This strawberry rhubarb jam recipe can be made with fresh or frozen rhubarb and your choice of fresh or frozen strawberries. This recipe has lower sugar than other recipes but it is not short on garden-fresh fruit flavors.
Rhubarb is a plant that once established, can produce for upwards of 20 years. I walk you through how to plant rhubarb in this post. I have a large rhubarb plant in my garden and when I have a good harvest year I am able to make recipes such as rhubarb orange chutney (amazing added to a cheese board!), rhubarb-cast-iron-crisp, rhubarb cake, rhubarb bread with orange icing and my personal favorite, rhubarb strawberry margarita!
🍓 Ingredients needed:
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
📝 Notes on the ingredients
- Rhubarb - fresh if you have it but frozen will work. Be sure to not pour off the liquid from the rhubarb if you are using frozen. Include the liquid in your recipe.
- Strawberries - washed, stems removed, hulled and quartered. Frozen strawberries can be substituted for fresh.
- Sugar - white granular sugar is what I use
- Pectin - ball canning has both pre-portioned boxed, and a resealable container. Either option will work in this recipe.
- Vanilla Extract - I make my own vanilla extract but use what you have at home.
- Butter - unsalted butter, just a teaspoon, will help reduce the foam on the jam.
How to make Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
- Prepare a boiling water bath canner. Heating jars in simmering water until ready to use, but do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set aside with clean, damage-free bands.
- Crush strawberries and slice rhubarb into ½ inch pieces.
- In a heavy bottom pot combine the strawberries, sliced rhubarb and stir in pectin.
- Turn heat to medium and bring mixture to a simmer to help soften rhubarb.
- Bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, stirring constantly.
- Add sugar, vanilla and butter all at once, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Return jam to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and ladle hot jam into a hot jar leaving a ¼ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim, apply band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
- Process jars 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when the center is pressed.
- Any jars that did not properly seal should be stored in the refrigerator.
This post was adapted from the recipe on PreservingFresh.com
Do you have to can this jam?
This jam should be processed in a water-bath canner to make the jam shelf stable but if a water bath canner is not available, freezer jam can be made.
Follow all the instructions up until the water bath canning process but instead of placing the jars into the water, allow them to cool on the counter for 24 hours before freezing the jars. Be sure to use freezer save containers when making freezer jam.
👩🍳 Chef tip:
- Be sure to remove the leaves of the rhubarb, they are not edible.
- Check the rhubarb to ensure it is spoon or fork tender. It may take longer than 10 minutes to soften.
- Fresh rhubarb is best but use frozen if that is all you can find. Just be sure to add any liquid that releases from the frozen rhubarb.
- Serve on a buttered, toasted English muffin.
- The butter is added to help reduce the foam. It is optional.
More Jam Recipes:
- Seedless Black Raspberry jam
- Blueberry Jam
- Peach Jam
- Fig Preserves
- Tomato Jam
- Strawberry Jam
- Hot Pepper Jam
- Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
There is more to a recipe than just the recipe card. Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
HELPFUL KITCHEN TOOLS
Ingredients
- 1-¼ lbs strawberries (hulled and quartered, 4 cups prepared)
- 1 -¼ lbs Rhubarb (trimmed, sliced into ¼ inch pieces, 4 cups prepared)
- 5 ½ Tbsps. Ball® Classic Pectin
- 3 ½ cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon butter
Instructions
- Prepare a boiling water bath canner. Heating jars in simmering water until ready to use, but do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set aside with clean, damage-free bands.
- Crush strawberries and measure out the berries.1-¼ lbs strawberries
- Slice rhubarb into ½ inch pieces.1 -¼ lbs Rhubarb
- In a heavy bottom pot combine the strawberries, sliced rhubarb and stir in pectin.5 ½ Tbsps. Ball® Classic Pectin
- Turn heat to medium and bring mixture to a simmer, cook for 10 minutes without boiling, to help soften rhubarb.
- Once the rhubarb has softened enough to press it down with a spoon, heat to high and bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, stirring constantly.
- Add sugar, vanilla and butter all at once, stirring to dissolve the sugar.3 ½ cups sugar, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 1 teaspoon butter
- Return jam to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary.
- Ladle hot jam into a hot jar leaving a ¼ inch headspace.
- Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim.
- Center lid on jar and apply band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
- Process jars 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when center is pressed.
- Any jars that did not properly sealed should be stored in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Be sure to remove the leaves of the rhubarb, they are not edible.
- Check the rhubarb to ensure it is spoon or fork tender. It may take longer than 10 minutes to soften.
- Fresh rhubarb is best but use frozen if that is all you can find. Just be sure to add any liquid that releases from the frozen rhubarb.
- Serve on a buttered, toasted English muffin.
- The butter is added to help reduce the foam. It is optional.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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Sarah Mock
When making jam I always allow them to set and cool for 24 hours before checking for runniness. It is still 'fluid' for at least 12 hours after making.
Waiting is so difficult!
Let me know if it sets up after 24 hours.
Sarah
Michele guacobbi
Hi there I just did a batch . It’s pretty runny. Will it thicken as it sits ? Also can you add more fruit to make it have more substance in the jelly?
Sarah Mock
thank you Rachel!
It can take up to 24 hours to set up. Glad you put it in the fridge and glad you liked it!
Sarah
Rachel
Tastes delish! It didn’t set, but I think it’s because my house is too hot/humid. I put a jar in the fridge and it firmed up a bit. So I will just refrigerate each jar before I use. I just sliced the strawberries, not mashed and was pleased with the texture. Thanks for recipe!
Sarah Mock
Slice away! Keep in mind that strawberries DO break down as the jam cooks. I would suggest cutting the strawberries in quarters, depending on the size. Thanks for asking and let me know how it turns out!
Sarah
Rachel
If I want a chunky jam can I just slice the strawberries or do they have to be crushed?