blueberry-rhubarb margarita jam

weekly

i drive past a blueberry farm

most days

wishing for the season

some days

mourning the end of summer

the day the

open sign pops up

on our little stretch of highway

i stop in

continuing my routine

each week

until blueberries are no more

i hoard

more berries than our small family can eat, out of hand

but not more than we can eat, prepared

i love to pair sweet blueberries with rhubarb from our garden

for this delicious

not too sweet

jam

 blueberry rhubarb margarita jam

3 pints blueberries

8 oz rhubarb--chopped

2 cups granulated sugar

juice of 10 key limes

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ginger

juice of 1/2 grapefruit (plus/minus)

1 oz tequila (can add up to 2 oz)

dump blueberries rhubarb, sugar, key lime juice, salt and ginger into your jam pot.  Cook on med-low heat, stirring occasionally, until you have a nice jam consistency (about 25-30 minutes).  taste for sweetness.  add at least 1/4 grapefruit juice to both adjust sweetness and for flavor.  cook for 5 more minutes and check again for sweetness. add more grapefruit if desired. pour in tequila and cook at least 5 minutes more.

test jam for firmness on a frozen plate. **i like my jam to be a bit runny.  you do not need pectin for this jam to firm up.  you can cook it to come out firmer, but be careful not to caramelize it.

place in sterilized jars and refrigerate or if you are a seasoned canner, process for longer storage.

sweetie pie

hubster loves rhubarb

and while digging through the freezer 

i came across some of last year's bounty

vacuumed sealed and ready to rumble

so i cooked it up with 

juice of a small lemon

some sugar 

(probably 3/4 cup for 1 1/2 cups of rhubarb)

and

a dash of vanilla

until it was simmering and soft

then i added

1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in cold water

and cooked until it thickened

it cooled

and i spooned it onto a round of puff pastry

which i also had in the freezer

(folded the sides up a bit)

sprinkled on some sugar

and baked at 400 until golden

i will serve it up

with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

and a smile

Happy Valentine's Day!