Rhubarb!!!!!

Between cold temperatures, being new plants, and the deer nibbling. my garden rhubarb crop is slow...and, let's face it... sparse.

So Thank Goodness for Clear Lake Farmer's Market Opening Day!

The market was filled with great foods!  Especially rhubarb.  I came home with three pounds of beautifully packed stems from Red Shed Gardens.

Now I could have made pie, but my new favorite rhubarb recipe is a rhubarb preserve. I discovered it in an issue of The Homemaker from 1900. The key to success is taking your time and careful measuring.  The reward--tangy sauce with nearly candied pieces of rhubarb.  Tasty by the spoonful, delightful warmed over ice cream, scrumptious drizzled over cake, or just dandy dabbed on a simple saltine with a bit of cheese -- perhaps from Lost Lake Farm who will be back at the Market on the first Saturday of each month.

1900 Rhubarb Jam 

1 pound rhubarb (about 4 cups when sliced into 1/4-inch slices)
1 pound granulated sugar (2 cups)

It is best to make this measuring your ingredients by weight. But it will work if you do just measure by cups.  I've found it best to make no more than a pound at a time.

Slice the rhubarb across the stalks into 1/4-inch pieces. If the stalks are wide, slice them in half lengthwise as well. Mix the sliced rhubarb and sugar. Let the mixture stand for at least 8, and up to 24, hours in a cool place. You can put it in the refrigerator, especially if your kitchen is warm. Give it a stir now and then as the rhubarb juices are released. Or, if you put the mixture in a zippered freezer bag, you can just smoosh them with your hands.

When it is time to make the sauce, pour the rhubarb, accumulated juices, and any remaining undissolved sugar into a heavy pot or pan with a 10- to 12-inch bottom. A frying pan with sides at least 2-inches high works well. You want the mixture to come into even contact with the heat. Begin cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently. DO NOT walk away from the stove. As the juices begin to thicken, they bubble up and could overflow or stick. This can happen as fast as it takes to look at a text. So don't do that either. Continue cooking and stirring until the juices have thickened and the pieces of rhubarb look translucent. When you pull a silicone spatula or spoon across the bottom, the jam moves to the sides and you can see the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat. Cool and enjoy. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Serve at room temperature, or slightly warmed.  NOTE: I have been known to keep this in the fridge for longer than 2 weeks.  If it thickens, add hot water by the tablespoon, and stir carefully to loosen it up.

Makes about 2 cups of delicious preserves.


Copyright 2019 Rae K. Eighmey all rights reserved.