Rhubarb and Kumquat Jam

When I visited my family in Seattle last summer I discovered that my lovely and thoughtful mom saved me her last rhubarb harvest of the season because she knows how much I love it. I cut down the stalks on my way out of town and only got a couple of stares at the airport when I brought it back to New York with me, wrapped in newspaper and packed in my carry on luggage. Then, when I got home, I promptly shoved it to the back of my freezer and forgot about it for six months, as you do. Flash forward to a couple of weeks ago when I was cleaning out my freezer and stumbled upon my glorious (albeit a bit freezer burnt) bounty. I knew it was time to use it up, so I pulled out my favorite jam cookbook and turned to a page I had dog-eared years ago, this rhubarb and kumquat jam. I realize that rhubarb may not be in season where you live, but maybe you have some in the freezer too? Or maybe you can bookmark this one for next year? If you are lucky enough to live in a magical place where rhubarb and kumquats (darn you California!) are in season at the same time you won't have to plan so far ahead to make this delicious late winter/early spring treat.

Rhubarb and Kumquat Jam
adapted from the Blue Chair Jam Cookbook
yield roughly 8, 8-ounce jars

The original recipe calls for only kumquats, but I had a pile of mandarinquats that needed using up so I added them in. They are a bit sweeter than kumquats, but still tart with soft and edible rinds.

3 1/2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 pounds 14 ounces sugar
5 ounces fresh lemon juice
1 pound seeded tart kumquats or mandarinquats cut into thin rounds

Day 1

Combine the rhubarb, sugar and lemon juice in a large glass bowl or storage container. Stir gently to combine then cover tightly and let the mixture macerate for 24 hours at room temperature.

Day 2

1. Transfer the now juicy rhubarb mixture into a large, non reactive pot or copper preserving pan. Add the sliced kumquats and stir well to dissolve any remaining sugar.

2. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Cook the jam until it is thick and no longer watery 15-20 minutes.  For the last 5-10 minutes stir the jam constantly to prevent scorching. Test the jam for doneness using the wrinkle test.

3. Ladle the jam into clean jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Concord Grape Jam and Concord Grape Handpies

I love that you can tell I took these three photos over the course of a day. Fresh grapes in the morning, grape jam by midday, and by evening there were grape hand pies fresh and warm. I've written about my love for concord grapes on this here blog a couple of times, but this year was the first time I went all of the way and made myself a proper batch of grape jam to (hopefully) last the year.

I preserved a lot less this summer than I have in years past. Partly because I was busier than usual and partly because I wanted to make sure that I was only putting up things I really wanted to eat later in the year. Judging by the fact that we ran through an entire pint of this jam in about a week I think I stumbled upon a winner.

Once you've put the jam together, the hand pies are really a cinch to put together. Just roll out a pie crust, cut it up, dot it with jam and bake until golden and crisp.

Concord Grape Jam
adapted from The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook
yield, 5-6 half pints

4lbs stemmed Concord grapes
2 1/4 pounds sugar
3 ounces lemon juice
1 ounce orange juice

1. Separate the flesh of the grapes from the skins by gently pinching the flesh from each grape, being careful to catch all of the grape juices. Reserve the skins. Add the grape flesh to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until the seeds start to separate from the flesh. Force as much of the grape pulp through a fine mesh sieve as possible and discard the seeds.
2. Add the grape pulp, skins, sugar, and juices to a large non-reactive pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook the jam, stirring occasionally, until it comes to 220º or passes the wrinkle test, 20-30 minutes. Test the jam after 20 minutes to prevent overcooking. Ladle the finished jam into clean jars and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Concord Grape Hand Pies
yield 6 hand pies

One batch of your favorite double-crust pie dough: See my favorites here and here
3/4 cup concord grape jam
1 egg for egg wash
2 Tablespoons coarse sugar

Preheat oven to 400º

Roll the dough into a rectangle roughly 12 inches by 16 inches and 1/8''-1/4'' thick. Use a knife to cut the dough into even rectangles roughly 3 inches by 4 inches. Brush the edges of half of the rectangles with egg wash (these will be the bottom crusts) and top each rectangle with about 2 Tablespoons of jam. Top each pie with another piece of dough and crimp the edges with a fork. Move the pies to a baking sheet and refrigerate 15 minutes or until firm. When you are ready to bake the pies, brush each one with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar then cut a vent into the top. Bake the pies for 20-25 minutes or until deep golden brown.

 

Small Batch Rhubarb and Ginger Jam

I didn't really plan it this way, but May is shaping up to be rhubarb month here at Apt. 2B so I hope you'll forgive me for another (few) rhubarb recipe(s). Today, I am sharing my favorite, very simple rhubarb preserve. I usually make this a few times throughout the season to enjoy stirred into my morning yogurt, but I always end up eating a lot of it straight from a spoon. The natural sweetness of vanilla is the perfect match for rhubarb's natural tartness and the heat from a bit of fresh ginger livens up the whole mess. Most rhubarb jam recipes call for equal parts rhubarb and sugar, but I really enjoy the tart pucker of rhubarb so I cut the sugar down to almost half of that amount. Feel free to add a bit more if you like things on the sweeter side.

Small Batch Rhubarb and Ginger Jam
yield, about 16 ounces 


1lb rhubarb stalks
7 ounces sugar
2'' piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated finely
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
juice of one lemon

1. Chop the rhubarb into 1/2'' pieces and place it in a bowl. Add the sugar, grated ginger, vanilla bean seeds and pod, and lemon juice. Stir to combine well, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the mixture rest for 4 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
2. After a bit of rest the rhubarb mixture should be nice and juicy. Transfer the mixture to a non reactive pan and cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally until the jam begins to boil and the rhubarb starts to break down.
3. Raise the heat to high and boil for 10-15 minutes or until set, being careful not to let the bottom scorch. Begin checking the jam for doneness at about 10 minutes. I generally use the wrinkle test to check for doneness with this type of jam, but if you like numbers you can cook it to 220ºF.
4. Remove the vanilla pod and save it for another use.Transfer the jam to clean jars and store in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Alternately, process the jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes for shelf stable jam.

Grapefruit and Bergamot Jam

I've been known to go pretty citrus crazy this time of year, but due to our move and some other circumstances I scaled down my usual citrus extravaganza to more of a low-key citrus shindig this time around. Despite my late start to the season, I still managed to get my paws on a lone bergamot that I knew would be the perfect addition to Marisa's grapefruit jam that I had bookmarked last year. If you are a marmalade wimp like me, this jam will be right up your alley. The small amount of bergamot zest adds a bitter, floral note to this preserve which I admit sounds odd, but if you like earl grey tea you know what I am talking about.

Next year I am going to order some real-deal Seville oranges like Tim from Lottie and Doof.

Grapefruit and Bergamot Jam
adapted from Food in Jars
yield 2 pints
If you can't find bergamot oranges where you live don't let that turn you away from this recipe. This jam is super tasty even without the extra hit of bitter bergamot flavor.

8 grapefruit (approximately 4 pounds)
1 bergamot orange
2 1/2 cups granulated white sugar

1. Wash and dry the fruit and prepare your canning jars.
2. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel from the bergamot being careful to avoid the bitter white pith, then slice the peels into very thin strips. Combine the zest strips with about 2 cups of cold water in a medium sized saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook the zest strips until they are very soft, about 30 minutes then drain and rinse them quickly with cool water. Juice the bergamot and reserve it for later.
3. Supreme the grapefruit by cutting away the tops and bottoms of the fruit, then with a very sharp knife, cut the skin and white pith away from the outside of the fruit and discard it. Over a bowl, carefully cut the wedges of fruit away from the membrane letting the fruit and juices fall into the bowl. Save the membrane and seeds and place them in a cheesecloth bundle. You will use this bundle to add some natural pectin while cooking the marmalade.
4. Add the grapefruit segments, juice, cheesecloth bundle, and prepared bergamot zest and juice into a large, non-reactive pot. Stir in the sugar.
5. Put the pan over high heat and stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a rolling boil. Cook the jam, stirring occasionally, until it comes to 220º or passes the wrinkle test. Remove the cheesecloth bundle and ladle the finished jam into prepared jars. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

One For the Road

Well, it's been drizzly all week and I roasted my first pumpkin of the year so I think it's safe to say that fall is here. I'm just the tiniest bit sad to see summer go, but I am far more excited to see what this season of change has in store. So, here's the last of my summery photos and one last (ok two) recipe(s) for the road. Yes, I know, it's probably too late to make blackberry jam this year, but maybe bookmark these recipes for next summer? I'll be back soon with something a bit more autumnal.

Classic Blackberry Jam
yield about 6, half pints
This jam is simple and unadorned, just blackberries, sugar and lemon and it tastes like a Northwest summer. I will cherish every bite of every jar.

3 1/2 pounds fresh blackberries, rinsed
1 3/4 pounds sugar
3 ounces lemon juice

1. Add the blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a large, wide, non-reactive pot. Use a potato masher to gently mash the fruit.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. As the jam comes to a boil, skim the foam that rises to the top of the pot and discard.
3. Raise the heat to high and boil for 10-20 minutes or until set, being careful not to let the bottom scorch. Begin checking for doneness at 10 minutes. I generally use the wrinkle test to check for doneness with this type of jam. If you prefer seedless jam, quickly transfer the cooked mixture to a mesh strainer and force as much as the jam through as possible, discard the seeds and proceed with canning.
4. Pour the jam into sterilized jars, then process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Blackberry Fig Jam with Lime
yield 6-8 half pints
Green figs can be very sweet and tart blackberries temper their flavor nicely in this jam.

2 1/2 pounds fresh blackberries, rinsed
1 1/2 pounds green figs, stem ends removed and chopped coarsely
1 1/2 pounds sugar
4 ounces lime juice
1t lime zest

1. Add the blackberries, chopped figs, sugar, and lime juice to a large, wide, non-reactive pot. Use a potato masher to gently mash the fruit.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. As the jam comes to a boil, skim the foam that rises to the top of the pot and discard.
3. Raise the heat to high and boil for 15-25 minutes or until set, being careful not to let the bottom scorch. Begin checking for doneness at 15 minutes. I generally use the wrinkle test to check for doneness with this type of jam.
4. Stir in the lime zest, pour the jam into sterilized jars, then process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Classic Dill Pickle Spears

I've been so distracted by pies and tarts recently, that after my wild success with pickled beets I nearly forgot about my goal to make more pickles this summer, for shame! Luckily, I ran into a giant crate of Kirby cucumbers the other day to remind me to get back to brining. I chose a classic dilly recipe full of ingredients I always have on hand (except the dill seeds, which were easy to find) for my cukes which was perfect for a novice pickler like me. From start to finish, this recipe took less than 30 minutes (plus the curing time) and they are perfectly garlicy and spicy with a nice vinegary bite, the only problem is that I drastically underestimated how many pickles my household was capable of eating in a week. I guess it's back to the stove for me...



I'm pretty excited to pick up some more cucumbers to make another batch of these guys and now that I am well on my way to becoming a pickle pro, I think I'll whip up batch of bread and butter pickles to tuck into my sandwiches. I might even have to find a crinkle cutter for those classic pickle-chip ridges.

Classic Dill Pickles
adapted from the Food in Jars Cookbook
yield, 4 pints of pickles

2 cups apple cider vinegar
3 teaspoons pickling salt
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, divided
4 teaspoons dill seed, divided
2 teaspoons black peppercorns, divided
1 overflowing pint pickling cucumbers (I think I fit about 4 small cukes per jar)

1. Prepare and sterilize four pint jars, preferably regular mouth. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover with water and simmer over very low heat.
2. Combine the vinegar, 2 cups water and the pickling salt in a medium pot and bring to a boil.
3. While the brine is boiling, add 2 garlic cloves, 1/4t red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon dill seed, and 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns to each sterilized jar. Trim the blossom ends from the cucumbers, cut them lengthwise into spears and pack them tightly into the jars. Alternately, you can pickle the cucumbers whole.
4. Carefully pour the hot brine over the cucumbers in each jar, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Gently tap the jars on a kitchen towel to release any air bubbles, then use a wooden chopstick to dislodge any remaining air bubbles in each jar. Check the headspace again and add more brine if necessary.
5. Wipe the rims, and apply the lids and rings to the jars. Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes, then let the pickles cure for at least 1 week before eating.

This book was sent to me by the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

Methley Plum Jam

I bought these plums on a rainy day whim when there was a whole table full them marked $1 per quart,  which was a steal of a deal that I just couldn't pass up. So with very little hesitation, I walked up to the table and handed over a few dollars for three rain-soaked quarts of tiny, ripe plums and asked asked the fellas working the stand why they were so inexpensive. One guy claimed that they just had a lot of that particular variety and needed to sell them. Then the other piped in and said, "Let's be real, it's about to pour down rain and we want to get out of here." I laughed and told them I didn't mind either way because I was going to make jam from the whole lot.

This recipe for plum jam is very simple (like most of the jams I prefer), but for a more spiced up version check out this post to see how I made my plum jam last year: Spiced Plum Jam with Vanilla Bean. I made that jam with Italian prune plums which are a freestone variety available later in the season.

Methley Plum Jam
yield, 4-5 half pints

I had never eaten a Methley plum before this impulse buy and while they taste great, they have one huge drawback. They are clingstone plums, which means that they are a pain in the butt to pit and when they are small, ripe and soft like the batch I had, they are nearly impossible to use without making a mess. So, I just got down to it with my hands. I tore the fruit in half over a large bowl and used my fingers to squeeze as much fruit from the pits as possible. It wasn't glamorous, but it worked just fine. If you are working with larger, less ripe plums you can cut them in quarters and pull the wedges of plum from the pits.

Update 8/8: Sean of Punk Domestics fame just informed me that you can cut clingstone plums (and probably other clingstone fruit) down to the pits, macerate them overnight (pits and all) in sugar (and spices if using) and the pits will loosen up on their own. Handy!

3 pounds Methley Plums or other small sugar plums
28 ounces sugar
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (optional)
1 lemon, juice squeezed and rinds reserved.

1. Wash, pit, and chop the plums if necessary. Add them to a large bowl with the sugar, vanilla bean seeds and pod (if using), and lemon juice and squeezed rind. Stir to combine, cover and refrigerate over night or up to 2 days.
2. When you are ready to cook the jam, prepare 4 or 5 half pint jars by washing and sterilizing them.
Pour the jam mixture in to non-reactive pot and remove the lemon rind.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. As the jam comes to a boil, skim the foam that rises to the top of the pot and discard.
3. Raise the heat to high and boil for 15-25 minutes or until set, being careful not to let the bottom scorch. Begin checking the jam for doneness at about 15 minutes. I generally use the wrinkle test to check for doneness with this type of jam, but if you like numbers you can cook it to 220ºF. If you would prefer jam without skin, quickly transfer the cooked mixture to a mesh strainer and force as much as the jam through as possible, discard the skins and proceed with canning.
4.  Remove the vanilla bean pod and save for another use, then pour the jam into sterilized jars, then process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Raspberry Currant Jam

A trip upstate a few weekends ago to help some friends build a clay oven (more about this exciting development later!) quickly turned into a raspberry picking spree after we saw a sign on the side of the road advertising U-Pick berries. I don't think I've even seen raspberries sold in anything larger then a half pint since I moved to the East Coast so as soon as we pulled over I grabbed a basket and booked it out to the fields with my pals. 

We walked up and down the raspberry rows and picked and picked until our arms were scratched from the brambles and our fingers stained from the fruit. It was a glorious summer day and I couldn't help but smile to myself and dream up all of the ways I was going to use the pounds and pounds of raspberries I was picking. Growing up, a corner of my parent's garden was always dedicated to the raspberry bushes that my dad grew from sad little twigs and the smell of raspberry jam boiling away on the stove (a few times per summer) is a smell I haven't experienced in years. When I got home, I knew that a batch of jam was my first order of business.



My mom always made a simple jam with raspberries, sugar and pectin. She never bothered to strain the seeds out so I don't either, but I have adapted the recipe so it no longer requires pectin. I also threw about a pint of tart red currants to add a bit of zing to the jam but by all means, if you can't find currants where you live, you can certainly just use raspberries. If you'd like to make your batch of jam a bit more refined feel free to strain the seeds and be warned that you'll end up with a smaller yield, maybe six half pints instead of seven. 



Raspberry Currant Jam
yield, roughly 7 half pints jam

8 ounces red currants (or raspberries if you can't find currants)
40 ounces raspberries
32 ounces sugar
juice of 2 lemons

1. Add the raspberries, currants, sugar, and lemon juice to a large, wide, non-reactive pot.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. As the jam comes to a boil, skim the foam that rises to the top of the pot and discard.
3. Raise the heat to high and boil for 10-20 minutes or until set, being careful not to let the bottom scorch. Begin checking for doneness at 10 minutes. I generally use the wrinkle test to check for doneness with this type of jam, but if you like numbers you can cook it to 220ºF. If you prefer seedless jam, quickly transfer the cooked mixture to a mesh strainer and force as much as the jam through as possible, discard the seeds and proceed with canning.
4. Pour the jam into sterilized jars, then process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Marmalade Pull Apart Bread

I've talked about my "condiment situation" here before so I know many of you also find yourself with an overabundance of jam on your shelves. Well, with rhubarb season in full swing and strawberries just around the corner I decided it was time to face the pantry head on, and by pantry I mean the shelf in my closet where I keep my jam. It's next to the extra sheets if you were wondering. Fancy, I know. This little loaf that I whipped up last weekend is a lot of things, fun to eat, easy to share, your toast and marmalade all in one, but the best part is that it uses an entire 8oz jar of marmalade. Like a lot of sweet bread this is the tastiest the day it’s made, but if you have to keep it around for a day or so make sure you wrap it up tight and warm it up before you eat it.

Marmalade Pull Apart Bread

For the Dough
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
yield, one 9x5 loaf

3 cups all purpose flour
2 Tablespoon sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast (2 1/4t)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup milk + 1/4 cup milk, separated
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Filling

8oz marmalade
4 Tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
½ vanilla bean scraped  or 1t vanilla extract (I used a vanilla scented marmalade and I loved the vanilla flavor so much, but this is totally optional)

To Assemble

1. In a small saucepan heat the 1/3c milk and butter until the butter is melted. Add in the 1/4c milk, vanilla, and the sugar. Let the mixture cool to between 105-115º, then whisk in the yeast and set aside until the mixture is foamy and frothy. 2. In a large bowl stir 2c flour and the salt together, then add in the yeast mixture and stir until the liquid is incorporated. Add the eggs in one at a time, followed by the last cup of flour. Stir for about two minutes, the dough should be quite sticky, but well mixed.
3. Place the dough in a large, greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise until doubled in size, about an hour. While the dough rises, prepare the filling.
4. Dump the marmalade into your blender (or use an immersion blender) and pulse a few times to break up the bits of zest, I pulverized mine pretty well because I wanted it to be easily spreadable. If your marmalade has finer bits of zest to begin with, you probably won’t have to go crazy with the blender, you don’t want to totally puree it. Then, add in the spices and vanilla if using. If you are using a flavored marmalade, you might want to skip the spices and vanilla, your call. Grease and line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment.
5. After the dough has risen, dump it onto a floured board and roll it into a roughly 12x20 rectangle. Use a brush or spoon spread the melted butter onto the dough, then gently spread the marmalade mixture on top. You want a very, very thin layer of marmalade so you may need a bit less than 8oz total.
6. Slice the dough into 6 vertical strips, then stack the strips on top of each other. Slice the stack into 6 squarish pieces. Lay the stacks of dough in the prepared loaf pan so the layers are visible, like the pages of a book. Cover and let rise until almost doubled again, 30-45 minutes.
7. Heat your oven to 350º. When the dough has risen, put the loaf pan onto a sheet pan and slide it into the oven. Bake until deep golden brown, 30-35min. Let it rest for about 20 minutes then dig in!