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Home » Jams, Jellies, Chutney and Pickles » Rhubarb and Ginger Jam

June 21, 2012 By Janice Pattie 57 Comments

Rhubarb and Ginger Jam

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Rhubarb & Ginger Jam Recipe
Scones topped with Rhubarb and Ginger Jam

Rhubarb and Ginger Jam is one of the first jams I ever made. It’s absolutely delicious and the perfect way to preserve a glut of rhubarb in the spring and early summer. Rhubarb and Ginger Jam is really easy to make and the preserved ginger adds a fabulous kick.

Rhubarb and Ginger Jam on scones

Rhubarb & Ginger Jam Inspiration

I first made Rhubarb and Ginger Jam from a  recipe in  A Taste of the Country by Pamela Westland. It was one of the first cookbooks that really fired my imagination.  I borrowed it from the library when I was 15 years old and carried it off to Belgium as my holiday reading.

I then bought a paperback copy and one of the first recipes I made was rhubarb and ginger jam.  It’s such a great book that I had to buy a second copy as the first one eventually fell to bits.

Rhubarb and Ginger Jam on a scone

A step by step guide to making Rhubarb and Ginger Jam:

  1. The night before you want to make the jam,  layer the rhubarb, root ginger and sugar in a bowl.
  2. The next morning most of the sugar will have turned to liquid.
  3. Place the rhubarb and sugar go into the pan, add the ginger root to the pan, tied in a  piece of muslin, or use a jelly bag.
  4. Once the jam is made, and you have tested it for setting point (see below)  add the chopped preserved ginger.
  5. Fill the jam into sterilised pots.
  6. This quantity will make about 4 standard jars.
Step by Step how to make Rhubarb and Ginger Jam

If you have never made jam before, read this excellent article, published in the Guardian Lifestyle, by Darina Allen. It will answer many of the questions you may have

Jam making FAQs

What does a rolling boil look like?

I learned about jam-making from my Mum and my grandmother by watching them.  I think it is much easier to understand when you can see what you are aiming for.

So here is a little help with the main techniques for jam making. The video above will show you what a ”rolling boil’ looks like.

How do I test if my jam will set?

The Wrinkle Test

When you have boiled the jam for 20 minutes you can check if it will set (firm up) once cooled.  To test for setting point you can use a jam thermometer, you can use the ‘flake’ test, but I have always used the wrinkle test.

Place some saucers in the fridge before you start making the jam.  After your jam has been at a rolling boil for the necessary time, take the pan off the heat.

Put a teaspoon of the jam onto one of the cold saucers.  Place the saucer back in the fridge and leave for 5 minutes.  Then remove the saucer and push your finger across the jam.  If it wrinkles, you can skim off the froth and pot up your jam in sterilised jars.

Glass jam jars

How do I sterilise my jam jars?

I sterilise my jam jars and metal lids by thoroughly washing and rinsing them.  I then put them, still wet,  upside down onto a baking tray and place it in the oven at 150C just before I start to make the jam.

The water creates steam which helps to sterilise the jars.  I take them out of the oven and fill them with the hot jam, then put on the lids.  There are other methods but this is how I sterilise my jars.

Do I need to water-bath the jam?

No. I have never water-bathed jam and my jams, jellies, and marmalade stay in good condition for at least a year kept in a cool dry cupboard.  In other countries, this is common practice and often used for lower sugar recipes.

More Jam Recipes from Farmersgirl Kitchen

Once you have learned the basic technique for making jam it’s easy to move on to other kinds of jam. Here are some of my jam recipes you might like to try:

Blackcurrant jam in jam pot

Blackcurrant Jam is one of the easiest jams you can make. Blackcurrants are naturally high in pectin which is the agent required to make the jam set.  You don’t need to add any additional pectin or lemon juice in this recipe, just blackcurrants, water, and sugar.

How to make Plum Jam - easy plum jam recipe

My recipe for Easy Plum Jam is really very simple and, as plums are high in pectin so the jam will set easily.

Jars of Gooseberry Jam

Gooseberry Jam is a rather magical jam.  You start with green or slightly pink berries, sugar and water, and the result if a glowing amber-pink and totally delicious spread. 

More Rhubarb Jam Recipes

  • Rhubarb Lemon and Vanilla Jam  is a delicate and sophisticated combination of flavours from Fab Food 4 All
  • Easy Rhubarb and Elderflower Jam  Recipes made Easy brings together two seasonal treats in one glorious pot.
  • Easiest Rhubarb Jam is a recipe by Christina’s Cucina all the way from California, where rhubarb is hard to find.
Scones topped with Rhubarb and Ginger Jam

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Rich fruity jam with pieces of preserved ginger make this Rhubarb and Ginger Jam so delicious

Rhubarb and Ginger Jam

Adapted from a recipe by Pamela Westland
One of the most delicious jams, easy to make and popular with all the family. 
4.77 from 13 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Start the night before making the jam 8 hrs
Total Time 8 hrs 30 mins
Course preserves
Cuisine British
Servings 4 jars
Calories 5003 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 1.13 kg rhubarb
  • 1.13 kg sugar
  • 30 g root ginger bruised by bashing with a rolling pin
  • 115 g preserved ginger in syrup

Instructions
 

  • Wash and trim the rhubarb and cut into 2in sticks. Weigh the fruit. Put alternate layers of fruit and sugar in a bowl, cover and leave to stand overnight.
  • In the morning most of the sugar will have dissolved and the juices will have come out of the rhubarb
  • Turn into a pan, add the root ginger tied in a piece of muslin and bring slowly to the boil. Fast boil for 15 minutes. Remove the ginger and add the preserved ginger, boil for a further 5 minutes. By this time the rhubarb should be clear.
  • Test for set. Pot and cover in the usual way.

Video

Notes

You need to start this recipe the night before you plan to make the jam.
As you can see, the weight of the rhubarb is equal to the weight of the sugar, so you can vary how much you make quite easily, but here are some weights for a smaller batch of jam:
Small Batch Rhubarb & Ginger Jam 
650 g rhubarb
650 g sugar 
15 g root ginger
50 g preserved ginger
Follow the recipe instructions.  Fast boil for 10 minutes, add the preserved ginger and boil for 5 minutes.  Test for set. 

Nutrition

Calories: 5003kcalCarbohydrates: 1276gProtein: 10gFat: 2gSodium: 77mgPotassium: 3378mgFiber: 20gSugar: 1227gVitamin A: 1155IUVitamin C: 91.9mgCalcium: 983mgIron: 3mg
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Filed Under: Field to Fork, Jams, Jellies, Chutney and Pickles, Popular Posts, Spring, Summer, Vegetarian Tagged With: ginger, jam, rhubarb

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chris says

    June 22, 2012 at 4:59 am

    I love coming back and reading things.
    So I nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award.

    Reply
  2. A Trifle Rushed says

    June 22, 2012 at 1:49 pm

    Such a perfect combination, I adore rhubarb, and I love the colour of your jam, when I have made it , the jam has tended to look sludgy, I'm very impressed.

    Reply
  3. Sue/the view from great island says

    June 22, 2012 at 11:49 pm

    I love those cookbooks that are so loved they need to be replaced, I have a couple of those, also from the 70s! Your jam looks wonderful, and I like the simple straightforward method.

    Reply
  4. Caroline says

    June 23, 2012 at 6:27 pm

    Oh yum, that looks fabulous! I do love a good homemade jam, especially in flavours that are impossible to buy.

    Reply
  5. Living to work - working to live says

    May 18, 2013 at 6:00 am

    I have just made a batch of jam using this recipe and thank you so much because it is quite delicious.

    I too have that book somewhere. I need to do a bit of an audit. The most successful ones are definitely those of this generation.

    Reply
  6. Janice Pattie says

    May 19, 2013 at 5:54 pm

    I'm delighted to hear that you tried the recipe and are enjoying the jam. It's a great little book, well worth digging it out.

    Reply
  7. Sarah says

    July 16, 2013 at 10:35 pm

    I tried to make this but it burnt horribly and stuck to the bottom of the pan and now it just tastes all caramelised and burnt. What did I do wrong? 🙁

    Reply
  8. Janice Pattie says

    July 17, 2013 at 6:18 am

    Sorry to hear that Sarah. I can only think you had the heat too high or your pan didn't have a thick enough base. Google Vivien Lloyd Preserves for great info and advice on preserve making.

    Reply
  9. Gail Scerri says

    June 12, 2016 at 11:13 am

    Just making my second batch of this fab jam. I found it so easy to do and the flavour is something else.

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      June 12, 2016 at 7:39 pm

      Oh that’s great to hear Gail, so glad you are enjoying the jam.

      Reply
  10. Betty Fisher says

    August 16, 2016 at 7:40 am

    I have made this recepi for a long time but always seem to get it to thick although it tastes delicious ,any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      August 18, 2016 at 9:09 pm

      Hi Betty, have you tried boiling it for less time? Test the jam for set earlier than you would usually do, it can vary depending on the time in the season for rhubarb. Also you don’t need to use ‘jam sugar’ for this jam, it sets pretty easily, so the extra pectin in jam sugar can make it set too thickly. Hope this is of some help. Try http://www.vivienlloyd.com/ for great jam making tips.

      Reply
  11. Jeanette says

    August 28, 2016 at 2:01 pm

    Thank you for making my first venture into jam making this simple. The recipe used up most of the allotment rhubarb and is now all jarred up ready to enjoy over the winter. Yummy x

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      August 28, 2016 at 7:14 pm

      Oh I’m delighted Jeanette, and thank you for coming back to tell me. Enjoy!

      Reply
  12. Sally says

    April 15, 2017 at 7:09 am

    What a great recipe! Just made a batch of delicious jam. It’s sweet and zingy at the same time. So easy to make. I shall be making it regularly to use up our rhubarb which got wasted last year I’m ashamed to say. Many thanks !

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      April 15, 2017 at 8:03 am

      Aw thank you Sally, it is a great recipe and I’ll soon be making more myself.

      Reply
  13. Betty Fisher says

    June 24, 2017 at 9:16 am

    I have rhubarb and ginger jam from last year it’s very thick Is there a way to thin it down?? Thank you for advice earlier ,tried reducing time turned out fine .

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      June 24, 2017 at 8:00 pm

      Hi Betty, good to hear your jam turned out well this time. A couple of ideas for the thick jam, either warm it slightly in the microwave before use. Or I found this online, it’s not something I’ve tried and it does involve alcohol but seems to have the desired effect: I just tried using vodka and water to thin my jam and it worked! The formula is 1/4 cup liquid to each 8 oz of jam. I had 32 oz of jam so I used 1 cup of liquid, half water, half vodka. Melted it over a low flame til smooth, then boiled it over medium flame for 3 minutes. Did the wrinkle test, didn’t wrinkle so boiled it for another 2 minutes, it did wrinkle and I was done. Only took about fifteen minutes. Special thanks for all your posts because using liquor would never have occurred

      Reply
  14. Liz says

    September 4, 2017 at 1:15 pm

    Just made your rhubarb and ginger jam. If only all Hamm was this easy. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      September 4, 2017 at 4:15 pm

      Thanks Liz, I’m glad you found the recipe easy to use and hope you enjoy the jam

      Reply
  15. Liz says

    September 4, 2017 at 1:16 pm

    Jam not hamm

    Reply
  16. Lesley says

    September 14, 2017 at 9:15 pm

    Hi, this may be obvious to most but do I need to peel the root ginger before using to make the jam?
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      September 14, 2017 at 9:50 pm

      Oh sorry Lesley, I should have made that clear. Yes, peel the root ginger, you can scrape the skin off with a teaspoon or use a peeler or knife. Do let me know how you get on with the recipe.

      Reply
      • Lesley says

        September 14, 2017 at 10:04 pm

        Thank you for your quick response, this will be my first time making my own favourite jam I will let you know how I get on
        Lesley

        Reply
        • Lesley says

          September 30, 2017 at 10:36 pm

          Hi Janice, I have made the jam to this recipe and it certainly beats shop bought, next time I may try with more ginger.
          Lesley

          Reply
          • Janice Pattie says

            September 30, 2017 at 10:56 pm

            Thank you for letting me know. It is a good jam, you add as much ginger as you like, it’s all about personal taste 🙂

  17. Paula says

    September 16, 2017 at 12:47 am

    Hi there,

    This may seem like an obvious question is this ‘preserved ginger’ in syrup to be found in shops or is it something that is pre made at home before tackling this recipe?

    Many thanks,
    Paula

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      September 16, 2017 at 9:05 am

      Hi Paula, you can buy ginger preserved in syrup in the shops, I used Opies. You can make it yourself but I never have. Hope you enjoy the jam.

      Reply
  18. Philippa says

    September 30, 2017 at 6:56 pm

    Hi, can you use old rhubarb to make this jam?
    I want to try it Now!

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      September 30, 2017 at 7:18 pm

      That shouldn’t be a problem, in fact, jam is the best way to use old rhubarb.

      Reply
  19. Matt says

    December 6, 2017 at 12:05 pm

    A friend sent me a photo of that page from the book 2 years ago and I have made this jam several times since.
    Was glad to find your online recipe as I can’t find the picture!
    Currently laying in bed listening to the jars ping!

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      December 6, 2017 at 6:32 pm

      It is the best!

      Reply
  20. Glennis Scrivens says

    May 19, 2019 at 9:01 am

    can i use lazy ginger from a jar ,why do you not remove the skin from the rhubarb

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      May 19, 2019 at 9:29 am

      Hi Glennis
      You could use lazy ginger but would need to contain it in muslin for the first part of the cooking. You would still need to add preserved ginger in the later part of the recipe to get the flavour. I can’t guarantee results though as I haven’t tried this. I don’t remove the skin because there is no need to do so, it cooks down nicely and also provides the colour for the jam. Again, if you remove the skin I can’t guarantee the results as I haven’t made it like this.

      Reply
  21. Babs says

    June 1, 2019 at 11:03 am

    Having taken over an allotment, I found myself with large amounts of rhubarb. Now there is only so much crumble anyone can make & eat, so I searched for a rhubarb and ginger jam recipe. It’s my first time making jam. Pleased with the results. Now looking forward to have a taster session with my colleagues. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      June 1, 2019 at 1:32 pm

      Thank you so much for letting me know that the Rhubarb and Ginger Jam worked well for you. It’s always a favourite in our house. I have lots more rhubarb recipes, just use the search box on the blog and you’ll find lots of ideas for using rhubarb.

      Reply
  22. Mazzer says

    June 22, 2019 at 3:17 pm

    Hello there,
    Do,you add the syrup from the jar when adding the stem ginger

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      June 22, 2019 at 8:41 pm

      Hi there, no I don’t add the syrup, just the ginger. I keep the syrup and use it over ice cream or add to rhubarb crumble. I hope you enjoy the jam 😊

      Reply
      • Mazzer says

        June 22, 2019 at 8:47 pm

        Thanks for the reply, I was unsure and didn’t want to get it wrong. Have now got all my new utensils so will pick rhubarb this week. Just one more thing. Is it normal sugar or jam sugar and there is no mention of lemons. Grateful for your advice.
        Mazzer

        Reply
        • Janice Pattie says

          June 22, 2019 at 8:55 pm

          I use normal sugar and no lemon, I have never had any trouble getting a set. You could use jam sugar but boil for a shorter time. Let me know how it goes.

          Reply
          • Mazzer says

            June 23, 2019 at 1:48 pm

            Thanks for all the advice, will message again when made.

  23. Christina Conte says

    August 28, 2019 at 3:03 pm

    Such a classic, Janice! Thanks for including my “plain Jane” jam 🙂

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      August 28, 2019 at 5:10 pm

      You are Welcome. Often my readers are looking for the ‘plain’ recipes, so it’s nice to be able to include this.

      Reply
  24. Emma says

    September 10, 2019 at 9:50 am

    I find most jam recipes too sweet. Can you easily reduce sugar content in this jam? Many thanks

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      September 10, 2019 at 11:18 am

      Hi Emma
      The quantity of sugar is required to ensure that the jam sets and to make sure it doesn’t go mouldy when stored. There are jam recipes using less sugar but these would be freezer jams or sometimes people make a jam type spread with chia seeds. I tend to stick to traditional jams, so can’t help you with a recipe. Search on line for low sugar jams and you will find something suitable.

      Reply
  25. Heidi Roberts says

    April 4, 2020 at 2:12 pm

    I love making jam from seasonal fruits. I have loads of rhubarb this year so might just have to get jammin!

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      April 4, 2020 at 3:01 pm

      Thanks, Heidi. It’s one of our favourites and so easy to make.

      Reply
  26. Jane Willis says

    July 10, 2020 at 12:55 pm

    Made this last year as it is one of y favourite flavour combos.. Made some smaller jars too for gifts and getting requests for more this year ! Off to make another batch- delicious and easy x Glad someone else uses the left over syrup in crumbles too!!

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      July 11, 2020 at 10:49 am

      That’s great to hear, Jane and from someone of your cooking experience too! I couldn’t possibly throw away that lovely syrup, I think we were brought up not to waste anything!

      Reply
  27. Angelica says

    September 14, 2020 at 5:58 am

    I liked it so well I made lots this year to give as hostess gifts.

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      September 14, 2020 at 8:34 am

      That’s good to hear, Angela. Thanks for your comment.

      Reply
  28. Lisa says

    September 15, 2020 at 10:18 am

    I’ve made this recipe a few times and it comes out perfect every time. I really think this is the jam they must have in heaven. It’s so delicious.

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      September 16, 2020 at 1:38 pm

      Hi Lisa, that’s great to hear and I agree, it is really heavenly 🙂

      Reply
  29. Dandre says

    October 6, 2020 at 3:20 am

    I liked it so well I made lots this year to give as hostess gifts.

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      October 6, 2020 at 8:55 am

      Thanks, that’s great to hear, Dandre. I hope your friends and family enjoy your gifts.

      Reply
  30. Felipa says

    November 24, 2020 at 2:12 am

    Love, love, love this jam and so does everyone else! I followed the suggestion of leaving overnight, the amount of juice that was released gave a good rhubarb flavour. I added finely chopped fresh ginger and bit more lemon juice. I’m not a fan of really sweet jam. It turned out perfectly it’s slightly tart but you can really taste the rhubarb and ginger, delicious @

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      November 24, 2020 at 5:59 pm

      So glad you enjoyed the jam.

      Reply

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Janice Pattie 2019

Hello, I’m Janice, I live on a farm and I love to cook and bake. My aim is to be your friend in the kitchen, providing simple and delicious recipes, friendly advice, inspiration and honest reviews. Read more on my About page.

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