Let's Jam... Ladybird Style
June 19, 2009 
What I really want to say is: "Let's rock 'n' roll!" but given the subject of today's home cooking post, you'll surely see why I had to incorporate 'jam' into the title.
Even though I haven't been posting on this part of my site for awhile, I have been enjoying some serious (non-documented) cooking in my sister's kitchen (where we are staying at the moment... in her house... not the kitchen specifically) as of late. Her kitchen is huge! The amount of counter space makes me giddy.
In honor of my giddyness over her kitchen and since she is so kind as to let us stay here, the first recipe I wanted to post now that the home cooking hiatus is over is one of my sister's.
Ladybird's.
That's what I've decided to call her.
I'll go into detail about why over on the Ramblings page, because the reasons have nothing to do with cooking, and more to do with... well... birds.
Anyhow, moving on...
Today I bring forth to you, from the depths of Ladybird's kitchen...... (drum roll)....... (drum roll some more)......... (music from Jaws)............... (disregard that; I'm going for happy suspense here, not dread)...........(imagine birds singing instead)........... (and some more drum rolling).................... (are you ready yet?)
Rhubarb Strawberry Jam!!!
I love how easy this jam was to make, and I love how delicious it was, and I love how it was made from things from the garden, and I love that it will keep for awhile and I won't have to spend $ on it at the store.
But you know what I love about it the most?
It takes really perdy pictures.
It's so easy to make that I have to tell you from the outset, the remaining portion of this post may contain more pictures than words, because I took a lot of pictures. Because it's just so perdy.
Let's rock 'n' roll! Let's jam!
Here we have a photo of rhubarb. I am learning that some people are 120% familiar with it, how to pick it and it's many uses; and some people really have absolutely no experience with it at all. For those of you who know all about rhubarb, skip the following two three paragraphs. For those of you who are not so familiar, read on...
Rhubarb was first discovered back in the 18th century by Spanish settlers on the coast of Lake Superior. No, wait... WHAT? I'm just messing with you. I don't know who discovered it and consequently realized it was edible. But I'll tell you this: Whoever did so had a lot of..... gumption... to nibble off a piece of this stuff and still blaze forward and use it for cooking. Raw rhubarb is SOUR! Sour like a crisp stalk of celery infused with strawberry flavor and then soaked in lemon and lime juice. It will make you pucker up, big time.
The good news, for you and me, is that someone did go to the trouble of cooking with it, and when cooked down and mixed with sugar and other fruits in sauces, pies, desserts, and jams, it lends its very own special kind of delicious tartness that only rhubarb can. That's what makes it so special. It's also special that it's only around for a few months out of the year (but you can freeze it if you want to) so it's kind of an early summer treat.
It grows in stalks with huge leaves...
To harvest it, all you do is grab onto the stalk, close to the ground, and pull it out. It comes out pretty easily. Then you snap off the big leaf on the end. The leaf is actually poisonous, so you want to keep it away from children, pets, livestock, etc... In all honesty, it kind of freaks me out that part of them is poisonous, but then I remember that people have been eating the stalks long before I came into the world, and I remember how delicious it is, and I get over it.
The recipe for Ladybird's Rhubarb Strawberry Jam is as follows:
- 12 Cups Finely Chopped Rhubarb
- 3 Cups Sliced Strawberries
- 4 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 9 oz. Gelatin (whatever flavor you like... I used 6 oz. peach and 3 oz. strawberry... experiment!)
Before you start making the jam, wash your jars and lids in hot soapy water and dry thoroughly.
Dice rhubarb and strawberries into small/medium pieces.
Try a piece. I double dog dare ya'.
Combine the first three ingredients (rhubarb, strawberries and sugar) in a large stock pot and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
Bring the mixture to a boil and allow to simmer, uncovered, on the stovetop, for 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately add gelatin. Stir well.
Using a ladle and funnel (I would use a metal one because the mixture is hot) fill jelly jars (size of your choice).
Allow to cool, uncovered, until jam is barely warm or cool to the touch. Stir from time to time to help release heat. Place in refrigerator for four hours to continue cooling, then cover with lids. Keep refrigerated.
Optional: Neglect laundry. Neglect dishes. Take pretty pictures of it.
Reader Comments (1)
mmmm - that jam looks divine - reminds me of visiting you & eating a ton of toast & jam & all the pickles - that could be your next post - refrigerator pickles - great pics too!