That right there is a little tribute to a friend (who we’ll just call Squinty) and one of his favourite songs by a lady named Michelle Shocked called Makin’ Jam.
Coincidentally, I decided to make some jam of my own yesterday evening.
I haven’t done much preserving yet this year in comparison to last year, but that’s just because I made so many jams, jellies, preserves, conserves and syrups that I haven’t needed to replenish much of my supply just yet. And while I love jam so much that I can eat it unadulterated by the spoonful, I don’t have too many opportunities to use it in my day to day life, so it really lasts around our household. The only thing we’ve practically run out of were those fabulously tangy gherkins; we’re down to the last pint jar and are severely rationing them until I can make another batch. I’ll be making a double batch this year just in case.
This recent jam session came about because I wanted to use up the rhubarb I received in our farmshare box last week. Having grown up in Winnipeg where rhubarb is plentiful, I can wax poetic about the stuff, but I’m not a big fan of it when it’s cut with strawberries, as is common when adding rhubarb to jams. I started thinking that a pure rhubarb jam might be an interesting iteration, so I began planning my attack and gathering tools in the kitchen.
I combined the chopped up farmshare bundle with some sugar, chopped candied ginger, and a split vanilla pod and let it simmer on the stovetop for about 45 minutes on low. Toward the end when it began to reach that perfect sticky consistency, I checked the flavour and added a splash of lemon juice for good measure. Funnelled into a jar it made just enough for 1 cup of jam. Voila!
Foodie’s Rhubarb Jam
1/2 lb rhubarb, washed and chopped into half inch chunks
0.66 c. sugar
1.5 tbsp candied ginger, chopped
1 vanilla pod, split and scraped
lemon juice to taste
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepot and simmer over low heat until thick and jamlike, about 45 minutes. Taste and add lemon juice to taste, or omit if you prefer a sweeter compote. Stir to combine, then funnel the jam into a clean, dry 1 cup mason jar. Seal and process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes for longer term storage, or refrigerate for up to 1 month.
Makes 1 cup of jam.
Until next time…
Update: I just tried some of this jam on my ciabatta for breakfast; in a word, heavenly. Upon popping the lid I was assaulted with the sweet perfume of vanilla seeds, and my first bite gave way to a pleasant warmth from the candied ginger. It was a little sweeter than I wanted, so next time I may ratchet up the rhubarb quotient to accommodate that. Delish!
Tags: farmshare, ginger, jam, Makin' Jam, Michelle Shocked, New Projects, Preservation, Recipes, rhubarb, vanilla
