Sunday, June 24, 2012

The Rhubarb-Banana Experiment

On Friday I was gifted with 2 kilos of rhubarb. Though I'v already made rhubarb jelly and rhubarb-strawberry jam two weeks ago, (after using about 1/2 kilo for a yummy cake) I decided again to make jam. But what to use to compliment the rhubarb flavor? I decided to try bananas and lemon juice/zest.
The result ... hmmmmmm, loving it!


As I made it up as I went, here my first attempt to write a recipe.

You need:
600-750 gr rhubarb
half again water
500 sugar for jams 1:2
3 bananas (depending on the ripeness - mine were just about ripe)
1 lemon (bio)
5 gr lemon acid

Clean the rhubarb and cut it into small pieces. Cook with water for 20 minutes, then filter through a kitchen towel. Your aim is to get about 500ml of juice. Wait for it to cool.
Peel the bananas and cut them into small pieces. Add them to the rhubarb juice and the sugar.
Let sit for 1 hr, then puree all with a hand blender. Cut thin stripes off the lemon (after washing very hot) and cut them to tiny slivers. Squeeze the lemon. Add the zest, the lemon juice and the lemon acid to the rhubarb-banana mix.
Cook for four minutes, never stop steering, then fill in to clean glasses.

Notes: While I was cooking the jam, I noticed something dark and sugary sticking to the tip of my cooking spoon. I looks like the sugar at the bottom of the pot actually caramelized (and burned a little). I don't know if this can be prevented (I never really stoped steering the pot), but actually I like the flavor, so no harm done.


I sort of call this jam the 'three-hit-wonder' as you'll have three distinct flavor experiences. First the banana is very dominant, then the rhubarb makes an apperance, only to end with a lemony note.
I don't really need rolls or bread for this, I could just eat it right out of the glass.

(and in case you wonder, I made also another batch of the jelly with the left over rhubarbs)

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