Rhubarb
Jam
Last weeks item on Scots love of jam brought
an immediate response from a visitor to The Flag requesting a jam
recipe! It also prompted the SI skeilie Webmaster to recall a boyhood
visit to friends of his parents who had a croft in the Scottish Borders
and made their own bread, butter and jam. The young Alastair kept going
back to the kitchen for another jammy piece until his mother called
a halt. She probably thought, reminisced Alastair, that her friends would
think that she didn't feed him properly! But it was so good, just like
nectar, claimed Alastair, and he still remembers with great
pleasure the thick bread smeared liberally with butter and jam.
SI Chairman Peter Wright, who still uses
his mother's rhubarb jam recipe, recalled how she won a rhubarb jam
competition at the Crimond SWRI fifty years ago. "Fit kin o ginger
did ye ess?" she was asked. "A dinna lyke rhubarb and ginger
jam" was her reply. It turned out that the competition was for
rhubarb and ginger jam, which just proves that rhubarb on its own tastes
much better! In a future item, we will look at that great Scottish
institution, The Scottish Women's Rural Institute, but meantime, here is
Gladys Wright's prize winning recipe.
Rhubarb Jam
Ingredients : 4 lb rhubarb; 4 lb sugar;
teaspoon lemon juice
Wash and chop rhubarb into one inch lengths
and put into jelly pan. Cover with sugar. Cover pan with dish cloth and
leave overnight. This draws out the juice from the rhubarb. Next day
bring pan slowly to a rolling boil, stirring continuously with a wooden
spoon. Boil for thirty minutes adding a teaspoon of lemon juice near the
end, to aid setting. During the boiling time skim off the impurities
coming to the surface in thick froth. After thirty minutes put a wooden
spoonful of liquid in a saucer and allow to cool. Test for setting. A
finger run gently across the surface causes wrinkling in the set jam. If
necessary repeat. When ready pour into jam jars, to avoid breakages half
fill jars, then top up. Early rhubarb, being juicier, is more difficult
to set than the later crop, but if desired gelatin can be added.
Like Alastair spread on a piece and enjoy! Makes 7/8 lbs.
