Description
Ina Garten’s fresh strawberry rhubarb preserves combine seasonal fruits for a delightful spread. Sweet-tart flavors meld beautifully, offering you a homemade treat perfect for morning toast or elegant dessert pairings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 cups (1.2 kg) sugar
- 2 pounds (900 grams) fresh strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered
- 4 cups (1 liter) diced fresh rhubarb
- ¼ cup (60 mL) Grand Marnier
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
- Zest of 2 oranges
Instructions
- Preparation: Combine strawberries, rhubarb, apple, sugar, Grand Marnier, orange zest, and water in a large heavy-bottomed pot, ensuring all ingredients are evenly mixed.
- Cooking Initiation: Place pot over medium-low heat, covered, allowing fruits to slowly release juices and merge flavors gently.
- Simmering Process: Remove lid once mixture begins bubbling, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching and promote even cooking. Skim off any white foam that forms on the surface to maintain preserve clarity.
- Temperature Monitoring: Cook for approximately 25-30 minutes, watching carefully until mixture reaches 220°F on a candy thermometer, indicating proper gel formation.
- Consistency Verification: Perform the chilled plate test by placing a small amount of preserve on a refrigerated plate. If it wrinkles when pushed and holds its shape, the preserve is ready. If too liquid, continue cooking and retest.
- Cooling and Storage: Remove from heat, allowing preserve to cool naturally to room temperature without stirring. Once cooled, transfer to sterilized containers and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for 4 months.
Notes
- Fruit Selection Matters: Choose ultra-ripe, deeply colored strawberries and tender, bright red rhubarb for maximum natural sweetness and vibrant flavor profile.
- Temperature Precision: Use a reliable candy thermometer to monitor exact cooking temperature, ensuring perfect jam consistency without overcooking or undercooking.
- Foam Removal Technique: Gently skim off white foam during simmering to maintain a clear, glossy preserve with pure, intense fruit flavors.
- Consistency Check Trick: Perform the chilled plate test by refrigerating a small sample to confirm ideal thickness before removing from heat, preventing runny or overly stiff preserves.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Desserts, Breakfast
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 440
- Sugar: 73 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 114 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg