Chez Panisse's Rhubarb Grapefruit Preserves

Wednesday: seated uncomfortably on a small wooden chair, still damp from the thunderstorms, under a tent hastily erected on the Water Taxi Beach. The sun is out again after the deluge, but low in the sky, pink clouds threading through the skyscrapers as it sets. The sand crunches underneath and we eat toasted bread soaked in olive oil, watch Umbrian olive pickers work through their harvest.

Saturday: asleep on the beach at Asbury Park, the shrieks of children and the pounding surf quieting my mind. Around me the sleeping bodies of my friends, lulled by the sun so bright overhead. The sour scent of pickles, leftover from our picnic lunch, drifts up, mingles with the smell of the ocean and sunscreen.

Tuesday: legs curled up under me, threatening to tingle, on a blanket spread out in Central Park. People all around me, the hum of midsummer chatter almost drowning out the music from the Philharmonic ensconced in their shell in front of us. Fireworks end the evening; as I walk out of the park, a mournful bagpiper plays for a crowd of guests silenced by the explosions.

Wednesday: cheering with strangers, eyes red from their flight, on a leather banquette as our team makes it through to the finals. Iced tea, brewed too heavily, makes my teeth chatter and my palms sweat, but on second thought it could just be the game.

Yesterday morning: standing at the kitchen counter, dicing rhubarb and mincing grapefruit peel. The fruit macerates in sugar and juice all day. At night, jars and labels are washed, sterilized in the oven. The jam comes to boil, foam is tediously skimmed. The mixture thickens, grows glossy then dull, pockmarked by bubbles. A mind long distracted finds focus. Jars are filled, sealed tightly; gentle pops come from the kitchen.

***

Rhubarb is everywhere these days. We've eaten a glut of it, stewed with tiny, fragrant strawberries into yielding submission, sometimes with yogurt, sometimes without. But, tiring of tradition, I've been meaning to do something else with it lately.

This recipe, which combines tiny bits of grapefruit peel and juice with diced rhubarb, is like a citrus marmalade, but gentler and softer somehow. The rhubarb tames the grapefruit, surprisingly; pillows out the bitter edge. The preserves have a languid set, perfect for toast eaten on humid morning, just before it gets too hot. I love the color, somewhere between pink and red, and the way it moves under the knife.

Rhubarb Grapefruit Preserves
Makes 5 cups

Note: If you'd like a somewhat more rhubarby jam, use the peel of only one grapefruit. Still juice both of the fruits, though.

2 pounds rhubarb
2 grapefruit (organic, please, and well-washed)
4 cups sugar

1. Wash and dry the rhubarb and cut it into 1/2-inch dice. Peel the zest off the grapefruit and chop it very fine. Put the rhubarb, chopped zest, and sugar in a large heavy-bottomed stainless steel pot. Juice the grapefruits into the pot. Let the mixture stand for 30 minutes (or overnight) to allow the sugar to dissolve and the rhubarb to release its juice.

2. Prepare five 8-ounce canning jars and self-sealing lids in boiling water, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Put a small plate in the freezer to be used later to test the consistency of the jam. Bring the pot of fruit to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to make sure it is not sticking to the bottom. The mixture will bubble high up the sides of the pot. Skim off any light-colored foam collecting on the edges. Soon the jam will subside, still bubbling thickly. Stir frequently and start testing for consistency by putting small spoonful of jam on the cold plate. This cools the samples quickly so you can tell what the finished texture will be.

3. When the jam has cooked to the thickness you want, turn off the heat and carefully ladle the jam into the prepared canning jars, allowing at least 1/4 inch of headroom. Seal with the lids according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The preserves will keep for 1 year.

Comments

[Sylvie]

That marmelade sounds really yummy.

[Susmita]

Sounds Yummy! But then again, not surprising given the pedigree - Alice Waters and Chez Panisse. I wish I had come across this when I had a basketful of Rhubarb to put to use. Lovely color!

[Mia]

Lovely post, and lovely recipe, too! Your morning toast is making me jealous...

[Lisa]

Beautiful. I can imagine TONS of uses for this. It would probably be divine on a cheese plate.

[Phoebe]

Oh my goodness, I'm so happy you made this! Just two weeks ago I made my very first batch of jam, strawberry of course, based on Molly/Orangette's column in Bon Appetit. Then last weekend I made a huge batch of strawberry/rhubarb/apricot/orange jam (I'm totally hooked on jam now). I was looking around for more jam recipes and saw this one and was very seriously considering it for this weekend, before rhubarb is out of season. I've never had a straight rhubarb jam, though, and was concerned about the tartness of the rhubarb combined with the tartness of the grapefruit just being too *much*, you know? But now that you have approved the recipe, I'm going to definitely give it a go. Thanks so much!

[Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)]

I'm not a jam person, but this post makes me want to go to my neighbor up the road, pull some rhubarb, and make this jam. Lovely post.

[Debra]

Luisa, I spotted you on a Martha rerun yesterday. OMG, I can't believe she called you Wed Chef. My sympathies. She has got to be the worst host. She doesn't do adequate homework on her guests, and she often gets names and details wrong. No excuse for that. In any event, congratulations on getting the face time---I recognized you right away :-)

[EB]

I have yet to make a batch of jam. I've been staring at a recipe for rhubarb ice cream, but somehow this seems more appetizing. I may have to make the leap and give up my jam virginity.

[Susan at Sticky,Gooey,Creamy,Chewy]

Rhubarb and grapefruit! What an interesting combination. It sounds wonderful!

[charlotte s]

i love your writing in this post- it feels like summer- scattered images, and then the reassuring, grounding act of making jam. sort of a promise to make summer last longer...

[Julie]

I love the way you've captured summer in New York.

The preserves sound delicious and inspiring. I have canning jars standing by -- I just need to work up my nerve to actually making something of my own.

[Jeff]

My wife would probably dig this on waffles!

[Lindy]

Extra nice photos.

[Maryann]

The philharmonic and bagpiper..you paint a lovely picture :)

[Kim]

My daughter brought me a ton of rhubarb from her garden in Alaska. I froze a good deal of it and will use it for this jam. Interesting flavor combination and I like the look of the texture. Thanks.

[Wylie]

Can anyone recommend where to buy jam jars/lids in New York City? Also, do you need a special canning pot and lift/holder or will any pot work? Signed, Jamming Newbie

[Luisa]

Wylie - you can buy jam jars/lids at Zabar's on the Upper West Side and Broadway Panhandler on 8th Street and any number of kitchen supply stores (there's a little one on 17th Street between 5th Ave and Union Square), and the Container Store (on 6th Ave and 18th Street, and I'm sure other locations, too). You don't need a special canning pot - a regular stock pot is fine. If you're going to do this the "proper" way, the jars need to be able to fit into the pot and be covered with water. You can buy special equipment, but I've had great success with simply a pair of good, sturdy tongs and oven mitts (be careful when lowering and removing the filled jam jars!).

[Kathleena]

I just made this recipe for my first attempt at jam and canning ever! It turned out so well - and I don't even like grapefruit! My fiance will love this when he comes back from Iraq this fall. I have one question - the other recipes I've seen for jams have a length of time for the 'processing' in the water after the jars are filled. What is the right length of time for these or is it not necessary all the time? I did 10 minutes just to be sure. Thank you so much for teaching me!

[Laura]

I am not an experienced jammer, and I just tried to make this and burned it, which I was so upset with myself for. I think it was because I got so preoccupied skimming the foam off the top that I didn't sufficiently stir to make sure the bottom wasn't sticking? Or my pot wasn't thick-bottomed enough? Any helpful tips, details on the amount of skimming versus stirring or type of pot used for jam-making, would be appreciated.
Luisa, love your blog and have been loving hearing about your move to Berlin.

[Luisa]

Laura - I use a cast-iron Le Creuset pot, but any good-quality pot with a thick bottom should be fine. Skimming is important, so that your jam isn't totally bubbly and white, but it's not that important - make sure to alternate stirring and skimming (I don't skim more than a few times per pot). You can turn the heat down, too, just bear in mind that your cooking time will be a little longer. I'm sorry you burned your first batch. Once you get the hang of jam-making, you'll be doing it with your eyes closed. :)