Strawberry Rhubarb Jam is an early summer classic that’s made for spreading on buttery biscuits and blueberry muffins.
You’ll need strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, fruit pectin—and a little bit of patience if you plan on canning it. (If not, no worries, it will work as freezer jam too.) Make this Strawberry Rhubarb Jam recipe for your family to enjoy year-round or give jars as a gift to friends and neighbors.
You’ll also love my Crockpot Strawberry Raspberry Jam as well!
What You Need to Know About Rhubarb
Because rhubarb and strawberries are in season around the same time, they’re often paired together in desserts and, of course, in Strawberry Rhubarb Jam. While rhubarb looks a little bit like a cross between celery and chard, make no mistake, you can’t just grab a stalk and take a bite—well, you can, but it won’t taste good because rhubarb is both sour and bitter, which is why we add strawberries and plenty of sugar to it. (Oh, and you only eat the stalks, not the leaves—the leaves contain oxalic acid, which is poisonous.)
If you’re searching for a Strawberry Rhubarb Jam recipe, odds are you’re looking for a way to use rhubarb from your own garden or perhaps from a friend. But, if you’re buying rhubarb at the store or farmers market, look for the reddest stalks you can find, with leaves that look fresh, not wilted.
Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Recipe
A lot of home cooks are intimidated by the idea of making jam, but I think it’s really the canning part that can be complicated—making the jam itself is a cinch.
As mentioned above, the good news here is that you don’t have to can this Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, or most jams for that matter. Just store it in the fridge and use it within 3 weeks or freeze it for up to 3 months.
If, on the other hand, you do decide to can your Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, it will last up to a year in your pantry. I have detailed instructions on how to properly can jam in the recipe below.
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Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make Strawberry Rhubarb Jam:
- Strawberries – Making jam is ideal after you’ve gone strawberry picking, when you’ve got a whole lot of fresh strawberries on your hands and not a lot of time to use them up. (Are your strawberries mushy? Try this hack to revive them!)
- Rhubarb – Cut the rhubarb into small pieces if you don’t want big chunks of it in your jam.
- Granulated sugar – Make sure you measure it because precision matters when it comes to jam!
- Fruit Pectin – Pectin + Sugar = Perfectly Gelled Jam
How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
- Prepare the Fruit – Hull and quarter the strawberries, then crush them. Cut the rhubarb into pieces. Place the fruit in a large saucepan.
- Cook the Jam – Add the sugar and pectin to the saucepan and turn on the stove to medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is broken down, juicy, and bubbling; bring the jam to a full boil for 4 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Transfer to jars – Ladle the jam into sterilized jelly jars. At this point, you can either leave the jars at room temperature for 24 hours, then put them in the freezer or can them.
- Can the jam – Bring a tall stockpot of water to a boil, then submerge the jam jars in the water bath for 15 minutes. Remove from the water, then let the jars sit on the countertop for 24 hours. After a day has passed, tighten the lids and store your Strawberry Rhubarb Jam for up to a year.
FAQ
Rhubarb has very little pectin, which is why it needs to be added to make Strawberry Rhubarb Jam.
It’s hard to say exactly, but it could be that there wasn’t enough pectin or that you didn’t boil the jam long enough. It’s important to follow a jam recipe exactly because, like baking, it’s very much a science.
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If you can’t get enough strawberries during summertime, we’ve got you covered! Give these recipes a try:
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Ingredients
- 3 cups crushed fresh strawberries about 4 cups of hulled and quartered strawberries
- 3 cups rhubarb pieces about 2-3 large stalks
- 8 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1.75 oz. box of fruit pectin we used Sure-Jell
Instructions
- Prepare mason jars and lids by washing and sterilizing in boiling water or running through the sterilization cycle on the dishwasher.
- Wash strawberries and rhubarb. Slice strawberries into halves or quarters and then crush them with a potato masher. Measure out 3 cups precisely and put into a large saucepan.
- Cut rhubarb into small pieces. You do not need to peel the rhubarb in advance. ● Place the rhubarb into the saucepan also.
- Add sugar and pectin and begin heating over medium high heat.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is broken down, juicy, and bubbling. Bring jam to a full boil for 4 minutes and then remove from heat.
- Ladle jam into the prepared jelly jars, secure the lids, and leave the jars to set for 24 hours before storing in the freezer.
- Alternately, bring a tall stockpot of water to a full rolling boil. Submerge jam jars under the boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the boiling water and set on the countertop for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, tighten the lids completely and store processed jam on the shelf for up to 1 year. Refrigerate after opening for up to three weeks.
Notes
Jam will keep in the refrigerator up to three weeks and on the shelf for up to 1 year. If jam is not processed in water bath, store in the freezer up to 3 months.
Notes:
As with all jams, it is vitally important to measure the sugar and fruit accurately. Use “reduced sugar”-specific pectin if you want to reduce the amount of sugar. It is made specifically for low sugar recipes. Regular pectin requires the right amount of sugar to gel properly.
Jam typically gets foamy across the top while cooking. After removing the jam from the heat, you can stir in ½-1 tablespoon of butter to reduce the foam.
Check that the lids are sealed and secured before storing on the shelf. Jars that do not seal properly should be stored in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Did you use liquid pectin or powdered?