This year marks my third season of canning to preserve the harvest, but only my second year of making jam.  Since I am no longer a jam-newbie, I decided that this summer I would experiment with trying to make some completely local jams & preserves, using no refined sugar or commercial pectin. Due to the metric ass-load of strawberries I picked on Wednesday, and getting some more rhubarb in our CSA, I had enough to make two batches of strawberry rhubarb jam, and decided to compare them side-by-side. 

The first version is adapted from a recipe in Gourmet Preserves, by Madelaine Bullwinkel of Chez Madelaine. The recipe is already lower in sugar than many ‘traditional’ jam recipes, which can contain 6 or even 9(!) cups of sugar, but I lowered it by a third anyway – I like to taste the fruit in my fruit jams, not the sugar.  The second version is the same recipe, but made completely with local ingredients (honey instead of sugar, no lemon).  In a side-by-side taste test, I have to say that I prefer the first version; lemon juice really does kick up the strawberry flavor and without it, the local version tastes more of rhubarb and the strawberry gets a bit lost.  It’s still a quite yummy jam, but more rhubarb-strawberry than strawberry-rhubarb, if you know what I mean.  In a way, it’s nice that they are rather different tasting because I will use them for different things.  Surprisingly I didn’t get much of a honey flavor in the local version, although the set is a little softer than the sugared version.  They are both quite good and I think with some tinkering I can bring out the strawberry flavor in the local version – as always, stay tuned!

Adapted from Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, Gourmet Preserves, by Madelaine Bullwinkel

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Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

INGREDIENTS

Reduced Sugar Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

• 2 lbs strawberries
• 1 lb rhubarb, washed and trimmed
• 1 cup filtered water
• juice and peel from 1 medium lemon
• 1 and 1/3 cups sugar (organic evaporated cane juice)

METHODS

1. If canning, prepare canner, jars and lids. 
2. Rinse, hull and slice strawberries to approximately equal sized pieces (I usually quarter large ones and halve smaller ones) and transfer to a large stock pot.
3. Cut rhubarb into 1/2-inch slices; if you get a really large stalk, slice it in half lengthwise, then slice horizontally. Add to strawberries.
4. Remove the outer yellow peel (avoid the bitter white pith) from the lemon with a vegetable peeler.  Slice into thin strips and add to the strawberries.  Juice the lemon and reserve.
5. Add the water to the strawberries, cover the pot, and bring liquid to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat, uncover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add lemon juice, then the sugar, 1/3 cup at a time, stirring in between and waiting until the jam comes to a simmer again between each addition.  Continue to cook over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes, or until the jam reaches a temperature of 220 degrees F, or when you drag a spoon across the bottom of the pan, the jam spits and the stripe from the spoon fills in slowly (i.e. you can see the bottom of the pan for a few seconds).  Turn off the heat.
7. Skim off any foam.  Fill hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Alternatively, store jam in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator (do not store hot jam in plastic) until set.

Yields 3 and 1/2 cups.

100% Local Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

• 2 lbs strawberries
• 1 lb rhubarb, washed and trimmed
• 3/4 cup filtered water
• 1 cup honey
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

METHODS

1. If canning, prepare canner, jars and lids. 
2. Rinse, hull and slice strawberries to approximately equal size (I usually quarter large ones and halve smaller ones) and transfer to a large stock pot.
3. Cut rhubarb into 1/2-inch slices; if you get a really large stalk, slice it in half lengthwise, then slice horizontally. Add to strawberries.
4. Add the water to the strawberries, cover the pot, and bring liquid to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat, uncover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add honey, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring in between and waiting until the jam comes to a simmer again between each addition.  Continue to cook over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes, or until the jam reaches a temperature of 220 degrees F, or when you drag a spoon across the bottom of the pan, the jam spits and the stripe from the spoon fills in slowly (i.e. you can see the bottom of the pan for a few seconds).  Turn off the heat.
6. Skim off any foam.  Fill hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Alternatively, store jam in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator (do not store hot jam in plastic) until set.

Yields 3 and 1/4 cups.

OPTIONS

1. The original recipe called for 2 cups of sugar; I reduced it by one-third.  The resulting reduced-sugar jam is very flavorful, and not overly sweet, but yield is reduced due to the lower amount of sugar and longer cooking time required to achieve a set (the original recipe claims a yield of 5 and 1/2 cups, but I would guess more like 4 and 1/2 cups).
2. The 100% local version lost some strawberry flavor without the lemon juice; next time I make it I will try 3 lbs of strawberries to 1 lb of rhubarb, and up the salt to 1/2 teaspoon.

STORE

If canned, will keep well in a cool, dark spot for 1 year.  If refrigerated, use within 3 months.

SEASON

Late spring into early summer.