Rhubarb Jelly • Easy Canning Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is rhubarb high in pectin? ›

Although strawberries and rhubarb are naturally high in acid, they are low in pectin. However, they cook down to a lovely, thick consistency all on their own, without any added pectin using the easy tricks in this recipe.

Wash, trim and cut into 1-inch pieces. Pack dry into freezer containers or bags. Rhubarb can also be cooked into sauce, cooled and frozen. To dry: Wash, trim and slice into 1-inch slices.

- Too little acid produces a soft set. Recipes for making jam and jellies from no-acid fruits call for added lemon juice. If you know that the fruit is overripe, you can add one to two teaspoons of lemon juice to compensate for the loss of the acidity.

How much pectin do I need to add? The amount of pectin needed to thicken your jam varies depending on the fruit and the other ingredients, as well as how thick you prefer your jam, however, as a rough guide, 3g for every kilogram of fruit, or 1.5 teaspoons of powdered pectin for every cup of jam.

Mix cornstarch with water to create a slurry, then add it to the jam mixture. Bring it to a boil, and the jam should thicken almost immediately.

High in oxalic acid

Rhubarb contains approximately 570–1,900 mg of oxalate per 3.5 ounces (100 grams). The leaves contain the most oxalate, comprising 0.5–1.0% of the leaf ( 3 ). Too much oxalate in the body can lead to a condition known as hyperoxaluria, which is when excess oxalate is excreted in the urine.

Rhubarb is one of the best things to freeze because you can use frozen rhubarb just as you would fresh. Because of the blanching step, the color of recipes made with frozen rhubarb will match the rosy color of the fresh leafstalks—and the tangy flavor will be just as terrific.

In general, properly canned and sealed rhubarb can last for up to two years if stored in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. However, it's important to check the can for any signs of damage or rust before consuming. If the can is dented, swollen, or shows signs of leakage, it's best to discard it.

There are a few ways to thicken jelly that didn't set. You can add more sugar, cook it for longer, or add pectin. How do you thicken pudding that won't set? There are different ways of setting the pudding and achieving the right consistency.

I do occasionally add a satchel of lemon wedges to a jam when I know there is likely to be lower amounts of pectin, like with strawberries. This helps add extra pectin that the berries don't have, but in lower amounts than if I were adding commercial pectin.

What happens if you use too much pectin in jam? ›

You will need approximately half the amount of pectin that is indicated by your recipe. Please be careful when adding pectin as too much will leave you with a set that is too solid and it is not possible to rectify this so always add less than you think is necessary and test the set and then add more if required.

Do not vary the sequence in which the ingredients are added. For example, powdered pectin does not dissolve in a sugared solution, so if you add the sugar and then the dry pectin, the jam will not be firm. Be sure you use a kettle large enough to accommodate the preserves when they are brought to a full rolling boil.

The ratio between fruit and sugar varies: with sweet fruits, it's about 2:1 (2 kilos of fruit, 1 of sugar), while with more bitter fruits like oranges, it should be more like 3:2. If uncertain, it's better to round up with the sugar.

To Make Jelly: Use no more than 6 to 8 cups of extracted fruit juice at a time. Double batches do not always gel properly. Measure juice and sugar. When a recipe is not available, try using ¾ cups sugar for each 1 cup of juice.

This is a very common mishap and can occur for a couple of reasons. It may be because there is not enough pectin and acid in the mixture. Or it may be because the temperature of 104C was not reached when cooking. While hot the jam will seem runny, but be patient, as it takes a while to cool and set.

Sadly, sugar plays a huge role in set. If you cut the amount in the recipe and you don't compensate with a pectin designed for low sugar preserving, your jam may well be runny. Did you check for set while the jam was cooking? Any time a recipe gives you a cooking time, it's simply an approximation.

Nutrition. Rhubarb is rich in antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins (which give it its red color) and proanthocyanidins. These antioxidants have anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties, which help protect you from many health-related issues such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.