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.

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.

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!

Mixed Citrus Marmalade

Last year I added some booze to my marmalade which was a fun, easy way to step up a classic preserve, but in the process of consuming those jars I learned something important about myself. I am a bit of a marmalade wimp. I can't handle the thick cut rind found in most marmalade and I found myself picking around it. This year I played it safe, turning back to my favorite (and first) marmalade recipe from Marisa at Food in Jars. This style of marmalade only uses the zest of the fruit sliced in very thin strips which give the marmalade great texture and cuts back on some of the bitterness of the thick cut varieties. It takes a bit of time to prepare the fruit, but I can't think of a nicer way to spend a dark winter afternoon than to dive into a big pile of sunny citrus.

Mixed Citrus Marmalade
adapted from Food in Jars
yield about 24oz of finished marmalade

40oz (2.5lbs) mixed citrus fruit, I used 1 grapefruit, 2 tangelos, 1 tangerine and 2 meyer lemons (It was a real clean out the fruit bowl affair)
3c sugar
2c zest poaching liquid (you will make this in Step 1)
clean, sterilized canning jars and lids

1. Remove the peels from your citrus using a vegetable peeler, careful not to get any of the white pith. Cut the peels into thin strips with a sharp knife. The peels wil not reduce in size after you cook them so make sure to cut them very fine, 1/8''-1/4'' depending on your preference. I like to cut them as fine as possible. Combine your zest strips with about 4 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 30min.
2. While the zest is boiling away, get to supreming. Cut away the tops and bottoms of the fruit, then with a very sharp knife, cut the 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.
3. When the zest is finished, strain it over a large bowl, making sure to reserve 2c of the poaching liquid.
4. Grab your (non reactive) canning pot and dump in the fruit segments and juice, poached zest, poaching liquid, sugar, and the cheesecloth bag. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook the hell out of it until it reaches 220º and passes the wrinkle test. You may have to cook the jam for a few minutes after it reaches 220º, it all depends on the mixture of fruit you use. I ended up cooking my marmalade for about 50min, but I would start checking it for doneness at about 30min. When the marmalade is finished, give the cheesecloth bag a good squeeze and discard it.
5. Ladle into clean, sterilized jars and process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

Notes:
- Some folks say that the wrinkle test is unreliable for marmalade, so if you are concerned I suggest you cook the mixture until it reaches 220º then ladle it into jars without testing.
- This recipe can easily be doubled
- If you'd like to add any flavorings to the marmalade, like some booze or vanilla, add it in the last five minutes of cooking.