Rhubarb & Ginger Jam

My Rhubarb and Ginger Jam is a no pectin jam recipe that combines sharp and sour stems of fresh rhubarb, with fiery and sweet stem ginger. Rhubarb Jam is a delicious homemade jam, try it spread over a warm scone, straight from the oven.

It would be fair to say that there is not a homemade jam recipe I don’t love. However, if I was pushed to pick just one jam, it would have to be Rhubarb & Stem Ginger Jam.

I macerate rhubarb in granulated sugar overnight, then next morning pour the rhubarb, sugar and rhubarb sugar syrup into a large saucepan along with some grated stem ginger, before setting to a rolling boil. You’ll have a delicious jar of homemade jam in no time.

My mum was a prolific jam maker, but she never made Rhubarb & Ginger Jam, despite having a garden full of rhubarb. No my love of this jam comes from my Granny who loved this jam as much as I do. I think about sitting with her, enjoying this jam on a hot scone, every time I eat it.

Homemade jams and jellies taste far superior to any store bought jams. My jams are all made with granulated sugar, I have never had a need to buy expensive jam sugar.

This is an easy rhubarb and ginger jam recipe, follow the steps carefully and you’ll have a delicious jar of jam at the end.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• Rhubarb and ginger are a perfect flavour pairing.
• A quick cook recipe, as once the rhubarb is macerated, it only requires around 10 minutes or so to cook.
• Double or treble the recipe if you want to make more jam, just ensure you have a large enough pot so the jam doesn’t boil over.

Recipe ingredients:

• RHUBARB: I use stems of fresh rhubarb, which I top and tail, discarding any dried out or damaged pieces, before weighing and cutting into batons.
• SUGAR: I use regular granulated sugar for all my jam recipes. No need for expensive jam sugar as this is a no pectin jam recipe.
• GINGER: I use stem ginger in syrup which I drain and grate before adding to the jam. I use 100g as I love ginger and want to taste it. If you wish you can use a little less.

Fruit to sugar ratio!

The normal rule of thumb for homemade jam is equal quantities of fruit to sugar. In the case of this no pectin rhubarb jam is 500g rhubarb to 500g granulated sugar.

How to make Rhubarb & Ginger Jam?

Making jam is easy if you follow the process, work through the recipe step at a time.

Macerate the Rhubarb

• Wash the stems of rhubarb, cutting away any dried out pieces at the top and base of the stem.
• Cut the rhubarb into 1″/2.5cm batons and place in a large bowl.
• Add the sugar and give it a good stir through the rhubarb.
• Cover the bowl and set aside in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Make the Rhubarb Jam

• When ready to make the jam, sterilise your jars and lids (ensure lid is separate to jar).
• My preferred method is to put them through a cycle in my dishwasher, unloading them while still hot onto an ovenproof tray. Place them in an oven at 160C/140CFan until needed.
• Place a saucer in the freezer for testing the jam later.
• To make the jam, remove the rhubarb from the fridge. The sugar will have drawn the liquid out of the rhubarb.
• Pour the rhubarb, any liquid and remaining sugar, into a large saucepan. Place the pan over a medium heat.
• Stir the rhubarb and sugar mixture together until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the stem ginger to the pan.

• Now increase the heat and get the liquid to a rolling boil. Boil the jam for 8 minutes, then remove from the heat and test the set of the jam.
• Test the jam by adding a teaspoon of the jam onto the cold plate you set in the freezer. Leave it to set for a minute or two and if the jam wrinkles when you push your finger through it, it’s ready.
• If the jam is still too runny, place the jam back over the heat and boil for a further minute and carry out the wrinkle text again.
• Continue with this process until you are happy with the set of the jam.

• When the jam is ready, remove the jars from the oven and ladle the jam into the jars (I like to use a jam funnel to help with this process).
• Now place a wax paper disc over the top of the jam, place on the lid of the jar and seal immediately.
• Set the jars of jam aside to cool completely, and allow the jam to set before serving.

Jam sugar:

Sugar is used to preserve the fruit, it is what allows you to keep and store jam. Traditionally jam making uses equal amounts of sugar to fruit, or in the case of a jelly a pint of fruit juice to a pound of sugar. The amount of sugar used determines the set of the jam. I have always used granulated sugar when making jellies and jams. Granulated sugar is cheaper and melts quickly.

Some fruits like apples, blackberries and blackcurrants are naturally high in pectin, meaning that the jam will set easily. (However, if making something like Scottish raspberry jam, you will need to add in pectin and this is done by adding a little lemon juice to the raspberries and the sugar.)

You can buy jam sugar which has added pectin, however in my experience it can result in too firm a set. For this reason I prefer to use granulated sugar and if necessary add a little lemon juice. It is also a lot cheaper.

Testing the set of jam or jelly?

Knowing when jam and jelly is ready to take off the heat and testing the set of jam is the trickiest part of the whole process. One that you get better at as you become more experienced.

When testing the set take the pan off the heat to stop the jam from overcooking. If you think the jam is a little loose then return the pan to the heat, boil for another couple of minutes and test again.

Wrinkle test:

I like to use the wrinkle test. Place a plate in the freezer before you start making jam, then take it out when you are ready to test the set.

Spoon some jam onto the cold plate, pop it back in the freezer for a minute or two to set, then take it back out and push the jam with your finger to see if it wrinkles.

For a firm set the wrinkle will hold in place. For a softer set the jam will just wrinkle. If it doesn’t wrinkle you need to cook it longer.

Testing the set of jam is the trickiest part of the whole process! The spoon of jam on the left hand side of the photo above, shows jam that is not quite ready, it is paler in colour and does not hold it’s shape when pushed.

The spoon of jam on the right has wrinkled when pushed and held it’s shape. You will also notice that the jam on the spoon is wrinkled too. This happens when the jam is ready to decant into jars.

How to sterilise jars?

It is essential that before jarring or bottling any food for storage, that you sterilise the glass jar or bottle first. There are many methods for doing this, all of them relatively straight-forward:

• Firstly, you can wash the glass and lids in hot soapy water, rinse them (do not towel dry) and place on a tray in the oven at 160C for 15 minutes, removing when you are ready to fill. This is my preferred method.
• You can put them through a dishwasher cycle, removing them from the dishwasher as soon as the cycle has finished and filling them with jam immediately afterwards. I use this method if my dishwasher happens to be going on.
• You can boil the jars and lids in a large pan for 10-15 minutes. [I’m never keen on this method as it involves boiling water and leads to a risk of scalding.]
• Finally, you can wash and rinse the glass jars, placing them into the microwave wet and then cooking them on high for 60 seconds. However, the lids would have to be boiled in a pan of water separately for 10-15 minutes as metal cannot go in the microwave. [I have never used this method as it involves 2 separate processes which I think is a bit of a faff!]

Filling the jam jars:

Finally take real care when decanting the molten jelly liquid into jars. You do not want to burn yourself, nor spill this liquid. I like to keep my jars in a metal baking tray with sides, that way if I do spill a little it doesn’t run everywhere.

I also recommend using a jam funnel. The funnel is placed on top of the empty jam jar. It has a wide lip which then funnels the hot liquid down into the jar.

Place a wax jam disc over the top of the jam/jelly, this keeps the jam fresh and keeps air from spoiling it. Seal with a tight fitting lid and set aside to cool before labeling.

How long can you store rhubarb and ginger jam?

Once jarred, label and date your jars of rhubarb and ginger jam. They can be stored in a cool, dry cupboard for up to a year.

Serving suggestion

I love rhubarb and ginger jam with a scone, try it with my Buttermilk Scones, Apple & Cinnamon Scones or Pumpkin Spiced Scones. It also tastes delicious with a flaky croissant or with my Scotch Pancakes.

However, don’t be limited by thinking jam can only be used to top baked goods, it’s great used in baking! Try spreading some over the pastry base of my Rhubarb Bakewell Tart, before you add the frangipan filling.

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Try some of my favorite homemade jam recipes:

• Scottish Raspberry Jam
• Scottish Strawberry Jam
• Blackberry (Bramble) Jelly
• Blackcurrant Jelly
• Apple Jelly