Strawberry Rhubarb Preserves

Spring is such a welcomed time of year!  Weather warms up, moods lift, and berries begin to appear!  The arrival of fresh, cool foods and summer dresses are just around the corner.  With summer coming soon, it is getting to be time to preserve some of that springtime goodness.  Jams and preserves keep the delicious spring fruits on our plates and in our memories long after the season has passed.  In my opinion, strawberries and rhubarb are some of the best things to have leftover from the springtime season. 

Last weekend, I went to a good friend's house for brunch. It was such a delight! We sat outside in the morning sun catching up on life then prepared a morning feast.  We dined on basil, parsley omelet with sharp cheddar as well as gluten free cinnamon raisin pecan bread, Greek yogurt, oranges, and this strawberry rhubarb preserve I had made that morning.  Let me tell you, this preserve complimented everything on our plates so well!  I would especially recommend combining it with yogurt.

A couple of weeks ago, I made rhubarb jam which was so delicious that it didn't last very long at all, so when I was planning this recipe, I decided to be slightly more ambitious and make more than just a half cup...especially since I would be sharing it with friends this time!  In retrospect, making jam in the oven is much simpler than on the stove top which requires constant monitoring, but let me assure you that the result of all the work to make this strawberry rhubarb preserve is fantastic!  

Some notes about this recipe:  Because this recipe does not use gelatin or pectin, this preserve is quite smooth like a fruit butter rather than a jelly or jam.  Also, I do not cover the canning process in this post so the shelf life will be shorter.  If you do wish for a longer shelf life, please reference other sites that provide methods for canning.   Finally, plan ahead!  Time your schedule so that the fruit can macerate for at least eight hours before you can cook it into preserves.

Strawberry Rhubarb Preserves

2 pints strawberries

1 lb rhubarb

zest & juice of 1 lemon

2/3 cup brown sugar, divided
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Hull and quarter strawberries.  Chop rhubarb into small chunks.

2. Toss strawberries, rhubarb, and 1/3 cup sugar in a large bowl.  Zest and juice lemon into the mixture. Stir well.  Now, let it sit on your counter (room temperature) for eight hours to allow the strawberries and rhubarb to macerate.  Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel to prevent things from landing in it.  If you're around, stir every once in a while.

3. Transfer fruit to a colander and drain juice into a large, wide bottom pot. Set the fruit aside. Heat the juice to simmering then add another 1/3 cup sugar.  Keep cooking at a lively boil and stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved and juice begins to thicken and look syrupy.

4. Add a little more than half of the fruit to the boiling syrup. Bring back to a boil and cook vigorously, stirring, until fruit is broken down and scraping a spoon across the bottom of the pan will leave a stripe of bare pan that fills in slowly.  Lower the heat if the preserves begin to scorch.

NOTE: Because there is less sugar in this recipe than the standard, it is important to be sure that the fruit mixture is quite thick before adding the rest...especially if desire pieces of fruit in the final product. 

5. Add cinnamon and the remaining fruit. Bring back to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until fruit softens but does not disintegrate.  If you want it to be more constant texture through out, then cook for longer until the fruit softens to your liking. Taste and adjust sugar if necessary. Stop cooking when a spoon dragged across the bottom of the pot leaves a clean stripe and the suspended fruit has a texture that you like. 

6. Remove pot from heat.  Let preserves cool to room temperature prior to storage.  It you cannot resist sampling while it's cooling, this preserve is delicious to sample on toast, rice cakes, and yogurt!

Again, please note that I did not cover the canning process, so if you do wish for a long shelf life for this preserve, please reference other sites that provide methods for canning.