Spring and summer are a great time to make your own preserves, especially if you have family members who love some jam on – well, everything. And the reason I also love to make my own jam when possible is that the storebought kinds almost always have too much sugar or taste iffy or have that weird stiff texture or are laden with preservatives. And making your own jam is so easy, so why wouldn’t you? I am sure you’re thinking right now of a domestic goddess – or god – standing over a pot of bubbling fruit, stirring away and mopping a sweaty brow, but in reality making jam is a piece of cake that you can often do while multitasking. And better still, it’s almost foolproof. Rhubarb Jam is one of my favorites because it’s one of the best ways to enjoy the delicious but subtle flavor of these seasonal red stalks. It is great smeared on these vegan buttermilk drop biscuits or these vegan strawberry scones or vegan bagels. Or you can use it to top your favorite vanilla cake. The possibilities really are endless. I don’t really like adding pectin to my preserves. For one it adds a weird texture and a weird taste, and I want nothing but the flavor of my fruit of choice – or veggie, in this case – to shine through. In most cases the pectin in the fruit itself is enough to thicken the jam to the perfect consistency. The jam will also firm up further when you refrigerate it. Check to get new recipe updates by email.
I also can’t be bothered with sterilizing jars (domestic goddess territory!), so I usually only make enough jam to fill up a couple of jars which, in our home, will be safely disposed of within a week. If you want to make a larger batch, be sure to sterilize your jars to keep out the bacteria and the mold and all those other evil things that could potentially come between great jam and you. Here’s the recipe now. Keep in mind that the color of your jam will depend on the color of your rhubarb stalks. If you use very red stalks, like I did, you will get a richer color, but green stalks, although perfectly good to use, will yield a milder colored jam. It’ll be just as tasty, though.
More vegan homemade jam recipes
Raspberry Jam Peach Jam Banana Jam
Recipe card
