RHUBARB season is in full swing, and if you’re lucky enough to have an allotment or to know someone that does, chances are you’re being inundated with bags full of the stuff.
My favourite way to deal with a glut of rhubarb is to simmer it into a stunning jam flavoured with sweet vanilla and fragrant cardamom. It’s subtle and beautiful, with a delicate pink colour and summery perfume. Perfect on morning toast, to fill a Victoria sponge, or slathered over scones for a very British afternoon tea.
Rhubarb, vanilla and cardamom jam (makes around five jars):
1kg rhubarb (weighed after trimming)
1kg jam sugar
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
12 cardamom pods, seeds removed and crushed to a powder
Juice of 1 lemon
Chop the rhubarb into 3cm pieces and put in a large, heavy-based saucepan or preserving pan. Add the sugar and vanilla pod, and heat gently until the rhubarb starts to turn juicy and the sugar starts to dissolve. Put a small plate in the freezer (to test for when the jam is set). Add the cardamom and lemon juice to the rhubarb, then turn the heat up and let it bubble quite vigorously for 30 minutes to one hour. Stir occasionally to prevent the rhubarb and sugar catching on the bottom of the pan and burning.
Meanwhile, sterilise your jars and lids. I do this by washing them well in soapy water, then putting the jars upside down in an oven at 120C for 40 minutes, adding the lids (also upside down) for the last ten minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the jars inside until ready to bottle the jam.
To test for a set, put a teaspoon of jam onto the cold plate from the freezer and leave for two minutes. If you can run your finger through it and it wrinkles and separates, it's ready. If not, let it bubble for a bit longer.
When the jam is set and still hot, ladle through a clean funnel into the jars, add wax discs and put on the lids.
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