Spread the love! Traditional rhubarb jam recipes for all.

Firstly for the best flavours and care of your rhubarb plant – make sure you harvest or buy your rhubarb before Summer. AND before making rhubarb jam, make sure you cut the green leaves off (duh! Obviously – they are toxic!), cut the rhubarb into inch chunks and away you go. Here are some sensational Rhubarb Jam Recipes to make and enjoy – you won’t find these jam recipes on supermarket shelves!

RHUBARB AND ELDERFLOWER JAM

4 lb. rhubarb
3 lb. sugar
2 lemons or 1 level teaspoonful in powder form of citric acid or tartaric acid
3 sprays of elderflower tied in muslin
1 large cupful of water

You can make Rhubarb and Elderflower Jam once you’ve harvested ample elderflowers which are usually out in hedgerows the same time Ruubard should be harvested. Take freshly pulled rhubarb of good red/pink colour, wipe clean, cut into inch lengths, place in preserving pan with the water and the citric acid or lemon juice. Cook gently until your rhubarb is quite soft. Weigh, and to every pound weight add 12 oz. of sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

Next attach to the handle of the preserving pan the muslin bag containing the freshly gathered blossoms of elderflower bring to the boil; boil for 20 minutes, stirring gently.
Test for setting, and if necessary boil it for another 5 minutes.
When ready, put immediately into hot jars and seal down immediately.

RHUBARB AND FIG JAM

3 lb. rhubarb
3/4 lb. dried figs
2 1/2 lb. sugar
1 teacupful water
1/2 teaspoonful ground ginger
1 level teaspoonful citric acid or tartaric acid, or 1 teacupful red currant juice

There is nothing quite like a Rhubarb and Fig jam combo! Wash, drain, and chop up the figs. Wipe the rhubarb vith a damp cloth and cut into small pieces. Put all into preserving pan, add the acid (dissolved in a little water), also the cupful of water and the ginger. ‘Simmer steadily, stirring frequently until the contents are cooked and some of the moisture evaporated.
Add the sugar, stir until dissolved, then bring again to the boil. Boil quickly for 20 minutes before testing. If ready, pot up and cover at once.

RHUBARB GINGER JAM

6 lb. rhubarb
2 level teaspoonfuls ground ginger
5 lb. sugar
juice of 2 lemons

For a little zing and punch try making Rhubarb and Ginger Jam. After weighing, put in preserving pan with the lemon juice, place over gentle heat, stirring occasionally until the rhubarb is pulped. Add the ginger, mixed with a little of the pulp, stir in, then add the sugar hot; when dissolved, bring the jam again to the boil. Boil quickly for half an hour, stirring constantly. Test, pot up, and cover.

Adding freshly grated ginger adds a little extra punch and texture!

More Making Jam and Jellies

This is an amazingly refreshing summer drink, especially when mixed with a bit of fizzy water – and the main ingredient is FREE! Elderflowers come out at the start of summer and turn into elderberries in the autumn. The flowers are tiny, delicate pretty little white things attached to spindly green twigs and the hedgerows are simply bursting with them!

Elderflower cordial is perfect to avoid or treat a summer cold, this drink is vitamin C-rich as the limes have a high vitamin C content and elderflowers are anticatarrhal. The drink is soothing on the throat and its zingy flavour will lift your spirits whenever you feel unwell.

Try this deliciously refreshing elderflower and lime cordial recipe for a summer pick-up.

Cordial Kit
A Big very clean bucket
A big saucepan
Two clean tea towels
Sieve
Enough bottles to store 5 litres of cordial

For the Elderflower cordial

2 carrier bags stuffed with fresh elderflower heads (or about 50 flower heads)
3 – 4 limes, sliced
3.5 kg sugar
200 grams citric acid or asorbic acid (vitamin C powder)
5ml/1 tsp cream of tartar
3 litres of boiling water

Wash and pick over the elderflowers thoroughly, discarding any that are past their best or show any signs of mould. Put the flowers into a large bucket with the sliced limes. Add the sugar, citric acid and cream of tartar. Cover and set aside for a few hours then pour in the boiling water and leave to stand for a further 24 hours. Strain the syrup into sterilized bottles and seal the contents with corks for a traditional look or glass bottles with lids. To serve, dilute with about twice as much still or add sparkling mineral water.

It will keep refrigerated for 2 – 3 months