CANNING RECIPES

Rhubarb Strawberry Jam

Updated

A small-batch strawberry rhubarb jam made without commercial pectin and with modest sugar, cooked in two stages for a bright, fresh fruit flavor. Can it or freeze it.

Prep
25 min
Cook
50 min
Total
1 hr 15 min
Yield
about 4 cups (4 half-pint jars)
Illustration of Rhubarb Strawberry Jam

This rhubarb-forward jam from the KitchenSimplicity archive leans on the fruit itself to set rather than on boxed pectin, and it uses far less sugar than many classic recipes. The method is what makes it special: the fruit is warmed just long enough to give up its juice, the juice is boiled down on its own, and only then is the fruit stirred back in. Because the fruit spends less time on the heat, the jam keeps a clean, tart, fresh-picked taste with a soft, spoonable set.

Make it in late spring and early summer when rhubarb stalks and the first strawberries show up together. A batch fills about four half-pint jars, which is easy to manage on a weeknight, and you can either process the jars in a water bath for the pantry or simply pack the jam into containers and freeze it. This exact formula has not been lab-tested by the USDA; the canning steps follow the general procedure of the National Center for Home Food Preservation for jams without added pectin.

Tips

  • Sealed jars keep in a cool, dark cupboard for up to 1 year. A jar that did not seal can be reprocessed within 24 hours with a new lid, or refrigerated and used first. Refrigerate opened jars.
  • Rhubarb and strawberries are naturally high in acid, so a boiling-water canner is the right method. With less sugar and no added pectin, the jam is more prone to mold once opened: do not cut the sugar further, and discard any jar that shows mold, bubbling, leaking or an off smell.
  • Frozen jam keeps for up to 1 year; thaw it in the refrigerator.
  • This is a soft-set jam. If you prefer it firmer, simmer a few minutes longer after adding the fruit back and test again on the cold plate.
  • Choose firm, deep red rhubarb stalks for the best color, and always trim off and discard the leaves.

Rhubarb Strawberry Jam

Prep
25 min
Cook
50 min
Total
1 hr 15 min
Yield
about 4 cups (4 half-pint jars)

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds (900 g) fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
  • 1 pound (450 g) fresh strawberries, hulled and diced (about 3 cups)
  • 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice

Steps

  1. If canning, set up the canner first: check 5 half-pint jars for nicks or cracks, wash them in hot, soapy water and rinse. Stand them on the rack in a boiling-water canner or large, deep pot, add water to cover them by 1 inch, and heat to about 180°F. Keep the jars hot until you fill them; because they will be processed for 10 minutes or longer, they do not need to be sterilized first. Wash new flat lids and the bands in warm, soapy water and prepare them as the lid maker directs. Put a small plate in the freezer for testing the set.
  2. Combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and water in a heavy medium pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves and the fruit releases enough juice to almost cover it, about 10 minutes.
  3. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and pour in the fruit mixture. Let the juice drain, then set the fruit aside.
  4. Pour the juice back into the pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring frequently and skimming off foam, until the liquid has reduced by about half, 15 to 20 minutes. To judge the level, dip a wooden spoon handle in before you start and use the mark as a gauge.
  5. Return the reserved fruit and any juice that collected in the bowl to the pot, then stir in the lemon juice. Simmer, stirring often, until a small spoonful placed on the frozen plate holds a soft mound and does not run when the plate is tilted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and skim off any foam.
  6. To freeze: cool the jam, spoon it into freezer-safe containers, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace, and freeze.
  7. To can: lift a hot jar from the canner and pour the water back into the pot. Ladle in the hot jam right away, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Run a clean plastic spatula around the inside to release air bubbles and top up if needed, then wipe the rim with a clean, damp paper towel. Center a lid on top, screw on the band just until fingertip-tight and set the jar back on the canner rack. Repeat with the remaining jam.
  8. Make sure the water covers the jars by 1 to 2 inches, adding hot water around (not onto) the jars if needed. Cover the canner, bring the water to a full rolling boil and start timing. Process half-pint jars for 10 minutes at elevations up to 1,000 feet, 15 minutes at 1,001 to 6,000 feet, and 20 minutes above 6,000 feet. Keep the water boiling the whole time; if it stops, return it to a full boil and restart the timer from the beginning.
  9. Turn off the heat, remove the canner lid and wait 5 minutes. Lift the jars straight up without tilting them and set them on a towel, at least 1 inch apart, away from drafts. Let them stand undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours; do not tighten the bands or press the lids while they cool.
  10. Check the seals: remove the bands and press the center of each lid. A sealed lid is curved down slightly and does not flex or spring back. Wipe, label and date the jars. If a jar did not seal, reprocess it within 24 hours with a new lid for the same time, or refrigerate it and use it first.

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