Gingered Rhubarb Jam with Honey

Type: 
Jams and Spreads

In England it’s traditional to combine ginger with rhubarb. In this jam, ginger adds a pungent spiciness while honey offsets rhubarb’s strong tartness.

Ingredients: 
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 cups (500 mL) chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
  • 1 large tart apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
  • ½ cup (125 mL) water
  • 1 ½ cups (375 mL) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (250 mL) liquid honey
  • 1 ½ tbsp (20 mL) finely chopped crystallized ginger
Directions: 
  1. Remove thin outer rind from lemon with vegetable peeler and cut into fine strips with scissors or sharp knife; or use a zester.  Place lemon rind in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Squeeze juice from lemon and reserve 1 tablespoon.
  2. Combine rhubarb, apple and water in a medium stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, reduce heat and boil gently for 15 minutes or until fruit is tender.
  3. Add sugar, honey, ginger and reserved lemon juice. Return to a boil and boil rapidly, uncovered, until mixture will form a gel, about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
  4. Ladle into hot jars with two-piece sealable lids and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.
Yield: 
Makes 3 1/4 cups (800 mL)
Credit: 
The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard (Firefly 2007)