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No-Fuss Strawberry Rhubarb Refrigerator Jam (Easy, Sweet and Tart)

’tis the season….rhubarb in the supermarket = strawberry rhubarb jam in my fridge. And in my friend’s fridges too; this is so easy and makes such a generous amount that you can gift your dearest buddies with what I consider to be the most delicious jam of the year. There is no gelatin and no pectin, just produce and sugar.

berry and rhubarb macerating

All you need is a few small clean jars with lids to pack it up, ’cause as much as I promise myself this will be the year, I have yet to do any real canning/preserving.

Into the clean jars!

Rhubarb facts: It is a vegetable, but it is used as a fruit. Originally from Asia, its botanical name is Rheum rhabarbarum (which is a really unappealing name, I must say). The stem – the only edible part of the plant – looks a lot like celery with a reddish tint). It is in season in late spring and summer.

duck, duck, jam

I have posted this before (Here is the original post ) but since I make it every year, I think it is worth posting again. It’s a pretty flexible recipe; these amounts are guidelines only. And click here for a strawberry rhubarb shortcake idea!!

jam on toast. YUM

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam (Refrigerator)

1.5 pints strawberries (about 24 oz), washed, hulled, sliced in half or quarters

5-6 medium stalks rhubarb, sliced into 1” chunks (about 1.5 lbs)

2 Cups sugar

2 Tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice

In a large bowl, mix strawberries, rhubarb, sugar and lemon juice. Stir to coat and let sit for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Place two saucers in the freezer.

In a large saucepan, bring fruit to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Use a hand-held mixer or immersion blender to puree the fruit until pretty smooth. Reduce heat and cook at a lively simmer until mixture begins to thicken, 20-25 minutes.

To test for gelling point, drop one teaspoon of jam on one of the chilled saucers and put back in the freezer for about a minute. When you take it out, the jam’s surface should wrinkle gently when pushed with your fingertip. If not, keep stirring and heating and try again in another five minutes or so, then try again with the remaining saucer.

Ladle hot jam into jars. Allow to cool and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Tags: cooking, food, jam, no pectin, recipes, rhubarb, strawberry

Comments 3 Comments
Categories Food, Preserving, Recipes

Cranberry Sauce…Finally!

1 Dec

I have never posted a cranberry sauce recipe before because frankly every time I tried I ended up with a lip-puckering nasty gloopy mess and we’ve just used lingonberry jam from IKEA instead.

A happy surprise for the table

So this year, I did not even tell my family I’d bought cranberries! I told no one that I was going to attempt it again. I just put it together surreptitiously on the day, figuring that if I failed yet again, no one would be the wiser. And wouldn’t you know, it came out deliciously — just the right tartness and sweetness, beautiful color and rich texture. It was great on the turkey and the ham, and even on bread! I have visions of using it on duck or venison one day…(Mad Dog? Are you there?)

I used a recipe from Simply Recipes (one of my go-to spots for solid fundamentals clearly presented) and then played with proportions and seasonings. And it’s a good thing I went for it. Unbeknownst to me, there was no lingonberry jam in the house, so we would have had to do without. Some things are just meant to be, and this was one of those things!

I will absolutely do this again next year for Thanksgiving, and will very likely not wait that long to try it again.

The blueberries were left over from the summer. Had them in my freezer: serendipity!!!

Cranberry Sauce

¾ Cup sugar

¾ Cup water

7 oz package fresh cranberries

1 Cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Orange/Clementine zest (barely 1/4 tsp)

¼ tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. In the meantime, wash and pick over cranberries. Add cranberries, bring to a boil again and then lower heat and simmer until the cranberries are mostly popped (about 10 minutes).

Stir in blueberries, spices and just a tiny bit of zest (use only the colored part of the peel. The pith –white part – will make things bitter). Cook for a bare minute, then remove from heat and cool enough to pour into your serving container. Then cool to room temperature and refrigerate. The sauce will set as it cools.

Tags: cooking, cranberry sauce, food, jam, jelly, recipes, thanksgiving

Comments 7 Comments
Categories CSA, Food, Recipes, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegetarian

Jam On! Fresh Strawberry Rhubarb Jam (no gelatin, no pectin, no sweat!)

21 Jun

Being part of a farm makes you really work with the seasons!

Take rhubarb. I’ve never actually cooked rhubarb before, as much as I love strawberry rhubarb pie (Briermere Farm in Riverhead makes the best I’ve had!). This vegetable is not part of my Caribbean repertory and, to be honest, I have been a little intimidated by it.

Silly me! It is simple! Continue reading →

Tags: breakfast, cooking, easy recipes, food, jam, no pectin no gelatin jam, recipes, seasonal, strawberry rhubarb jam, summer fruit, vegetarian

Comments 10 Comments
Categories CSA, desserts, farming, Food, gardening, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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