Stock your cozy pantry with this sweet and tangy homemade rhubarb jam, flavoured with fragrant ginger and warm spices. This spiced rhubarb jam captures the essence of summer and anticipates the cooler months ahead.
A Hobbit’s Pantry
Through the long, hot summer months, the hobbits of the Shire are busy tending their gardens, harvesting their crops, and preserving fresh seasonal produce in their well-stocked pantries. In a hobbit’s pantry you will find summer’s bounty captured in rows of pretty jars filled with berry preserves and fruit jams, bundles of dried herbs, crocks of tangy pickles and savoury chutneys. A hobbit’s pantry embodies their deep love of growing things and the wisdom of preserving the abundant crops of summer for the leaner days ahead.
More Hobbit Pantry recipes
- Garlic Scape Butter
- Raspberry Lavender Jelly
- Wild Mushroom Seasoning Salt
- Pickled Mustard seeds
- Spiced Apple Butter
Preserves
Preserve the fruits of summer in a sweet, spiced jam – created from the warmth of the season and carried into the chill of autumn. Tangy rhubarb is blended with fragrant ginger, cinnamon and star anise, creating a preserve that is both bright and comforting. This rustic jam is a perfect way to gather the last of the early summer rhubarb before it fades from the garden to serve on a scone, buttered toast, or spooned over French toast. Come fall, when the days grow shorter and the fireplace roars, pulling out a jar of this spiced rhubarb jam from the stocked pantry will be a welcome reminder of summer’s bounty.
Ways to use Spiced Rhubarb Jam
- French Toast – This jam is delightful spooned on top of warm, custard-filled French toast!
- Cream Scones – Pair with clotted cream on a cream scone for afternoon tea.
Ingredients
Rhubarb: Use fresh rhubarb. Mixing the rhubarb with sugar a few hours before will draw out the moisture and help the rhubarb retain some shape while cooking.
Ginger: Finely grate fresh ginger on a rasp.
Spices: I like to use cinnamon sticks and star anise. I recommend tying the star anise in some cheesecloth – I have had it fall apart in jam before, making it difficult to remove.
Sugar: I recommend using granulated sugar to make this jam.
Canning jars: I like using half pint jars for making jam. Make sure that the canning lids are brand new and haven’t been used before.
How to Make Spiced Rhubarb Jam
Prep the rhubarb
Wash and trim the rhubarb. Dice the rhubarb and transfer to a large bowl. Add the sugar and stir together. Cover and let sit for a minimum of 4 hours on the counter or up to overnight in the fridge, stirring occasionally to encourage the sugar to dissolve.
Prep the canning jars
The first step in making jam is to gather your equipment and sterilize the jars. I typically do not water bath when making jam so it is imperative that both the jars and jam are hot when canning.
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Make sure the jars are clean and then place on a baking sheet in the oven for at least 15 minutes before canning. Add the canning lids to a small saucepan with water and place over low heat in barely simmering water. Keep clean tongs and a towel nearby. Gather together a clean ladle, funnel, and damp cloth and have ready to go. Have a potholder ready for the hot pot.
Cook the jam
When the canning equipment is all sterilized and ready to go, begin to cook the jam. Tie the star anise in a small piece of cheesecloth.
Transfer the rhubarb along with its juices to a large pot. Add the grated ginger, cinnamon stick, star anise, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Optionally, add a teaspoon of butter to help prevent the jam from foaming. Maintain the boil, adjusting the temperature to prevent the jam from boiling over. Skim periodically to remove any excess foam.
Continue to boil the jam until it reaches a temperature of 218°F. This will take from 15 to 20 minutes.
Can the jam
When the jam reaches 218°F, immediately transfer the pot to the potholder. Use tongs to remove a jar from the oven. Use the funnel and ladle to fill the jar with the hot jam, leaving a half inch space from the top.
Use the damp cloth to wipe the rim of the jar to clean any spills. Use the tongs to remove one of the canning lids from the hot water and wipe dry with the clean towel. Place the lid on the jar and then add the screw top. Hold the jar with a towel and screw the lid on as tightly as possible. Set the jar aside being sure not to press down on the top of the lid – this could give the false impression that the jar has sealed when it hasn’t. Repeat with the remaining jam.
Serve the Spiced Rhubarb Jam
Check the jam jars after an hour or two to see if they have sealed. A properly sealed jam jar will make a small popping sound as the lid seals and the top will go from looking rounded to indented. Any jam that hasn’t sealed can be stored in the fridge and used within a few weeks. Sealed jam can be labelled and stored in the pantry for at least a year. When opening the jam, check that it is still sealed and for any signs of mold or spoiling, discarding if you notice any spoilage. Enjoy!
