Grandma Gloria's Rhubarb Jam

This jam tastes very much like strawberry jam, so don't be distracted by the rhubarb as the main ingredient!  Both of the girls love eating it on toast.

Makes about 5 cups

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Drain pineapple RESERVING the juice.

Combine rhubarb, pineapple and half the juice in a saucepan.  Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add about 2 cups of the sugar and bring the mixture to a boil, still stirring constantly.  Within the first 5 minutes of boiling, you'll need to add all of the sugar (the last 3 cups).  We do this by just slowly pouring the sugar in as we stir.

If your mixture becomes dry, you can add a bit more of the pineapple juice.  This typically shouldn't be necessary because the rhubarb usually breaks down and provides moisture...  But sometimes you'll have a drier crop of rhubarb and will need to add a bit more of the pineapple juice.

10 minutes into the boiling, add the 2 packages of strawberry jello and boil for another 10 minutes -- still stirring constantly.

Altogether, you'll have cooked it slowly for 5 minutes and boiled it for 20 minutes.

Refrigerator version:  Pour into jars.  Put on lid.  Keep in fridge - lasts about 3 months.

Preserve version:  Pour IMMEDIATELY into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Seal with two-piecelids, and process in a boiling water canner for 5 minutes if you live below 1000 feet altitude and for 10 minutes if you live about 1000 feet.

A note from Grandma:

Hi Leanne!  Just got me thinking about the rhubarb jam!!! In the past I have collected baby food jars (wrapper removed and sterilized). Poured jam into jars to be later used as gifts for Christmas or maybe Thanksgiving, sealed with paraffin wax.

For presentation: cut out circles of colorful fabric, if you have pinking shears in your sewing supplies it would make a very nice edging. Cover lid with fabric and tie with a ribbon (or wool perhaps). A label indicating the name of the jam may also be applied. Makes a really nice, very inexpensive gift especially if you have access to RHUBARB.

 

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