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My Grandmother's Rhubarb Jam

A community recipe by

Not tested or verified by Nigella.com

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Introduction

A deep amber coloured and fully flavoured rhubarb jam

A deep amber coloured and fully flavoured rhubarb jam

Ingredients

Serves: 1 jar

Metric Cups
  • 2 kilograms rhubarb
  • 2 kilograms sugar
  • 4⅖ pounds rhubarb
  • 4⅖ pounds sugar

Method

My Grandmother's Rhubarb Jam is a community recipe submitted by asgrimur10 and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

  • Cut the leaves off (obviously) and cut the rhubarb into thin bits, depending on how thick they are. If it is very thick then around 5 mm thick bits but otherwise up to 1cm. Do not discard the white part because it is the sweetest.
  • Put the rhubarb in a large pan in layers with the sugar and let rest over night. This will extract a lot of juice from the rhubarb.
  • And now on to the cooking, I warn you-it takes days, but don't be alarmed. My grandmother came up with this method because she was keeping the el. bills down so whenever she was done cooking something (and she was always cooking something, especially in the summer) she would turn off the heat and put the jam over to use the extra heat.
  • The day after you cut the rhubarb you only need to bring the heat up a little bit and stir it a good deal to preventing any burns, 10 -30 min on low or medium should do it. Now turn off the heat and let the jam rest. You just repeat this, maybe twice a day, until the jam has this deep reddish amber colour.
  • Remember that the jam should never boil very "vigorously" the sugar may overheat and the delicate flavour may be lost. When filling the jars follow general instructions about hygiene and put an extra layer of sugar on the top to seal it (if it's done right it prevents all mould).
  • The jam can be stored in cupboard for up to 3 years, though I wouldn't recommend keeping it for more than a year. It serves brilliantly with waffles.
  • Cut the leaves off (obviously) and cut the rhubarb into thin bits, depending on how thick they are. If it is very thick then around 5 mm thick bits but otherwise up to 1cm. Do not discard the white part because it is the sweetest.
  • Put the rhubarb in a large pan in layers with the sugar and let rest over night. This will extract a lot of juice from the rhubarb.
  • And now on to the cooking, I warn you-it takes days, but don't be alarmed. My grandmother came up with this method because she was keeping the el. bills down so whenever she was done cooking something (and she was always cooking something, especially in the summer) she would turn off the heat and put the jam over to use the extra heat.
  • The day after you cut the rhubarb you only need to bring the heat up a little bit and stir it a good deal to preventing any burns, 10 -30 min on low or medium should do it. Now turn off the heat and let the jam rest. You just repeat this, maybe twice a day, until the jam has this deep reddish amber colour.
  • Remember that the jam should never boil very "vigorously" the sugar may overheat and the delicate flavour may be lost. When filling the jars follow general instructions about hygiene and put an extra layer of sugar on the top to seal it (if it's done right it prevents all mould).
  • The jam can be stored in cupboard for up to 3 years, though I wouldn't recommend keeping it for more than a year. It serves brilliantly with waffles.
  • Tell us what you think

    What 4 Others have said

    • Just made this, best rhubarb jam ever! Thank you. PS you do not discard the liquid - you put it with the rhubarb and sugar in the saucepan to cook.

      Posted by Annemct on 6th June 2017
    • What happens to the liquid that comes out over night? Is it discarded?

      Posted by soniaboulden on 30th June 2014
    • My first attempt at rhubarb jam the proper way was disastrous. This recipe was so easy to follow and it turned out amazing. I cooked it for a short time in the morning and then again at night for about 4 days. I got about 4 large jars from this amount and stored them in the fridge rather than a cupboard. As the previous commenter said the kitchen smelt amazing for days. Jam tasted amazing and I'm hoping to try and make some more soon.

      Posted by kt37uk on 5th October 2013
    • Made this jam and it came out wonderful, so easy and the kitchen smelt nice for days!

      Posted by jihussein on 5th June 2013
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