Rhubarb and Ginger Jam Recipe
For a delicious but healthy pick me up this winter, it's hard to beat a rhubarb and ginger preserve, combining the seasonal sweet tartness of forced rhubarb with a warm kick of ginger, full of health boosting properties.
Rhubarb and ginger jam: ingredients
1kg pink rhubarb (weight after trimming)
1kg jam sugar (with pectin added)
Juice and zest of one lemon
50g ginger, finely chopped (you can use stem or crystallised ginger)
4cm knob of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
Rhubarb and ginger jam: method
Wash the rhubarb pieces in cold water and cut into 2cm chunks. Mix with the jam sugar, lemon juice and zest, the chopped stem or crystallised ginger and the fresh, grated ginger in a large bowl. Stir well to combine, cover the bowl and set aside for a couple of hours to allow the flavours to infuse and the sugar to dissolve. You could stir the mixture occasionally to give it some encouragement.
Put a couple of saucers in the freezer - you'll use them later when testing for a setting point. Tip the jam mixture into a preserving pan and cook over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Bring to the boil and keep the mixture boiling until the rhubarb has softened, which should take ten to 15 minutes.
Test for a setting point by using a teaspoon to put a drop of the jam onto one of your pre-frozen saucers. Allow to set for 30 seconds then use the tip of your finger to gently push the surface of the jam. If a skin has formed which wrinkles when you push it, your jam has reached setting point. If the jam isn't quite ready yet, keep it cooking and re-test it in the same way every few minutes until you get there.
When the jam is ready, remove it from the stove and allow to cool for ten to 20 minutes, then pour carefully into clean, sterilised jam jars while still hot. Seal the jars immediately and allow to cool before labelling.
This rhubarb and ginger jam is ideal served the traditional way on hot, buttered toast or crumpets, or you can use it as a topping on muesli and natural yoghurt, as a sauce with vanilla ice cream or add a dollop on top of fruit salad to give a slightly spicy boost.
