Rhubarb and Apple Jam

 



Ever since me and my husband started growing our own food, over 13 years ago, we've always grown rhubarb. I wanted to grow it as I remember my Dad growing it in our garden in Chester when I was a little girl. My cat Sooty used to sleep amongst the stalks on a warm summers day.

 

Our rhubarb patch this year has been really good, I knew with such a good crop that I had enough to make one of my husbands favourite jams-rhubarb and apple.

 



 



The recipe book I use for this jam is a Sue Ashworth book called Traditional Jams, Jellies and Preserves. I've used this book for several jam recipes including Plum Jam, Damson Jam and Blackberry and Apple Jam. All have been successful.





 

 

The recipe is so easy to follow, only 4 steps in the whole recipe. I didn't have any fresh ginger so used ground ginger. The addition of the ginger and cinnamon to the final jam just gives it a little bit of 'bite' but it's very subtle so if you aren't a lover of ginger I would still add it. 

 

 

I roped my 18 year old son into peeling the apples with me, mainly by challenging him to an apple peeling competition-the longest length of apple skin wins! I won :)

 

 

The rhubarb is first softened in the water for 10-15 minutes before the apple is added. This is then softened for a further 30 minutes.

 

 

Once the fruit is softened the sugar is added away from the heat and when this has all dissolved the jam is returned to the heat to be hard boiled.

 

The jam takes quite a lot of hard boiling before the setting point is reached, mainly because the rhubarb and apple are quite watery fruit. The jam also produces quite a lot of 'skum' which needs to be skimmed off as the jam boils.

 

Once the setting point is reached the ginger and cinnamon are stirred into the jam.

 

 

Once the ginger and cinnamon are added the jam is poured into sterilised jars and sealed straight away.

 

I always use recycled jars for my jam, although I have some Kilner Jars too. So most of the jars I use have been recycled several times and are perfectly good, as long as they are sterilised before they are reused.

 

 I used these pretty labels to label my jam, which my daughter bought for me for Mother's Day. I always date my jams too so that I can use the oldest stock first.

 

 

The Rhubarb and Apple Jam is lovely spread on homemade bread and is a lovely reminder of my Dads rhubarb patch from many years ago. Not to mention my cat Sooty!