This strawberry rhubarb jam recipe is bright, sweet, and tangy!
With only four ingredients, it’s just as fun to make this recipe as it is to eat! This will taste delicious lathered on toast, as a topping for ice cream, or served with morning yogurt.
Making jam is a fantastic way to capture the flavors of summer!
Sweet Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
- This jam is shelf-stable, using the old-fashioned canning method that makes jam last without refrigeration until it’s opened.
- Easy ingredients! Unlike freezer jam, this recipe doesn’t use Certo (liquid pectin) or Jell-O (gelatin) as a thickener. Although you could technically freeze this jam recipe, too.
- Rhubarb strawberry jam is the perfect topping for everything, from morning muffins to pancakes, zucchini bread or sourdough French toast.
Ingredients and Variations
Strawberries – Use clean, fresh strawberries with the stems removed. For canning jam in the off-season, frozen berries will work but will need a bit of extra cooking time.
Rhubarb – Rhubarb is the perfect tart companion to sweet strawberries. Choose firm stalks with a light pink to deep red color. Always remove the leaves as they are quite toxic to humans and animals. Frozen rhubarb works just as well in this recipe, but just like frozen strawberries, extra cooking time is required to evaporate the liquid and thicken the jam before canning.
Sugar – Don’t use sugar-free substitutions or sweeteners in this recipe. As it cooks, the sugar almost “candies” which thickens the jam in place of pectin.
Lemon Juice – Fresh is best here but an equal amount of bottled lemon or pineapple juice will work, too.
How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
- Mix fruit with sugar and let it rest for 8 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Bring mixture to a boil for 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and boil for another 3 minutes, breaking up the berries.
- Prepare jars and lids as directed in the recipe below.
- Ladle jam into prepared jars, top with lid and screw top.
- Process jars in a hot water bath according to the recipe.
- Remove jars and allow them to cool for at least 24 hours. Ensure the lids are vacuum sealed before removing screwtops.
Pro Tip:
If there’s more jam than jars left over, let the jam cool and then freeze it in air-tight containers or zippered bags! Or use to make some peanut butter and jelly bars.
Tips for Perfect Jam Every Time
- For clean and safe handling, a jar funnel is a great investment! Not only does it ensure the jars are clean and free of anything that might compromise a perfect seal, but it also ensures clean pours for overnight oats, and yogurt. Even making smoothies and creating spice blends using a jar funnel keeps spills and overpours to a minimum.
- For the best results and to prevent any contamination, new sealing lids are a must-have. Used jars and screwtops are okay, but new lids are worth it every time. Avoid over-tightening the screw top, let the canner and cooling process work its magic to create the proper seal.
- Again, home canning is a science experiment and the right tools are necessary for the right results and the safest, most enjoyable experience. I swear by my jar lifter. Even if I impulsively think I won’t need it, I always do. Have your ‘cooling station’ ready when you’re taking the jars out of the canner. They will be hot and heavy. A cutting board or some clean kitchen towels folded up on the counter are perfect.
- And finally, when you’re ready to enjoy your jar of jam, notice if the lids are still tightly sealed onto the rim of the jar. They should ‘pop’ when you release them. Any jam that isn’t properly sealed or that has an ‘off’ look, smell, taste, or even mold should be immediately discarded. To be extra safe, follow the USDA guidelines for safe canning.
Storing Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Keep jars of strawberry rhubarb jam in a cupboard (on a low shelf where the temperature is cooler (or pantry for up to 2 years (if it lasts that long)! Once it’s opened, store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
More Rhubarb Recipes
Have you tried this Strawberry Rhubarb Jam recipe? Leave a comment and rating below!
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups strawberries halved (or quartered for large berries) (2 pounds)
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup rhubarb finely diced (¼ pound)
- ¼ cup lemon juice fresh preferred
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together strawberries, sugar, and rhubarb. Allow to rest for 8 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Place berry mixture in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. On medium heat, bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add lemon juice, return to a boil, and boil rapidly for 5 minutes, stirring and breaking up strawberries to desired consistency as you stir. Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, about 20-30 minutes before processing, partially fill a water canner with hot water. Place clean canning jars in the water, cover, and bring to a boil on high heat. Boil 10 for minutes to sterilize jars.
- Meanwhile, about 5 minutes before processing, place lids in boiling water and follow manufacturers instructions. (I usually use a separate smaller pot for this.)
- Remove hot jars from canner. Ladle jam into jars, leaving ½ of headspace below the rim. Remove air bubbles with a clean wooden or plastic spatula and add jam to ½ headspace if needed. Wipe rim clean if needed. Center lid on jar and screw band on fingertip tight.
- Place jars in canner, ensuring they are covered by about 1 inch (add more hot water if needed). Cover and return water to a boil. Once water is boiling, process half pint jars and pint jars for 5 minutes*.
- Remove jars from canner and cool for 24 hours. After 24 hours, confirm that the lid is curved downwards and vacuum sealed**. Remove screw bands and dry them. Screw back loosely on the jar (or store separately).
Notes
*High altitudes will need to add processing time:
1,000-3,000 feet add 5 minutes
3,000-6,000 feet add 10 minutes
6,000-8,000 feet add 15 minutes
8,000-10,000 feet add 20 minutes
**If any jars did not vacuum seal, refrigerate and use within 3 weeks.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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