What do you do with a pack of rhubarb?
Make my Rhubarb & Ginger Jam (no pectin recipe) that’s what!
I love rhubarb and when it’s in season at a reasonable price or reduced (you know me, love a bargain) then I just have to buy it. So having had a pack of rhubarb in my fridge for a few days I realised it needed using up. I looked around for some inspiration and spied my crystallised ginger in the cupboard! In the past I’ve made Rhubarb & Ginger Cake so I knew these flavours married really well together.
So what’s so special about Rhubarb & Ginger Jam?
Well oh my golly gosh, this Rhubarb & Ginger Jam just blew me away! The sharpness of the rhubarb is totally mellowed and given a delicious warmth from the crystallised ginger. I’ve had 3 scones with it on so far this week, I may have had one for breakfast too (don’t judge)! Even hubby who doesn’t usually like ginger loved my jam too! As usual there’s no pectin or jam sugar in this recipe and the jam has a fairly soft set.
How much Rhubarb & Ginger Jam will this recipe make?
From one 400 g pack of rhubarb you will get 2 x 200 ml jars or 1 x 400 ml jar. If you end up with slightly less prepared weight of rhubarb then just use an equal weight of sugar but packs usually have slightly more weight in them than they say!
Where can you find rhubarb for free?
After making this Rhubarb & Ginger Jam I needed to get hold of some more rhubarb to style the photographs! As luck would have it, I stumbled across a post in a local Facebook group flagging up some free food and produce via an app called Olio. I downloaded the app and saw that there was also rhubarb on offer which is now gracing my jam shots (and since been turned into my Rhubarb Compote).
On arriving to collect the rhubarb I was also offered other food and produce which you can see in the picture above. The app is global and all about reducing food (and toiletries) waste so if you need some or have some to give whether as an individual or corporation then I can’t recommend it enough. Please spread the word to stop good food going to landfill!
What other rhubarb or ginger preserve recipes are there?
I asked a few bloggers for their recommendations and here is what they came up with, plus a few of my own:
- Simple Rhubarb & Gin Jam
- Rhubarb & Strawberry Jam
- Rhubarb, Lemon & Vanilla Jam
- Rhubarb & Orange Jam
- Ginger Orange Marmalade
- Pumpkin & Ginger Jam
I do hope you try my Rhubarb & Ginger Jam and by all means scale up the recipe. You’ll probably need to add a few extra minutes to the boiling time but start with the time stated just to be on the safe side and gauge it from there!
Why not pin for later?
Rhubarb & Ginger Jam
Ingredients
- 400 g chopped rhubarb narrow stalks best (prepared weight)
- 30 g crystallised stem ginger finely chopped
- 400 g granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Wash and dry the rhubarb, then chop into equal sized cubes.
- Place in a bowl and add the chopped crystallised stem ginger, sugar and lemon juice.
- Cover with a plate and set aside for 2 – 3 hrs to allow the rhubarb juices to start flowing and ginger flavour develop.
- Transfer to a pan and heat gently whilst stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves. (You’ll notice there will no longer be any scratching sounds from the sugar).
Bring to a rolling boil and time for 6 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to prevent the jam from sticking to the pan and burning.
- Turn off the heat and test a few drops of jam on a chilled saucer, if a finger pushed through it makes and crinkle and it appears tacky, it’s ready.
- If it’s not ready boil for another 2 minutes and repeat until is passes the test.
- Ladle jam into hot sterilised jar/s and seal immediately.
- Allow to cool before serving.
- Store in a cool, dark place where it will keep for a year and most likely more (if you can resist it that long)!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Sterilise jars by washing in hot soapy water (or take straight from dishwasher), fill with boiling water, empty and then place in oven for 20 minutes at 140°C where you leave them until the jam is ready. Washed lids should be sterilised with boiling water and then left to drain.
Used my last sticks of this season’s rhubarb to make this jam, and am thrilled Apart from the steeping time,it really did reach setting time very quickly ! Can’t wait for next years crop….or I might even buy some .! Will be trying your tomato and pepper chutney next.
Glad you like the recipe, it’s a new favourite here:-) I’m sure you’ll love the chutney too:-)
Hi! Did you try processing this on a water bath so it’d be shelf stable? If so, what amount of headspace did you leave and how long did you boil it for? Thank you!
Hi Laurie, in Europe we don’t water bath jam as it’s not necessary as it is safe and shelf stable. I’m afraid as I’ve never water bathed a jam I couldn’t answer your question but I’m sure it would be the same process for all jams if you live across the pond. I’m sure a good jam facebook group would be able to help.
Any thoughts on how fresh ginger would turn out instead of crystallized? Thanks
Hi Gwen, there are recipes out there that use fresh ginger!
We have 2 green rhubarb crowns & have had them for years. My question is if I could substitute Stevia for part of the sugar & it would still set up?
Hi Anne, I’m afraid I have no experience of making jam with sweeteners so couldn’t advise you. There are a couple of diabetic jam recipes in Marguerite Patten’s “Basic Basics Jams, Preserves and Chutneys Handbook” but it’s not a route I’ll ever go down as I’m just not a fan of sweeteners.
I’m crazy mad about rhubarb too – especially rhubarb and ginger, Camilla. This reminds me of Scotland, as we had this as a special treat. Love all of your jams! Sharing the rhubarb love…
Thanks Jill, I’m also craxy about rhubarb and jam:-)
Rhubarb and ginger are both such iconic flavours. I bet this tasted incredible.
Thanks Sisley, it really is a dream of a jam:-)
Rhubarb and Ginger is probably my favourite jam of all time and never lasts long in our house.
I can see why Janice, I’d never had it before but blown away by the flavour:-)
We haven’t got rhubarb in the new garden, sadly, as for some reason we didn’t bring the plants we had in our back garden or allotment, so I need to get some in so we can try this one! Pete would love it!
Aaw that’s a shame, I’m sure someone locally could give you some, I’m very excited to be growing some for the first time:-) I’m sure Pete would love this jam too:-)
Good Morning!
I was wondering if the sugar could be reduced?
Lovely blog you have, and the recipe sounds so enticing.
I think you could shave off 50g but I wouldn’t go lower as rhubarb is quite sharp so hence I went for the 1:1 ratio here as I usually like to lower the sugar content.
I recently got a new rhubarb plant + a bunch of stems. I made a rhubarb and ginger simple syrup out of some of it and it was delicious, so I know this jam has all the right flavors! Rhubarb, ginger and sugar truly is a match made in heaven. Will save this for when I can get more ready rhubarb!
Excellent, the lovely lady who gave me the rhubarb also got me some rhubarb crown from her allotment the following week so hopefully I’ll have a crop of stems next year! Yes the flavour combination is so good isn’t it:-)