Banana-Rhubarb-Jam

The following recipe for Banana-Rhubarb-Jam is a great way to preserve the rhubarb that can only be harvested for a short period of the year. But it is also a great way to use leftover bananas. However, feel free to replace the banana with strawberries once you can get fresh and locally grown ones. Banana-Rhubarb-Jam is not one of the most aesthetically pleasing foods but it definitely has an amazing taste. So why not give this recipe a try?!

If you do not have experience in food preservation yet, our guide to making  jam can help you avoid common mistakes

Ingredients: 

• 350 g banana
• 350 g rhubarb
• 350 g jam sugar (sugar with gelling agent suitable for 2:1 mixture)
• 20 mL lemon juice (or orange juice, the Vitamin C helps to preserve the vibrant color of the fruits and is especially recommended when you use red fruits) 
  
• empty jam jars (combined ca. 2 L) 

Method: 

• Bring water to a boil 
• Pour the boiling water in the empty jam jars 
• Peel the Rhubarb
• Cut the rhubarb in small pieces (ca. 0,5 – 1 cm long) 
• Cut the banana in small pieces
• Mix the rhubarb, the banana, the lemon juice and the jam sugar in a large pot, cover the pot and let it sit at room temperature for ca. 30 min
  (Don’t skip this step, it is essential for the consistency of the jam) 
• Use a hand blender to mix to the consistency of your liking, you can skip this step if you cut the fruit in small enough pieces or if you like a chunky jam. 
• Bring the mixture to a boil and let boil for at least 3 min while continuously stirring 
• Add a teaspoon of the mixture on a small plate, let it cool down to check if the jam gets firm enough ( If not add more jam sugar and let boil for a few more minutes) 
• Use oven gloves to empty the water from the jam jars ( Tipp: use it to water your plants 😉 ) 
• Pour the hot jam mixture in the jam jars and immediately put on the lid (Caution: HOT!)
• Once cooled, check if the jars have a vacuum by pushing down the lit. If you cannot push the lit further down there is a vacuum in the jar. Store the ones without vacuum in the fridge and use them first
• Label the jars with the name of the jam and current month and year

Written by Laura Lang
Photo by Laura Lang