Method

• Remove the leaves and wash and dry the rhubarb
• Cut the stalks into 1cm pieces
• Place the rhubarb, both sugars, one vanilla pod, seeds and the tablespoon of water into a jam pan or thick based saucepan
• Let the sugar dissolve over very low heat, stir to encourage the sugar to dissolve
• Once the sugar has dissolved turn the heat up, cook the jam over high heat
• Do not stir the jam too often, just every now and then to prevent it from catching
• I like to wash the sides of the pan down with a clean pastry brush that's dipped in boiling hot water
• This will help prevent the jam going cloudy and crystallised
• I use a sugar thermometer now when making jam as it has taken the ‘luck’ out of the setting stage if you know what I mean
• Cook the jam till it reaches 105°C
• However if you don’t have a thermometer, place a small amount of jam on a small cold plate and spoon a little jam onto the plate and if the jam sets and you can run your finger through it without the jam running it means its ready! Remember the lo
• Once the jam reaches the correct temperature add the juice of the lemon, stir and remove the jam from the heat
• Let the jam cool slightly before ladling your jam into cleaned sterilized jars