Reformed Foodie

One of my favorite things to do on a Sunday morning when I lived in New York was brunch at Sarabeth’s on the Upper East Side. This was back in the dairy and gluten days when I routinely stuffed my face with breakfast pastries and french toast and pancakes with wild abandon….mmmm. Anways, I digress – the point is, Sarabeth’s had THE best homemade jams to accompany her amazing baked goods. In years since leaving NYC, I’ve taken comfort in buying her preserves from William Sonoma.

The other day I felt inspired to make some Strawberry Rhubarb jam and, of course, the best recipe I could find was Sarabeth’s.  I made a couple of minor changes, but for the most part it’s pretty close. I found adorable little jars that make perfect little giveaways for my friends (who I love to feed:) On to the good stuff:

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam inspired by Sarabeth’s Recipe

Makes enough for 6 1/2 pint containers

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Rhubarb, washed and cut into 1/3-inches pieces
• 1 lb Strawberries, washed and cut into 1/2-pieces
• 1 Lemon, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1 Vanilla Bean

Method:

Wash and cut the strawberries

rhubarb

and lemons.

Place into a saucepan with 1/2 cup of water.

Bring the fruit to a boil over medium heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon or heat resistant silicone spatula. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir in the sugar.

Using a sharp paring knife, cut the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the tip of the knife

and add to the mixture; also add the empty bean to the saucepan.

Simmer stirring often until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

Do not be concerned by the foam that comes to the surface, as it will disappear by the end of the cooking process. If there is any left, remove it with a spoon. Remove and discard the vanilla bean.

Let cool slightly and carefully portion into jars.