Description
This delicious Old Fashioned Rhubarb Jam is made with fresh rhubarb and a sweetener of choice. The vanilla extract and lemon juice will balance out the rhubarb taste. This jam is an amazing addition to any breakfast porridge, in a smoothie, with dessert or on a cracker as a snack.
Ingredients
- 7 cups (approximately 700 grams) fresh rhubarb, washed and cut into smaller pieces
- 1 cup (200 grams) sweetener of choice, such as xylitol or coconut sugar (more to taste)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Clean the rhubarb stalks. Remove any withered parts and dirt. Cut into smaller chunks so it’s easier to place in a saucepan.
Place the rhubarb in a medium saucepan along with the sweetener of choice.
Add in the lemon juice and vanilla. Bring to a boil over medium heat, while stirring frequently.
Once the rhubarb releases its juices turn down the heat a bit.
Let the rhubarb simmer until the rhubarb chunks dissolve and the texture because jam like.
Once the mixture sticks to a ladle, the jam is done.
It’s important to cook it long enough so the excess water in the fruit can evaporate.
This should take about 20-25 minutes. If the rhubarbs heats up too fast and the rhubarb starts to burn add one teaspoon of water at a time to prevent burning.
Turn off the heat, let the jam cool and then place into jars.
Let cool on the counter and once cooled off, place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to thicken.
Notes
Sugar
You could add more sugar for a sweeter jam, but I personally like the sweet-tart flavor.
You could use less sugar, but remember that the sugar in this recipe does more than just sweeten things up. Sugar binds the water in the fruit so I can’t stand in the way of the thickening process.
Also, keep in mind that the serving size is normally about a one or two tablespoons and not the entire jar.
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is key in homemade jam recipes because the acid draws out all the pectin in the fruit. This will help all those strands of pectin bind together so that the jam thickens. Lemons also contain pectin.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
- Calories: 440
- Sugar: 80.4g
- Fat: 1.4g
- Carbohydrates: 105.6g
- Protein: 4g