Rhubarb & Peach Jam

Forced Rhubarb

With forced rhubarb now appearing in greengrocers everywhere and it feels the right time to give this recipe a try. I love early rhubarb as it’s sweeter and more tender than that which appears later in the season.

For me this is the first jam of my preserving year and it’s a gem. Rhubarb and peach is an American classic but not widely combined in old Blighty. The light pink of the rhubarb is beautifully married with the peach flesh and when combined with vanilla the flavour is truly transformed. All I can say is give it a go you will not regret it. As both rhubarb and peach are both low in pectin you will need to either add dried pectin or buy special jam sugar to get this jam to set. I like to use the dry pectin because it means you can add more or less depending on your preferred consistency.

Ingredients

4 early rhubarb stalks

2 lemons

7 peaches or nectarines

400g sugar

1 vanilla pod

8tsp dry pectin

Method

Microwave the lemons for 30 seconds and rub them under the palm of your hand against your work surface. This will increase the amount of juice significantly. Then strain the lemon juice into a measuring jug you should get approximately 100ml.

Dice rhubarb and place in pan over medium heat with lemon juice. Cook rhubarb until soft; approximately 15 minutes. Meanwhile remove peach skins and stone. Cut peaches into small pieces and place into the pan with the rhubarb, along with a split vanilla pod. Let mixture come to a boil. Reduce heat and cook gently for 30 minutes.

In separate bowl mix together sugar and pectin. Add sugar/pectin mixture to the pan, stirring constantly till sugar has dissolved. I would remove the vanilla pod at this stage. Increase heat to a rolling boil until the mixture is well thickened. I would expect it to take about 15 minutes of boiling to reach this stage but that is only a rough guide. Use the plate test to establish your preferred consistency. (See Hints & Tips).

Place in sterile jars. Should keep for up to a year in a cool, dark place. Due to the low sugar content however, once opened it should be stored in the refridgerator and consumed within 8 weeks.