Rhubarb Chutney Recipe

This recipe is adapted from the one at the thefoody.com, as recommended on the grow your own forums.

Ingredients

1500g rhubarb
1500g dark brown soft sugar
900ml vinegar (malt)
425g sultanas
75g chopped dried apricots
40g root ginger
30g salt
30g garlic
1 chilli
2 tsp peppercorns
3 lemons, peel only

Method

See here for pictures of the method.

Finely chop the rhubarb and garlic.
Crush the root ginger and place it with the peppercorns and lemon peel in a piece of muslin and tie with string.
Place all of the ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
Simmer gently, stir frequently, until the mixture thickens.
Remove the muslin bag.

Pot in steralised jars.

Makes about 3kg
Leave for 3 months to mature before using.

Rhubarb Marmalade Recipe

image source wikimedia commons
This recipe is adapted from the one at the Rhubarbinfo website.

Ingredients

2 litres chopped rhubarb (8 cups)
2 oranges
900g sugar
1 lemon
50g finely chopped preserved ginger

Method

Mix the rhubarb and sugar and let it stand overnight.

Thinly slice the rind from oranges and lemon, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or until tender, drain, set aside.

Remove pith from oranges and lemon and chop the pulp, add to rhubarb. In a non aluminium saucepan bring to a full rolling boil.
Reduce heat and cook for about 10 minutes, until a setting point is reached.

(Setting point can be judged by pouring a little of the jam mixture onto a cold saucer and leaving to cool for a few minutes. If a skin has formed and the jam wrinkles when pushed with a finger it has reached setting point. If it stays runny and does not have a skin then boil for longer.)

Remove from heat, add ginger and cooked citrus rind.

Stir for 5 minutes then skim any foam.

Pot in steralised jars.

Makes about 1.75 litres

Note on untested recipes

I have not tried this recipe, but plan to in the future. It would be good to hear from anyone who uses it.

Rhubarb and Ginger Jam

Rhubarb was one of the first things we planted in our new vegetable garden when we moved in. I don't think I have ever bought rhubarb in the shops, and had therefore probably not cooked with it since leaving home. Now every year (apart, for some, in the breastfeeding ones) we can get very excited about the first new shoots and then the sudden abundance. It does very well in our clay soil, and the surplus is often given away in an attempt to limit the amount of crumble consumed (for weight reasons, as I can easily eat a bowl cold for breakfast).


This was the first time I had tried preserving with it, the recipe with ginger was enticing, as I have made wonderful marrow and ginger jam before. The addition of crystallised ginger was a good excuse to have a go at making that as well. The recipe from the "Good Housekeeping" Cookery Book which was on the veg plotting blog, seemed to be the classic.
See here for the recipe.

Recipe Costs

£6.85 1.1kg rhubarb (equivalent cost, mine was free)
£1.03 1.1kg sugar
£0.60 2 Lemons
£0.24 25g root ginger
£1.36 100g crystallised ginger
£10.08 Total (£3.23 without buying the rhubarb)
£5.04 per kg of jam (£1.62 without buying the rhubarb - 33% of the cost of equivalent at Tesco)

This jam was a dream to make, chopping rhubarb is particularly pleasurable, something to do with the noise it makes.
The recipe said to leave the rhubarb and sugar mix to stand overnight, so I did, but couldn't resist stirring a few times. When returned to in the morning the sugar had drawn out a lot of liquid resulting in chunks of rhubarb floating in sugar syrup - half way to jam already.


All of the crystallised ginger was finely chopped and added in with the fresh crushed ginger in a muslin. This seemed like a lot of ginger for the amount of jam, but the end result wasn't overpowering.



The boiling process was more frantic than some jams, the rhubarb broke down quickly, leaving it's characteristic strands. It might be an idea to chop the rhubarb into smaller chunks to start with, if you're not keen on stringy jam. Setting point was soon reached, no need for hours of simmering with this jam.



Recipe Timings

0.5hrs Preparation
overnight standing
0.25hrs chopping ginger
0.5hrs first boil
0.5hrs to reach setting point
0.5 hr Potting

Taste Test
I had though this could be overpowered by the ginger in it, but although it's obviously there, it's actually quite subtle until you bite into a small lump of crystallised ginger. The lumps of ginger have remained firm and crunchy, and although it would still be a tasty jam if they were left out, I think it's worth the effort of making and adding them.

Rhubarb and Ginger Jam Recipe

This is taken from the 1995 edition of the "Good Housekeeping" Cookery Book.

Ingredients

1.1kg (2.5lb) rhubarb (prepared weight), chopped
1.1kg (2.5lb) sugar
juice of 2 lemons
25g (1oz) root ginger
100g (4oz) preserved stem ginger, chopped

Method

See here for pictures of the method.

Place the rhubarb, sugar and lemon juice in a large bowl in alternate layers, cover and leave overnight.

Next day, peel and bruise the root ginger slightly with a rolling pin, and tie it in a piece of muslin. Put the rhubarb mixture in a preserving pan with the muslin bag, bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Remove the muslin bag from the pan, add the stem ginger and boil for a further 5 minutes.

Test for set, and when setting point is reached remove any scum with a slotted spoon, pot and cover.

Makes about 2kg (4.5lb)

Crystallised Ginger

I had settled on making some Rhubarb and Ginger Jam with the rampant rhubarb from the garden, and had then been further inspired by the post on the veg plotting blog. As the recipe called for crystallised ginger it seemed sensible to have a go at making this myself first.

I have a recipe for it in The Complete Book of Small-batch Preserving, although it being an American book it calls it candied ginger.
See here for the recipe.

Recipe Costs

£1.22 130g fresh ginger
£0.14 145g sugar
£1.36 Total
£10.07 per kg crystallised ginger (very similar or more expensive to the costs in the shops)

The ginger was peeled and chopped, not a time consuming task, although I did only do a cup full. The thinly (about 2mm) sliced ginger was boiled several times, which did make the kitchen smell very nice.


While boiling for the final time I made up the sugar syrup, unlike the making of candied peel, the ginger was simmered in the syrup until it was all absorbed. This needed a bit of watching in the final ten minutes, but meant there was no sticky draining to do. I just tipped the pan straight into a bowl of sugar and rubbed until it was all coated.

The recipe suggested further drying in the oven, but as I was planning on using it straight away I didn't bother.


This was a very quick and easy recipe to do, and satisfying not to have to buy the product from the shops to use in the planned jam. You could almost prepare it as you needed it, if you had ginger in the fridge/freezer and needed crystallised ginger for a recipe.
A bit disappointing that you can buy it cheaper then make it, but that was probably down to the cost of ginger. I did at least save on the petrol costs of making a special journey to get some.

Recipe Timings

0.25 hrs Preparation
1 hr Boiling, simmering in Sugar Syrup & dusting in sugar

Taste Test

This had a real kick to it, sweet at first and then fiery in the mouth. I imagine it'll make a rich tasting addition to jam or chutney, and could in small amounts be eaten as a very treaty snack.

Crystallised Ginger Recipe

This is taken from The Complete Book of Small-batch Preserving.
See here for pictures of the method.

Ingredients

250ml Thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger
125ml Granulated sugar
175ml Water
Extra Granulated sugar

Method

Place the ginger in a small saucepan and cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and then repeat once with fresh cold water.

Combine the ginger, 175ml of water and 125ml sugar in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and then simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated. It's best to watch it for the last 10 minutes in case it scorches.

Put a layer of extra sugar in a dish and tip the ginger in. Toss it until all pieces are coated. Dry in a 200 degree F oven for an hour. Let stand at room temperature for 1 day to finish drying.

Crystallised or preserved ginger keeps almost indefinitely in a sealed jar, in a cool dark place.

Makes about 250ml or 135g

Ten Facts About Ginger

image source wikimedia commons

1. Ginger used in cooking is the underground stem of the ginger plant(Zingiber officinale)javascript:void(0)

2. Ginger originated in Asia and is now also grown in India, Southeast Asia, West Africa and the Caribbean.

3. Ginger can be used fresh, either grated or thinly sliced, or the root powdered and dried to make ginger powder.

4. Substitute 6 parts fresh for 1 part ground if needed, although the tastes are not exactly the same.

5. Fresh ginger is often used in pickles and chutneys, and can be pickled itself to make the Japanese delicacy gari.

6. Fresh ginger can also be preserved by crystallising, then used in baking or jam making.

7. When buying ginger make sure the skin is smooth, if it's wrinkled or cracked it means the ginger is old. It should also be very firm to the touch.

8. Ginger has been found effective for treating nausea caused by seasickness, morning sickness and chemotherapy.

9. Fresh ginger can be kept for about three weeks in the fridge, wrapped in a towel in a plastic bag.

10. It can be frozen for up to three months, either whole or grated.