Rhubarb and Vanilla Jam

The rhubarb plant in the garden is growing very enthusiastically! It looks like it now has 5 or 6 budding points on the crown, so it probably will need lifting and splitting into 2 or more plants in the autumn. I pulled a load of stalks from it, and pulled up a couple of raspberry shoots that were trying to invade its patch.

Rhubarb jam is easy to make and tends to set up very well. Rhubarb and Vanilla jam tastes like a fruitier version of the Rhubarb and Custard boiled sweets that we used to eat as kids.

As you can see from the jam colour, my rhubarb is one of the green and pink varieties that loses its colour when cooked. For a brighter pinker jam, try to get hold of one of the more strongly coloured varieties.

• 3lb Rhubarb, washed, dried and cut into small pieces.
• 3lb Sugar
• 1 Vanilla Pod
• 3tbsp Lemon Juice

Put the rhubarb and sugar into a maslin pan.
Cut open the vanilla pod and scrape out its seeds into the pan with the blade of a knife.
Bury the rest of the pod in the sugar on the rhubarb to infuse.
Cover with a teatowel and leave to stand overnight.
In the morning, the sugar will have drawn the juice out of the rhubarb and dissolved into it.
Add the Lemon Juice to the pan, and warm gently until the rhubarb has softened.
Fish out the vanilla pod and discard.
Bring to the boil and boil until jam setting point is reached.
Pack into warm jars and seal.

categories:  Jam  Rhubarb Preserves Vanilla