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    Home » Recipes » Breakfast

    How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

    Published: April 22, 2020 · Updated: December 5, 2020 · By: Krissy · 328 Comments
    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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    Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
    Canning in jars is easy when you know How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Jam from fresh rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and lemon without pectin.

    Make homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Jam from fresh rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and lemon without pectin!

    If you've ever made a homemade strawberry jam recipe, adding rhubarb enhances both the flavor and texture! You can easily store it in your refrigerator or freezer, or can it in a water bath to last all year long!

    homemade Jam made from strawberries and rhubarb on toast

    Why this recipe works:

    You will see that this recipe is not only incredibly simple with only four ingredients, but it is extremely easy to make.

    Strawberry and rhubarb are so amazing together. The combination is perfectly sweet and tart all at the same time.

    The jam tastes great on toast, oatmeal, or ice cream.

    Also, if you want to make a big batch, you can easily turn it into freezer jam or preserve it in a mason jar using a simple water bath canning set up for longer storage.

    Here's how to make it:

    1. Slice your rhubarb into small chunks (photo 1) and be sure to discard the tops. Likewise, prepare your strawberries by washing them and removing the stems (photo 2).
    2. Combine the fruit with the sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan (photo 3). Turn the heat to medium and when the mixture starts to bubble (photo 4), reduce the heat to low.
    3. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the jam thickens (photo 5). It can take around an hour to fully breakdown and thicken. You'll want the mixture to reach at least 205 degrees F.
    4. I like to store my jam in mason jars (photo 6). Refrigerate if you'll eat within a week, otherwise store or water bath can it.

    step by step photos of how to make strawberry rhubarb jam

    Cooking tips:

    • The quality of the jam will depend on the quality of the fruit. I used the best possible strawberries in the world - Oregon Hood strawberries. Try to find fresh rhubarb that is deep red on the outside with thick firm stalks.
    • If your strawberries aren't sweet, you may need to increase the amount of sugar in your recipe to compensate.
    • I recommend using fresh squeeze lemon juice although you could substitute with bottled.

    Fresh rhubarb and strawberries to make homemade jam

    Reasons to add rhubarb to your strawberry jam recipe:

    I actually use more than twice the amount of rhubarb in this recipe than I do strawberries.

    I do this for a few reasons.

    • First, rhubarb is much cheaper than strawberries (at least mine was).
    • Second, if you're not going to use pectin, you need a lot of sugar in order to get your jam to gel up. Strawberries are already incredibly sweet, so the addition of a ton of sugar is just nauseating. Rhubarb, however, is incredibly tart, so the addition of sugar makes everything right in the world.

    I saw a lot of recipes online that called for a heck of a lot more sugar than I used and let me tell you - if you're using good quality sweet strawberries, I wouldn't put any more sugar than what my recipe calls for. The balance was perfect as was the final consistency.

    How much does this recipe make?

    As written, this recipe makes about 4 cups of homemade jam.

    As much pleasure as I would have taken in devouring all four cups with a spoon and some crusty white bread, I decided to can four jars of this liquid gold for the winter months when I'm craving the summer bounty that had long since come and gone. I did, however, get enough extra to fill this little dish which made for some incredibly tasty treats.

    If you don't want to can the jam, it will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, but let's face it - canning is fun!  So preserve it!

    Strawberry jam and rhubarb jam come together in one great recipe

    Can you use frozen strawberries?

    Absolutely. My preference is always to make things seasonally when produce is fresh, but since both the strawberries and rhubarb are both cooked down, it makes no difference at all - zero, zilch, nada - whether you use fresh or frozen fruit.

    Finding frozen rhubarb at the store, well, that's a challenge in and of itself.

    My advice to each and every one of you is to buy as much rhubarb from the farmers' market when it's in season as your freezer can hold and freeze it yourself.

    The reason for adding lemon juice when making jam:

    Besides that glorious citrus flavor lemon adds, you need it in your recipe when making homemade jam, including this strawberry rhubarb version.

    There's a little food science involved in understanding the importance of adding lemon.

    In a nutshell, when you cook down fruit like strawberries and rhubarb with sugar, the natural pectin in the fruit breaks down, but that pectin won't bind together because the individual cells actually repel one another.

    We all know lemon juice is acidic, which means it has a lower pH. When lowering the pH of your mixture, it neutralizes the negative charges on the pectin (the thing that made the cells repel), and then the jam can come together and gel.

    What do you know? That chemical engineering degree of mine wasn't a total waste after all!

    Related recipes:

    If you love the mouthwatering combination of strawberry and rhubarb, you'll love these!

    • Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade - This perfectly sweet and equally tart fresh squeezed Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade is the ultimate kid friendly summer drink and will quench any thirst.
    • Strawberry Rhubarb Pie - There are few pies better than a mouthwatering, sweet yet tart, flaky crusted, warm Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. Oh yeah.
    • Strawberry Rhubarb Streusel Muffins - Indulge in this naughty summer treat. Strawberry Rhubarb Streusel Muffins are made with fresh strawberries and tart rhubarb wrapped in a brown sugar batter.
    • Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp - The fruit filling tastes like it's topped with a warm oatmeal cookie.
    • Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler - I took my super simple cobbler recipe and used a fresh strawberry rhubarb filling. Oh my!

    Strawberry rhubarb jam on biscuits for breakfast. Recipe and video.

    Step-by-step recipe video below:

    Did you make this recipe? Please leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!

    Canning in jars is easy when you know How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Jam from fresh rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and lemon without pectin.

    Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

    Canning in jars is easy when you know How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Jam from fresh rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and lemon without pectin.
    4.98 from 191 votes
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    CLICK TO PLAY RECIPE VIDEO

    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Hover to scale: 32 servings
    Chef: Krissy Allori

    Ingredients

    • 5 cups rhubarb (about 3 large stalks, cut into 1⁄2" cubes)
    • 2 cups hulled and halved strawberries (about 1 pint)
    • 2 ¼ cups sugar
    • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from about half of a large lemon)

    Instructions

    • Combine all ingredients in a medium to large saucepan over medium heat. Once mixture starts to bubble, reduce heat to medium low. You'll want the heat set to the point where it continues to bubble but not violently when stirred (you'll understand once you start cooking if jam bubbles start to pop out of the center of the pot). Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the jam has thickened. Plan on cooking jam for about an hour and temperature of the mixture is over 220°F.
    • While the jam is cooking, sterilize four 1-cup jelly glass jars plus their rings and lids. I do this by boiling them in water for 10 minutes or I boil the lids and run the rings and glass jars through the dishwasher.
    • Transfer sterilized jars, lids, and bands to a clean dish towel.
    • Have a very large covered pot of boiling water ready. There needs to be enough water in the pot so that when the filled jars are submerged, they're covered by at least 1" of water.
    • Fill each jar with hot jam, leaving at least 1⁄4" of space at the top. Place lids on jars, and secure ring bands. Secure just tight enough so that they are hand tightened but you can easily unscrew.
    • Transfer filled jars to pot of gently boiling water and let boil for 10 minutes. Transfer jars, set at least 1" apart, to a dish towel and let cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. You should hear the seals on the lids pop pretty soon after removing from the water.
    • If any jar is not fully sealed, or you chose to skip the canning process, jam should be refrigerated and used within 2 weeks. Sealed jars will keep, in a cool, dark place, for up to a year.

    Notes

    Makes about 4 cups.  Serving size based on 2 tablespoons.

    NUTRITION INFORMATION

    Calories: 61kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Potassium: 68mg | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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    This post was originally created in May 2016 and has been updated with process photos, helpful information, and cooking tips. Don't worry - I didn't change the recipe!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. S M R

      June 01, 2020 at 6:22 am

      Hi Krissy, a question about the lemon juice. I understand in standard canning recipes, they recommend only using bottled lemon juice because the pH level is standard, whereas the acidity can fluctuate a lot using fresh lemons (and affect the set of the jam) Love to try this recipe tho - any chemical engineering opinions on pH?

      Reply
      • Krissy

        June 03, 2020 at 9:23 am

        Oh boy. Hmmm... I've always used fresh lemon juice with this recipe. It never jells up like a firm jam or marmalade, but it definitely thickens to the point where it will spread nicely. I've never had a problem using fresh juice. That being said, I would not recommend using Meyer lemons as their acidity difference is quite noticeable (found that out the hard way when making mayonnaise).

        Reply
    2. Kelly

      May 30, 2020 at 12:05 pm

      5 stars
      Easy and delicious

      Reply
    3. Sandra

      May 23, 2020 at 8:30 am

      5 stars
      Turned out perfect ! I doubled the recipe (I know it isn’t recommended) but it still worked beautifully with longer time cooking time . Thank you !

      Reply
      • Maria

        June 21, 2020 at 8:59 am

        This is an excellent recipe. My entire family loved it!! Thank you

        Reply
    4. Opal

      May 23, 2020 at 6:14 am

      Hello,
      Where I live, strawberries and rhubarb aren’t in season at the same time.....My rhubarb is ready....so I will be using strawberries that are from far away and aren’t that sweet like local would be. Should I up the sugar and will that affect cooking time?

      Reply
      • Krissy

        May 29, 2020 at 7:12 am

        I would use the amount of sugar in the recipe, taste, and then adjust if you think it needs it. It should work either way.

        Reply
    5. SHARI MEIER

      May 21, 2020 at 6:29 pm

      Can this recipe be doubled? Usually, I don't double jam/jelly recipes but my time is short and my family needs their fix of strawberry-rhubarb jam!

      Reply
      • Krissy

        May 29, 2020 at 7:06 am

        you bet!

        Reply
    6. Demi

      May 17, 2020 at 4:51 pm

      Can I use brown sugar instead of white sugar?

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Krissy

        May 18, 2020 at 6:51 am

        Hi Demi, I've never tried making this jam with brown sugar so I have no idea if it will work. If you try it, will you let me know how it turns out? Thanks! Krissy

        Reply
    7. Tamara Darnell

      May 14, 2020 at 9:04 am

      I have frozen strawberries than I put in quart bags. Do I thaw strawberries first?

      Reply
      • Krissy

        May 16, 2020 at 6:43 am

        I would thaw them first. Enjoy!

        Reply
    8. Linda

      May 09, 2020 at 12:43 pm

      5 stars
      This amount of sugar was just perfect! Most recipes I’ve looked at online call for at least twice as much. I was worried about it setting up with such a low amount of sugar, so I did add one packet of liquid pectin. The jam came out perfectly, probably a little thicker than yours with Just the right amount of tartness. Keeping this recipe!

      Reply
    9. jillian Marie

      May 07, 2020 at 8:11 pm

      5 stars
      Making this “liquid gold” as you call it tomorrow (my rhubarb plant is already huge!).

      Reply
    10. Hope

      May 07, 2020 at 4:16 pm

      Does the jam thicken up nicely without the pectin? I know that usually when I make strawberry jam, it pours in the jars very liquidy but After boiling the jars, it thickens well after the cooling process....as it sets. Is this the same?

      Reply
      • Krissy

        May 14, 2020 at 7:36 am

        Yep! It'll thicken as it cools.

        Reply
    11. DONALD TEMBY

      April 26, 2020 at 5:32 pm

      This looks so darned good I am going to make it. As soon as I can find the canning jars, but will need to get seal and lids. I imagine I could use blueberries(but not with this recipe)and and blackberries and or raspberries too, with some other blends.

      Reply
      • Michelle

        June 04, 2020 at 8:36 am

        Can I freeze the jam instead of processing?

        Reply
        • Krissy

          June 04, 2020 at 12:36 pm

          Sure can!

          Reply
    12. Stacey

      April 19, 2020 at 7:06 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious!! The perfect balance of sweet and tart!

      Reply
    13. Nancy Carlson

      November 17, 2019 at 8:26 pm

      Since there isn't any fresh rhubarb in stores now,
      do you think frozen would be okay for this? Only
      for the rhubarb. I found fresh strawberries. I want
      to make this as Christmas gifts. if not is there another
      recipe you could recommend?
      Thank you.

      Reply
      • Krissy

        November 19, 2019 at 10:01 am

        Frozen would work great! You might actually want to use frozen strawberries too since they're flash frozen at their peak ripeness which might be better than what you'd find fresh in the store right now. Depends on where you live and if they're grown locally. Thanks!

        Reply
        • Maureen

          May 14, 2020 at 3:53 am

          Can I use a box of pectin in this recipe ?

          Reply
          • Krissy

            May 14, 2020 at 7:15 am

            You can. It will definitely help it get thicker. I prefer my jam on the thinner side so I don't use it, but it won't hurt!

            Reply
          • Nancy Magyar

            June 24, 2020 at 5:09 pm

            Can this recipe be doubled

            Reply
            • Krissy

              June 25, 2020 at 7:49 am

              Absolutely

              Reply
    14. Julie

      August 09, 2019 at 2:41 am

      This recipe sounds delicious! Definitely going to be trying this soon. Would the recipe still work if I cut out the sugar?

      Reply
      • Krissy

        August 09, 2019 at 3:11 pm

        It should... especially if your strawberries are extra sweet! Krissy

        Reply
    15. Jamie

      August 03, 2019 at 2:44 pm

      Will this recipe work with other fruit combos? I made this my first time ever making jam and it's amazing!

      Reply
      • Krissy

        August 05, 2019 at 1:53 pm

        Hi Jamie, there's something magical about strawberry + rhubarb. I actually tried this method with peach and it never thickened. -Krissy

        Reply
    16. Sandi

      July 23, 2019 at 1:43 pm

      5 stars
      Can I Freeze this jam..

      Reply
      • Krissy

        July 27, 2019 at 4:56 am

        Absolutely! -Krissy

        Reply
        • Mary Ann White

          April 27, 2020 at 8:36 am

          I made this jam and just froze it, I didn’t do the boil and it was delicious

          Reply
    17. Catherine Seguin

      July 22, 2019 at 7:07 pm

      Can this recipe be done without the rhubarb with the same amount of sugar?

      Reply
      • Krissy

        July 27, 2019 at 5:01 am

        Yes and no. Rhubarb is super tart so it requires that amount of sugar. If you only use strawberries, the amount of sugar you will need will depend on how sweet the berries are and how sweet you want your jam to turn out. It should gel just fine with the amount of sugar in the recipe, but it might taste too sweet without the rhubarb. If you omit rhubarb, I would just add extra lemon juice to balance the tart and sweet. -Krissy

        Reply
    18. Breanna

      July 15, 2019 at 11:37 am

      5 stars
      First time making jam this recipe was easy to follow and super yummy! Thank you!

      Reply
    19. Jackie

      July 11, 2019 at 6:12 pm

      5 stars
      I just finished this recipe and canned the Jam. Its perfect and the sugar worked well as the thickening agent. Beautiful flavor and texture. Thanks for a great recipe.

      Reply
      • Amy

        March 27, 2020 at 12:23 pm

        You said you doubled the amount of rhubarb. So would I do 10 cups or is the 5 cups listed on the recipe already doubled? (I hope that makes sense)

        Reply
        • Julie

          June 25, 2020 at 5:12 am

          I would like to know the answer to this question too.

          Reply
          • Krissy

            June 25, 2020 at 7:49 am

            Sorry! I must have missed the original question. Where do I say I doubled the rhubarb? I would recommend using 5 cups rhubarb and 2 cups strawberries, as written in the recipe, but you can certainly change the amounts based on preference and it will still work.

            Reply
      • Linda

        May 01, 2020 at 5:52 pm

        Can Stevia be used instead?

        Reply
      • Angela

        May 05, 2020 at 3:38 pm

        Can this be made with a sugar alternative to decrease the calorie/carb content?

        Reply
        • Krissy

          May 14, 2020 at 7:40 am

          I don't cook with sugar alternatives so I can't tell you for sure. If you try it, will you let me know if it works?

          Reply
    20. Rebecca

      June 23, 2019 at 8:25 am

      5 stars
      Loved this and was easy to make! 🙂

      Reply
      • Judi Rana

        April 19, 2020 at 11:51 pm

        I can't wait to try this recipe! Quick question, I've rather new to rhubarb. The last time I used it in a recipe-- I thought it was stringy. Did you peel the stalks at all (like you might peel celery)? Thank you for the recipe and thank you for your reply! Judi

        Reply
        • Krissy

          April 20, 2020 at 8:02 am

          Hi Judi, As long as the rhubarb is ripe and bright red on the outside, it should break down when you cook it and not be stringy. Hope that helps!

          Reply
        • Jeanie

          April 24, 2020 at 2:39 am

          5 stars
          Judy...Rhubarb can be mashed a bit with a potato masher to break up any stringy looking fruit?

          Reply
          • Karen

            June 13, 2020 at 10:05 am

            I peel rhubarb before cooking. It's easy to do and no stringy bits once cooked.

            Reply
            • Krissy

              June 17, 2020 at 6:28 am

              Another option is to run it through the food processor with the slicing blade. By doing this you'll cut it into thin slivers that cut against the grain of the fibers and then it will all break down during the cooking process.

              Reply
        • Laura

          May 15, 2020 at 8:15 am

          5 stars
          This is my favorite jam recipe! I love opening a jar in the middle of winter for a taste of summer! So good!!

          Reply
      • Tracey

        April 26, 2020 at 4:16 pm

        Just made this today and it is awesome and so easy to make will be making this often

        Reply
      • Gerry

        May 14, 2020 at 1:09 pm

        Do you need to do anything special to freeze the rhubarb!

        Reply
        • Krissy

          May 16, 2020 at 6:44 am

          To freeze fresh rhubarb? Any time I freeze produce, I wash it, dry it really well, cut it to my desired size, then lay it on a baking sheet on parchment in a single layer and set it in the freezer. Once frozen, I'll store it in a freezer bag.

          Reply
      • Tina

        June 07, 2020 at 7:06 am

        Hi, is there a reason you do not macerate your rhubarb first? I like trying different recipes but I was just curious. Thanks!

        Reply
        • Krissy

          June 09, 2020 at 5:31 pm

          I don't because it breaks down as it cooks.

          Reply
          • Krista

            June 26, 2020 at 6:30 am

            Can this recipe be doubled?

            Reply
            • Krissy

              June 28, 2020 at 8:48 am

              Absolutely!

              Reply
      • Debbie Laverty

        June 07, 2020 at 9:13 am

        Can this recipe be changed to make it a freezer Jam by adding Pecto?

        Reply
        • Krissy

          June 09, 2020 at 5:32 pm

          You can make this freezer jam without adding any pectin. It thickens and gels as it cools.

          Reply
        • Nanci

          July 13, 2021 at 3:06 am

          I only got 3 jars. The longer I cooked it, the more it evaporated. I cooked it 50 min. I saw it getting thick but don’t know at what point I can stop boiling. Can I add 2 more cups if fruit

          Thanks
          Nanci

          Reply
          • Krissy

            July 21, 2021 at 6:57 am

            I think the final quantity completely depends on the size and moisture content of your fruit. You can always increase the recipe. Hope it works for you!

            Reply
      • Sherry

        June 24, 2020 at 4:23 am

        Can I make this recipe in an Instant Pot?

        Reply
        • Krissy

          June 25, 2020 at 7:51 am

          I'm not sure. I've always made jam on the stove which evaporates a lot of the liquid vs the Instant Pot which will maintain it. If you try it, will you let me know if it works?

          Reply
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