jam (with ginger but I don’t use the ginger). Generally it is suggested to put (warm) sugar in after the fruit has cooked and broken down but in the rhubarb recipe it is suggested we put the sugar in with the prepared rhubarb and leave overnight. Can u tell me why this is different?
I have made the rhubarb jam recipe and it is delish. I tried the plumb jam yesterday but it is more like syrup (tho delish) so I think I didn’t cook it long enough tho it reached about 103C. Comments pls?
My neighbour has more plumbs and some peaches coming on…so I will be busy stewing and jamming. I am in Australia about 5 hours drive south of Sydney.
We have our English rellies coming to visit in mid Feb.
Sarah
I made some raspberry jam this year and find now that mould has formed on top. Is it edible and what have I done wrong, please advise.
Where can you get the jars and lids to store the jam?
Hi to answer the question about leaving the sugar with the rhubarb overnight. It draws out the juice which helps to keep the rhubarb in chunks. Perhaps you could try it with your plums?
Ever tried a adding ripe bananas to the rhubarb while it is stewing? Helps with setting point and also uses up those over-ripe bananas sitting in your fruit bowl.
@TOM JONES: When we were little Mum used to just spoon the mould off plus a little bit of good jam and then we’d use it as normal…never harmed us although I daresay lots would frown on it these days.
When can I start using this years rhubarb for jam making, I have been told if you use the stalks too early the jam shall not keep.
As kids, we always skimmed off any mould with a little good jam, and ate it, I still do. I am 65 this year, and still going strong lol. Also, I always use jam sugar and generally have no problems with setting, but I DO like the tip about using an over ripe banana .
Hi Pat, if the jam has cooled, leave it alone, the wax discs are not so important that the jam can’t do without them. If it has just been iin the jar a minute or so, then you could look, but I wouldn’t, you will break the sterile atmosphere in there. It will be just as good without them, I do it occasionally with no bad effects, when I run out of discs in the middle of making. If they are not on flat, it won’t matter anyway, no harm will come to the jam.@pat:
Does anyone have a recipe for Rhubarb Jam without Ginger or any thing else added to it PLEASE !!!!!
I think I have the easiest Rhubarb recipe ever! I cut the fruit up and pour one cup of white sugar over it and let it sit over night. Next day I add chopped strawberries (can add more sugar) and boil it. When it is soft and chunky I add 2 small or 1 large pkg. red jello powder to it, let it boil for a minute or two. Take it off the burner and let cool down then pour it into containers and chill it. The jello sets it up so nice. Can be frozen or kept in the fridge.
I’ve never bothered with wax discs. Just put the jam in the jars, screw the lids on as tightly as you can, then turn the jar over and stand it upside down for five minutes – be careful doing this, use oven gloves and do it over a tray, just in case you haven’t got the lid on properly! The heat of the jam will kill off any mould spores. In many years of jam making I have never had mouldy jam.
Love the tip about upending the jars.
Like many others all the regs we have nowadays drive me nuts, when common sense is needed! As a guide, once seen on a preserve site, if you get mould, using a spoon to remove mould and another clean spoon to remove the next centimetre, something to do with the spores, you will be fine. I have found lemon and rhubarb go well together. I have also found ordinary granulated or caster sugar with pectin added works really well and is not as expensive as preserve/jam sugar. As for jars let family/friends near you know you need jars with lids. I sterilize the lids with a sterilizing tablet I dry them with kitchen towel and don’t be mean here, it isn’t worth it. I wash, in very hot soapy water the jars. Then just before I need them I rinse them in hot water, need asbestos hands for this, shake them, pop, 6 at a time, them into my microwave for 2 minutes. Shake out any excess water and use them straightaway. Hope that helps