How To Make Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

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It's The Perfect "Starter Jam" For Canning Newbies

Why not make a batch of strawberry rhubarb jam? There's something incredibly satisfying about canning and jam-making. A row of beautiful jars filled with brightly colored jam is a testimony to your efforts, visible proof of a completed task. We don't get much of that in this day and age.

This recipe for homemade strawberry-rhubarb jam is a perfect choice, especially if you are a jam newbie. Jam is easier and more forgiving than jelly, so it's a great place to begin your adventure in canning and preserving!

Get Ready For A Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Session

My mom, Soffia, came here from Iceland. She taught herself how to make jam, passed along her recipe, and taught me how. Now, my daughters and I have a "jam session" every year about this time and make several batches of strawberry-rhubarb jam.

It's become a tradition, and lots of people look forward to receiving their very own jar of this sweet concoction at Christmas. It's a memorable gift for almost anyone!

Strawberries and rhubarb make beautiful music together. The jam has an indescribable tang, sweet and slightly puckery. It's great on thick, grainy toast, especially with lots of butter. Thumbprint cookies and kolaches shine when you add a spoonful, and it turns a simple PBJ into Pure Blissful Joy!

 How To Get Ready For Your Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Session

Please read through the instructions and be ready to follow them. They are simple but critical to success.

Before you begin, get all your supplies together to avoid a mad rush to the store. Once you have started a batch of jam, it's almost impossible to stop.

Everything you'll need is readily available at grocery stores, hardware stores, and even Walmart. The gadgets you need are inexpensive and last a long time. And believe me, you'll find lots of uses for jars, jar lifters, and canning funnels beyond making jam!

Happily, we're revisiting and embracing the home arts again. As a result, many cute and fancy canning jars are available in several different styles, usually boxed by the dozen. Four-ounce and eight-ounce jars are good options for jam. We use eight-ounce jars almost all the time.

Make StrawberryRhubarb Jam With Fresh Or Frozen Fruit

This time, I had fresh rhubarb from our little patch, but I needed to use frozen strawberries! Good news! Whether the fruit is fresh, frozen, or both, it's all good! You can't go wrong with strawberry-rhubarb jam!

Begin by measuring the sugar into a bowl and setting it aside. Yes, it is a lot of sugar—you're right. I like using my two-quart Pampered Chef Classic Batter Bowl because it has a handle and a convenient pouring lip.

I cleaned and cut up my rhubarb in smallish dice. I measured out two cups.

Next, I combined it with three cups of frozen strawberries in a tall stockpot

I put them on the stove on low heat and let them get to know each other as the strawberries defrosted. Next, I added pectin, a pat of butter, and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Then, I began cooking it, mashing the fruit as it cooked.

Once it came to a boil, l added all the sugar at once and continued cooking. Yes, it is a lot of sugar. This is strawberry-rhubarb JAM, and it is not diet food! As the jam cooks, the mixture becomes clear, colorful, and very, very hot. The sugar makes it boil at a temperature even hotter than boiling water.

Stir continuously until it reaches a boil that you cannot stir down. Then, set a timer and let it cook exactly one minute, stirring constantly.

Final Steps To A Successful Jam Session

Remove the pot of strawberry rhubarb jam from the stove and set it on a rack or a thick folded towel. Use your canning funnel to ladle the hot mixture into the jelly jars, and screw the lid and ring in place. Refer to the recipe for more specific directions.

Finally, you must process the jars in a boiling water bath for ten minutes. When that process is complete, use the jar lifter to set jars on a rack or thick folded towel and let them sit until completely cool without moving them. Enjoy hearing the satisfying "ping" sound as the jars seal. Success!

Strawberry rhubarb jam is a great recipe for beginners and a dependable one for anyone! Two more bits of advice. Don't try to reduce the amount of sugar. The ratio of sugar, pectin, and fruit is exactly what it needs to be.

Each batch of jam will vary slightly in yield. Please do not double the recipe, thinking you will save time. It simply doesn't work. Jam's mystical juju requires it to be made in single batches. The extra volume can significantly change the internal cooking temperature, and the jam may not set properly or at all.

We always have some rolls or plain bread handy to mop up any jam clinging to the sides of the pot or to use up amounts too small for a jar. It's the honor and privilege of being the jam maker! 

Have you ever made homemade jam? Who taught you to make it? What is your very favorite kind? You may enjoy these other jam and jelly recipes, too! Peach Jam, Raspberry Jam, and Dandelion Jelly!

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

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Yield: 80 servings about one tablespoon each

Simple Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Print

Easy homemade jam for beginners, delicious enough you'll want to make some every year!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups unsweetened sliced strawberries fresh or frozen
• 2 cups diced raw rhubarb, fresh or frozen 
• 6 1/2 cups sugar
• One 1.75 ounce package pectin
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tsp butter

Instructions

1. Get ready for your "jam session."
2. Choose a tall stockpot to cook jam in. If using frozen fruit, it needs to be defrosted and mashed up a little. It's up to you how chunky you want to leave it. 
3. You'll need a second tall pot of water deep enough to cover the jars by one inch for the boiling water bath after filling them. Start it now. Add a tablespoon or so of vinegar to the water so lime doesn't form on jars. Put flats (lids) in a bowl of very hot water ready to use.
4. Lay a thick bath towel on the area where you'll fill your jars. Assemble a canning funnel, sterilized jars, jar lifter, flats, rings, and a clean damp dishcloth for wiping rims. Jars are fine to use if you've run them through a dishwasher on a hot cycle.
5. Now, combine fruit, pectin, lemon juice, and butter in the stockpot. Bring to a boil.
6. Next, add sugar all at once, and keep cooking and stirring until the mixture comes to such a boiling point it cannot be "stirred down." You do not need a thermometer.
7. Keep cooking for one minute, set a timer! Remember: The jam will be HOT! Use a very long wooden spoon to keep stirring or wear an oven mitt on your stirring hand!
8. Remove from heat. Put the pot of jam on a heatproof cutting board or trivet. It's hot!
9. Ladle jam into sterilized jars with a canning funnel. Leave about 1/2" headspace. Wipe the rim of each jar with a clean, damp cloth. Check for any nicks on the jar rim with your fingertip. Do not use if a nick is present. Put on lid and ring. Tighten by hand.
10. Put jars in boiling water bath and process for 10 minutes. Using the jar lifter, remove jars from the water bath onto a rack or towel-covered surface. Allow them to sit without moving them until cool. You'll hear the distinctive "ping" sound as the jars seal.
11. If one does not seal, refrigerate it and use within a month or so. Trust me, this will not be hard to do!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

80

Serving Size:

approximately 1 tablespoon
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 69Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 3mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 0gSugar: 17gProtein: 0g

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