Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Canning season is upon us and at Noshing With The Nolands we are busy all season preserving summer’s bounty. This year we decided to make a Strawberry Rhubarb Jam recipe to enjoy. This flavor combination can’t be beaten with sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb. 

We enjoyed making this jam and with only 4 ingredients and no pectin, it couldn’t have been easier. We had already made a No-Pectin Raspberry Jam, Small Batch Strawberry Jam, and Blueberry Rhubarb Jam using this method and it turned out great or try our Blackberry Freezer Jam or Peach Freezer Jam too. Let us explore the world of jam-making with you. 

How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Always start with fresh wonderful-looking ingredients; this will give you a great end result. For me, this time of year, the BC strawberries are wonderful and my own rhubarb from the garden is the best from anywhere. 

Dice the rhubarb and slice the strawberries to have them ready to go, you don’t need to have crushed strawberries as they will cook down. The night before you want to make the jam or the morning of, add the rhubarb, strawberries, 4 cups of sugar, and lemon juice to a large pot, and stir to combine. Let macerate for 30 min. to overnight.

Meanwhile, sterilize jars and lids. Place a small plate in the freezer.

Jam Making

When ready to make the jam place the pot with the fruit in it on the stove. Bring to a full rolling boil on medium-high heat and boil hard for 15-25 minutes or until you reach the setting point, stirring occasionally.

At the setting point, the foam will have subsided and the bubbles will get larger looking like fish eyeballs. Towards the end, you need to be stirring constantly so the jam won’t burn. 

Place a small amount of the hot jam (1 tsp.) on the freezer plate and place the plate back in the freezer for a few minutes to cool. If the jam seems very close then take the pot and remove it from the heat while the plate is in the freezer. Leave in the freezer just long enough to cool. 

When the jam wrinkles when pushed with your finger, the jam is done, if it does not then return to a boil for 5 min. and repeat. Careful, as the jam thickens it can start to burn, so stir more frequently.

How to Can Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Canning is quite easy to do but some people may be intimidated by it. I have not ventured into other forms of canning like using a pressure cooker but only do water bath canning for high-acid foods. Things like meat, stock, green beans, carrots, and tomatoes should be done in a pressure cooker.

But wait, you have seen my recipes already for carrots, green beans, and tomatoes and I didn’t pressure cook them you say but used a water bath instead. The trick or key to that is pickling the green beans and carrots and adding in lemon juice to the tomatoes. Being a higher acid will kill off the bacteria. 

Other safe items to use in a water bath are jellies and jams, condiments, salsas, chutney, vinegar, and pickles. 

Let us continue on in canning our jam now. Ladle the jam into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch at the top. Remove air bubbles and wipe the jar rim with a clean cloth. Place lids on and screw to tighten until finger-tip tight only.

Place in a boiling water canner and process for 10 min. or according to altitude. Be careful of the hot water by using a jar lifter. 

Use our handy printable (get it below!) to see altitude adjustments if you need them. When the jam has cooked for its allotted time remove the jars to a towel-lined counter to cool. You should hear the popping of the lids as they seal. That is a very satisfying sound. If any jars don’t seal, refrigerate them and eat them right away. 

PRINTABLE FOR WATER BATH CANNING

Is Rhubarb High or Low in Pectin?

Fruits that are low in pectin include are apricots, blueberries, cherries, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, and rhubarb. So do I get a lovely jamminess to my Strawberry Rhubarb Jam and my Blueberry Rhubarb Jam? Yes, I sure do! I get that by adding in an acid such as lemon juice, which helps draw more pectin out of the fruit when it is heated.

For interest sake, what are the fruits that contain the most pectin? The fruits containing the most pectin are citrus fruits, especially grapefruits, lemons, and oranges. Therefore you should be able to make a gorgeous marmalade with a no pectin recipe. Hmmm, maybe that will be my next task at hand!

Other fruits that are high in pectin are crab apples, blackcurrants, gooseberries, plums, redcurrants, cooking apples, cranberries, and plums.

How Do You Thicken Rhubarb Jam?

You can thicken jam by reducing your jam; letting it boil rapidly will get you a lovely consistency. I have not had success getting the jam to a certain temperature to set but using the freezer method above helps to define that setting stage and works great for me. 

I find there is no need for pectin when you use lemon juice as it draws out the natural pectin in the fruit too. 

Can You Use Frozen Rhubarb For Jam?

I use frozen rhubarb in so many of my recipes and it works just great. Let it thaw a bit before using it maybe for 1/2 an hour. Since this jam can macerate for a long time, your rhubarb will defrost also at the same time if you leave it overnight. 

Frozen fruit does do the job but most people like to use fresh fruit if you can. Preserving summer’s bounty is what it is all about. 

More Great Rhubarb Recipes!

Looking for more ways to use up that rhubarb in your backyard? Here are all of our wonderful rhubarb dessert recipes and one cocktail recipe too!

Rhubarb Dream Bars

Old Fashioned Rhubarb Loaf

Super Easy Rhubarb Tarts

No Churn Rhubarb Ice Cream Recipe

Blueberry Rhubarb Jam

Rhubarb Margaritas

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp

Rhubarb Strawberry Sour Cream Pie

Pin it HERE!!

Pin it HERE!!

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Tara Noland

This amazing Strawberry Rhubarb Jam is easy to make with 4 ingredients and doesn't need any pectin to thicken. The sweet strawberries pair gorgeously with the tart rhubarb.

4.12 from 36 votes

Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved! Pin Recipe

Course Canning and Pickling

Cuisine American

Servings 5 – 8 oz. jars

Calories 45 kcal

Ingredients

 

• 7 cups rhubarb chopped
• 5 cups strawberries chopped
• 4 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup lemon juice

Instructions

 

• The night before you want to make the jam or the morning of add the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a large pot, stir to combine. Let macerate for 30 min. to overnight. Sterilize jars and lids. Place a small plate in the freezer.
• When ready to make the jam, place the pot with the fruit in it on the stove. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat and boil hard for 15-25 minutes or until you reached the setting point, stirring occasionally. At the setting point, the foam will have subsided and the bubbles will get larger looking like fish eyeballs.
• Place a small amount of the jam (1 tsp.) on the freezer plate and place the plate back in the freezer for a few minutes to cool. If the jam seems very close then remove the pot from the heat while the plate is in the freezer. When the jam wrinkles when pushed with your finger, the jam is done, if it does not then return to a boil for 5 min. and repeat. Careful, as the jam thickens it can start to burn, so stir more frequently.
• Ladle jam into hot jars to within 1/4" of the top. Remove air bubbles and wipe the rim with a clean cloth. Place lids on and screw to tighten until finger-tip tight only. Place in a water bath canner and process for 10 min. or according to altitude.
• When the jam has cooked for its allotted time removed the jars to a towel-lined counter to cool. You should hear the popping of the lids as they seal. That is a very satisfying sound. If any jars don’t seal, refrigerate and eat right away. 

Equipment

Roots & Branches Home Canning Jar Lifter, Securely Grips, Red

Granite Ware Covered Preserving Canner with Rack, 12-Quart

Mason Jars, 8 OZ Mason Jars Canning Jars Jelly Jars With Regular Lids and Bands, Ideal for Jam, Honey, Wedding Favors, Shower Favors, Baby Foods, DIY Magnetic Spice Jars, 24 Pack By SPANLA

Nutrition

Serving: 1TablespoonCalories: 45kcalCarbohydrates: 11gSodium: 1mgSugar: 11g

Nutrition calculation is an estimation only. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!