Ken's Rhubarb Jam
Get some fresh rhubarb. Cut off the leaves (rhubarb leaves are poisonous).
Trim off the top and bottom of the stalks, then chop them. The finer you chop them the smoother the Jam. Chop them course if you like chunks of fruit in your Jam.
Place in a pot with enough water to cover. Add some brown sugar, a splash of white wine and some finely chopped lemon or lime zest. Zest only, be careful not to get any of the underlying white flesh. Don't add too much sugar because you can always sweeten to taste later. I like to add little sugar so the flavor of the rhubarb comes through.
Simmer with stirring as necessary until you get the right consistency. Be careful not to burn.
Tech Notes:
This can also be used as the filling for a rhubarb pie, or an open rhubarb tart, or rhubarb crumble.
Some people even have the skill to ferment this into rhubarb wine.
Rhubarb seasons:
Field-grown is April, May, June. Rhubarb is one of the first spring crops, often referred to as a "spring tonic."
Greenhouse-grown is February, March. This variety is often sweeter, more tender, and a more uniform red color.
If rhubarb is out of season you'll need to use canned. This is often in a syrup, so sieve it first to get rid of the syrup, then rinse and proceed as above.
Content written and posted by Ken Abbott abbottsystems@gmail.com