There is something about a row of strawberry jam that makes me smile and makes me think of Christmas. You don’t think the same thing?
When my husband and I were first married, every year, his grandmother would give us a large box of homemade goodies for Christmas. It included popcorn balls, fudge, pickled cauliflower and peppers, and strawberry jam. It was one of our favorite gifts.
A few years ago, his grandmother had to give up making our large boxes of homemade goodies. Her body simply couldn’t put up with the strain and time it took to complete.
My husband was quite distraught over the loss of the homemade strawberry jam. So I went down to her house and was initiated into the art of jam making. I now gift her and my in-laws with a box of home canned specials.
I love rhubarb and decided to make a batch of strawberry rhubarb jam along with my regular strawberry this year. Here’s the recipe:
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
4 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
4 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice (always used concentrate when canning)
6 tablespoons low-sugar or no-sugar powdered fruit pectin (or 2 1.75ounce boxes)
1/2 teaspoon butter (I always use butter to keep the foam down, grandma’s orders)
6 1/2 cups sugar (I cut this from the original recipes 10 cups)
4 and 1/2 pint canning jars w/ lids and rings
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Place your fresh fruit in a large pot over medium heat.
Stir into fruit mixture lemon juice, fruit pectin, and butter. Once it begins to juice, add sugar, 1 cup at a time. Stir constantly until juice starts to simmer. Bring to a full rolling boil (means it doesn’t quit boiling when you stir) and cook and stir for 1 minute.
Have your washed jars ready and using a jelly funnel (looks exactly like an oil funnel when you change the oil in your car, but fits the opening of your jars) and pack with the hot jam to within a 1/4 inch form top. Wipe the rims with a damp towel and then place the hot lids on and screw rings down.
Have a large stockpot of water heated, bring to a boil, and lower the jars inside with space surrounding each jar. Add more hot water if needed until water level is at least 1 inch above jars. Bring water to a full boil, cover, and process for 10 minutes.
Remove jars from stockpot and place on a folded towel until cool. I recommend leaving them in place over night before storing in the pantry. Make sure to check your seals, though you’ll likely hear them pop after a few minutes. One year I didn’t hot process my jars, and two of my seals came undone halfway through the year, completely spoiling all that hard work. Make sure you hot process them.
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I purchased a half flat of strawberries from the local farmers market at $12.00. Rhubarb was courtesy of my neighbor and my small patch. I’ve had my canning jars for 13 years, and adding in the cost of sugar, pectin, and lids, I estimate it cost me $1.95 for each pint sized jar. I made four jars of strawberry rhubarb and three jars of straight strawberry, with one pint of fresh berries left over. (Here’s my tips on how to preserve strawberries.) Perfect on a slice of my homemade quick no rise bread.
What’s your favorite thing from grandma’s kitchen? Do you put up jam?
I can’t tell you what the store bought kind costs, because I haven’t purchased any in years. 🙂 I can tell you that I did taste some recently and I can hardly eat it. Homemade is so much better! And, I always make the low sugar variety.
This is featured on the Prairie Homestead Blog Hop and Common Sense Preparedness Link-up. and Tasty Traditions.
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Equipment
- 5 half-pint Mason jars with lids
- 1 funnel for filling jars
- 1 ladel for filling jars
- 1 Damp towel to wipe jar rims
Ingredients
- 4.5 cups rhubarb diced
- 4.5 cups strawberries sliced
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice always used concentrate when canning
- 6 Tablespoons pectin use low-sugar or no-sugar powdered fruit pectin (or 2 1.75ounce boxes)
- ½ teaspoon butter I always use butter to keep the foam down, grandma's orders
- 6.5 cups sugar original recipe uses 10 cups
Instructions
- Before you begin cooking your jam, prepare jars by washing in hot soapy water and rinsing well.
- Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil and turn off the heat so it's ready once jars are filled.
- Place your fresh fruit in a large pot over medium heat.
- Stir in lemon juice, fruit pectin, and butter.
- Once juices begin to release, add sugar, 1 cup at a time. Stir constantly until the juice starts to simmer.
- Bring to a full rolling boil (which means it doesn't quit boiling when you stir) and cook and stir for 1 minute.
- Fill jars with the hot jam, leaving 1/4-inch head space from the top rim of the jar.
- Wipe the rims with a damp towel and then place the lids on and screw the rings down to fingertip tight.
- Gently lower the jars into the pot of water (water bath canner), leaving a bit of space surrounding each jar. Add more hot water if needed until the water level is at least one inch above the jars. Bring water to a full boil, cover, and process for 10 minutes.
- Remove jars from the stockpot and place on a folded towel until cool.
Notes
- Have all jars clean and ready before you begin cooking the jam.
- Likewise, have a large stockpot filled about halfway and nearly at a boil. I also like to have a tea kettle filled with hot water in case I need to add more water to the canner to cover the jars.
- I recommend leaving the jars on the counter overnight before storing them in the pantry.
- Make sure to check your seals, though you’ll likely hear them pop after a few minutes.
- Don’t be tempted to skip the hot processing step! One year, I didn’t hot process my jars, and while each of them sealed on their own, two of my seals came undone halfway through the year, completely spoiling all that hard work. Make sure you hot process them.
Do I have to do the water bath
Hello! Can I mash the rhubarb and strawberries very fine like you did in your low sugar no pectin strawberry jam? I like a creamy no chunk jam? Or, could i adapt, and add rhubarb, to your low sugar no pectin strawberry jam, or would that be unsafe? Thanks so much!
Hello! Can I mash the rhubarb and strawberries very fine like you did in your low sugar no pectin strawberry jam? I like a creamy no chunk jam? Or, could i adapt and add rhubarb to your low sugar no pectin strawberry jam, or owould that be unsafe? Thanks so much!
Hey Melissa! ❤️
My family has always lived strawberry rhubarb jam. We’re on our third batch in six months after YEARS of forgetting about it. LoL! It was your article that reminded me that we really DID need to make it again. Now two of my adult kids want to learn to make it and to can it! ❤️ Thank you for all that you do. I appreciate you and I want you to know that you are a blessing!
Brenda~
Your jam looks very chunky in the photo. How do u get it to stay so chunky and not dissolve. I love a chunky jam and find it hard with strawberries and rhubarb. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Sharon, I don’t chop them up very fine, I leave some bigger chunks of the fruit.
Please, what amount of strawberries are you using in your recipe for the strawberry rhubarb jam?
I so appreciate your sharing the history of how Gramma’s recipe lives on.
Thank you for your time and attention to my inquiry.
God bless…
Carole, it’s 4 and 1/2 cups fresh sliced strawberries. Thank you!
Thank you Melissa!
Taikuu Quyanaqpak! In my language. I’m so glad I came across your recipe. I’m in love with this jam. It has also won the hearts of my daughter who didnt like jam before and also my step-son:) love your blog and for sure love going thru all the other recipes!
If I have frozen strawberries and rhubarb in my freezer from last spring, can I make a batch of this now (in March?) The rhubarb has already been cut up but the strawberries are frozen whole. Could I just mash them after they’ve cooked?
Also, would Pomona’s pectin be appropriate to use in the recipe?
Amy,
Yes to all of the above. You can smash them after they’ve cooked or thaw first, either way is fine. And I would definitely use the Pomona’s with this one.
This was SO delicious!!! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed it.
I love strawberry rubarb jam but mine never seems to be thick enough, any hints on how to achieve this?
Karen,
You might need to cook it a little longer and there’s more pectin in under ripe berries, so toss a few slightly under ripe strawberries in there.
[…] Strawberry Rhubarb Jam from Melissa K. Norris […]
Hi Melissa…can’t wait to try this recipe!!! I love freezer jam and was wondering if you could freeze it instead of putting in a water bath?
I’m also wondering about freezing the jam. I have a flat top stove and I don’t have the right pot for canning. Thank you!
You can freeze it instead of canning.
strawberry rhubarb pie
Pioneering Today-How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Jam – Melissa K. Norris
Looks great! How tart is this jam? I prefer strawberry rhubarb goods with a little less sweet and a little more tart. Would it be detrimental to the final product to cut the sugar down even more?
This tastes just like my grandmother’s recipe!!! I will be saving this for sure, as a lot of her recipes she knew by memory and never bothered to write them down. She was an amazing cook and baker so when I find a recipe like hers I really commend the person!!!
This looks delicious! I just started a new series called Eating Inside the Box it would be awesome if you would share this with us! Please linkup any other recipes to any fruit/veggie category you’d like! Enjoy the harvest!
http://www.cultivatenourishing.com/rhubarb/
I know this post is two years old…but strawberry rhubarb is timeless! It is hands down my favorite pie. And now? It will be my favorite jam! The fact that I never thought of making a jam out of this wonderful combo is shameful. So I thank you for the recipe. I am so excited! Thanks!
Let me know how it turns out for you. I love strawberry rhubarb any way I can get it. 🙂
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I made your rhubarb strawberry jam . Melissa K it was so so Yummy
Glad you enjoyed it Beverly!
Awesome recipe, Melissa! Thanks for sharing. You are THE pioneer gal!
Thanks, Loree. You made my day, and I use the term gal all the time. lol! Hope you enjoy it if you make some. Had it on toast this morning, so yummy.