Rhubarb season is my favorite time of year. Rhubarb pairs beautifully with other fruits (rhubarb-blackberry crumble is my go-to dessert), and makes an incredible soft-set low-pectin jam. Rhubarb jam is a perfect mixture of tart and sweet, and blends dreamily with vanilla yogurt or ice cream. Its toothsome texture spreads smoothly on top of almond butter for an afternoon snack.
The bright red fibrous spears have a fairly short season in New York—or at least they did last year. I grabbed a few pounds from the farmers market last June, and made this recipe. It turned out not to last very long (I should have known). I rushed to find more rhubarb before running out of jam, but it was too late. Rhubarb season had ended.
Later that summer, I saw some non-local rhubarb in a grocery store that was in good condition, and bought enough to make this vanilla-rhubarb jam, my now go-to recipe.
This year, I was prepared. I bought several pounds every week as soon as I saw it show up in May, and made two batches of jam (7.5 half pints each time), with enough rhubarb left over to make a (very mediocre) galette. I think 16 jars should last long enough for me to get tired of it.
Rhubarb Season 