Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Unlike most rhubarb recipes, this one doesn't require a truckload of sugar. This recipe makes a slightly tart jam. Nevertheless, it is possible to personalize it according to your tastes. You can use twice as much rhubarb as strawberries if you don't want too intense sweetness. The advantage is that it'll cost you less in ingredients since rhubarb costs a lot less.
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Servings: 4 cups
Calories: 315kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cups strawberries hulled and halved
- 3 cups rhubarb cut into ½ inch (2 cm) cubes (about 1 large stalk)
- 2 cups coconut palm sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium to a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the mixture begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low. The heat should be set to the point where it continues to bubble, but not violently when stirred (once cooking begins, bubbles of jam may escape from the center of the pan). Continue to cook, occasionally stirring, until the jam thickens, 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes at 220 ° F (104 ° C) or as per your observations.
Notes
Choose the right pot
The width of your pot can affect the outcome of your jam. Always choose the widest one at your disposal and with sufficient height to allow the jam to boil vigorously. A larger surface means faster evaporation, and a sufficient height means that you can increase the heat and let it boil. Quick evaporation of the water is essential to obtain a nice sticky spreadable jam.
Don't despise sugar (this time)
It looks like a dreadful amount when you measure it, but stay strong, stay firm, and go on. Most of the time, this will make the perfect jam. Sugar does a lot more in a jam than sweetening it, you know.
It not only preserves the fruit, of course, but it plays a significant role in extracting its flavor. It also binds the water in the fruit so that it cannot interfere with the thickening. Use too little sugar, and the aroma and color will be dull. Jam is no place for a sugar-free diet.
And if you're wondering, "Why is my jam so runny?" The reduction in the quantity could be the cause.
Indeed, if you reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe too drastically, you may not be able to bring your jam setting point. Therefore, you'll have more of a strawberry and rhubarb sauce instead of a jam.
Control the heat
It's essential to ensure that the temperature of the jam reaches around 220 ° F (104 ° C), which is its "gelling" or "gelification" point. You can therefore test it by taking its boiling temperature. When the mixture reaches this temperature, the jam is usually ready.
Cook long enough
You just have to let some of the excess water in the fruit evaporate, a process that only happens if you cook it long enough.
For me, this time was about an hour and a half. But the time may vary. Often the cooking times provided by the authors of the recipe are only approximate times. They don't know how your stove cooks, if you live in the Sahara (arid zone) or the Amazon rainforest (wet and sticky), or in which pot you cook the jam. Use your judgment.
Variants
For a less sweet and much more tangy taste: add double the rhubarb. For so-called "sugar-free" recipes, you can instead add:- Honey. The measurements are as follows: 2 volumes of sugar equals 1 volume of honey. You will need to cook the jam a little longer than the time indicated in the recipe using sugar. The consistency of the jam or jelly will be a little runnier.
- Other natural sweeteners such as Stevia, Norbu, or even Xylitol. We will only put 3 tablespoons instead of 1 cup of sugar used in the traditional jam recipe.
Conservation
Preserved in mason jars and loosely sealed, Strawberry Rhubarb Jam will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.Nutrition
Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 162mg | Potassium: 433mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 59g | Vitamin A: 107IU | Vitamin C: 72mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 1mg
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