Rhubarb, pear and ginger jam
Jam diaries # 15: rhubarb, pear and ginger.
A friend gave me some of her homegrown rhubarb in late Summer. I decided to freeze some and defrost later once I had a good recipe to do with it.
Pears are in season so it seemed the right time to defrost the rhubarb.
This is a very good jam indeed, from Lynda Brown's The preserving book.
Serves: 570g.
Ingredients:
- 340 rhubarb, chopped into 2.5cm chunks
- 1 pear, peeled, cored and chopped
- 170g sugar
- juice of ½ lemon
- juice of ½ orange
- 1cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Method:
- Put the rhubarb and pear in a stainless steel pan with the sugar. Stir it all together.
- Add the lemon and orange juices and the ginger. Cook on a low heat until the sugar has all dissolved.
- Raise the heat, bring to the boil, and cook at a roiling boil for 15-20 min or until the setting point is reached.
- Fill into sterilised jars, and cover with tightly fitting lids. I do not use silicone or paper discs so I fill the jars all the way to the top. The less air inside, the less chances of mould developing.
- Store in a cool, dark place.
How to sterilise jars and lids?
Jars: heat them in a 180°C oven for 10 min. Let them cool.
Lids: boil them in water for 10 min. Let them air dry upside down. If you are tight for time, let them dry on the door of the open oven once you've sterilised the jars and the oven if off.
What is a setting point?
Literature tells us that the jam setting point is reached at 105°C. I bought a sugar thermometer specially for this. I really cannot get my jams to get to 105°C so I quit on the thermometer!
There is an easier way, the wrinkle method, which involves a cold plate. Check this link out: https://www.cookingwithnanaling.com/how-to-tell-when-jam-is-set/
In time you won't need any of these methods. Experience of looking on how the jam sets on your stirring spoon will tell you when it's ready.
How long will the jam last for?
Literature tells you jams will last for 6 months and the more sugar you add to them the longer they will last as sugar is a preservative. Jams usually have a 1:1 fruit to sugar ratio to make them last longer.
Personally, that is not my experience. I usually use half the amount of sugar so a 1:½ fruit to sugar ratio. Some years we are eating jams 1 year later and they are still absolutely fine.
Perhaps the jam has developed a bit of mold on the top when you open it. Do not throw it away!!! Just scoop the mold out and continue eating. If you are a fast eater like my partner, you can store the jam in the cupboard. If you are not, store it in the fridge.
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