Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Recipe

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This strawberry rhubarb jam recipe is made with equal parts of Strawberry and Rhubarb. My favorite combination! This makes about 6 half-pints.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam can be processed safely in a Water Bath Canner.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Recipe:
Extended directions with tips.

Gather your canning supplies

Ingredients

  • 2 cups rhubarb – diced
  • 2 cups crushed strawberries
  • 5 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 package powdered pectin

Start by washing jars, and get water in your canner heating.
(see Water Bath Canning for full directions)

How to make your Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Wash and dice your rhubarb.

Combine rhubarb, strawberries, pectin and lemon juice in a large pot. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. It may seem dry to you, that is ok. The juice from the strawberries will start to run and it will get juicy as it heats. I like to use a potato masher to help mash up the fruit.

Fresh strawberry and rhubarb in a pot.
Mix strawberry and Rhubarb in a large pot.

Add sugar and bring back to a boil again stirring constantly. Boil hard for 1 minute.

See how I have two pots going at the same time? I think this picture below is actually when I was making just strawberry jam. I didn’t get a picture of my two pots going with the strawberry and rhubarb. But the procedure is the same. Be sure and switch back and forth stirring each pot as it heats.

2 pots of strawberries cooking.
Don’t double the recipe in one pot. Keep it to one recipe in each pot.
Make the jam separately, process it in a canner together.

The jam may foam up on you so be sure your pot is large enough. As it cooks the foam will die down. At the end of your cooking time skim any foam left if necessary.

This is quite often needed when you are doing any type of strawberry jam. Another option is to add about 1/4 tsp butter to the pan. This does help stop foaming.

A foaming pot of strawberry jam about to boil over.
1/4 tsp butter helps lessen foaming.

Remember since you’ve got pectin in this recipe you only need to boil hard for 1 minute. The pectin takes care of making your jam gel up nicely.

When one minute boil is over, fill hot jars with hot jam leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe your rims as any sticky residue may cause your seal to fail. Then add the lids and screw bands and put the jars in your waterbath canner.

Process according to water bath canning instructions.

Process

The processing time is for 1/2 pints or pints.

Process for 10 minutes if you are below 6000 ft elevation.

15 minutes if you are above 6000 ft elevation.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Recipe : Pinnable recipe card

Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam

This strawberry rhubarb jam recipe is made with equal parts of Strawberry and Rhubarb. My favorite combination!
Print Recipe
Three small jars of strawberry rhubarb jam that is a bright red color.
Prep Time:1 hour
Processing Pints (adjust for altitude):10 minutes
Total Time:1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Rhubarb  diced
  • 2 cups Strawberries cored & crushed
  • 5 ½ cups Sugar
  • ¼ cup Lemon Juice 
  • 1 package Powdered Pectin

Instructions

  • Start by preparing jars and getting water in the canner heating. You want the canner hot, but not boiling, when the jars are ready to be processed.
    See full water bath canning instructions here.  

For a Hot Pack

  • Combine rhubarb, strawberries, pectin, and lemon juice in a large pot. 
  • Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. 
  • Add sugar and bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. 
  • Boil hard for 1 minute. Skim foam if needed. 
  • Fill jar with hot jam, leaving 1/4” headspace. 
  • Remove air bubbles, wipe rim clean, and place seal and ring. Place the jar in the warm canner. Proceed to fill all jars. Process according to the chart below.  

Notes

Processing with a Water Bath Canner
Place the jar in the warm canner. Proceed to fill all jars placing them in the canner.
When all the jars are filled, bring the water in the canner to a boil.  When a boil is reached that is when you’ll start your timing.   Process for the length of time on the chart below.  Adjust for your altitude. 
 After your time is over, turn the heat off remove the lid and allow the canner to rest for about 5 minutes. Then bring your jars up out of the water.  Allow them to rest for another 5 minutes. Then remove the jars and place them a few inches apart on a thick towel to cool completely.  Leave them alone for about 12 hours.  
When they are cooled remove the metal bands, check the seals, label the jars and store them away! 
Processing Times for Water Bath Canner (Hot Pack) 
Altitude – Half Pints and Pints are Processed the Same 
0-6,000 ft – 10 minutes 
Above 6,000 ft – 15 minutes 
Adapted from: The National Center for Home Food Preservation 
Servings: 6 half pint jars

Don’t double up jam recipes.

One tip I have when canning any jam recipe is not to try and do double batches. It is VERY tempting to double jam recipes and make more. However, it is difficult to make double batches of jam. They just don’t set up very well. Some people do double up on batches, and you can certainly try because it is not a safety issue. But I have a better idea. If you want to make more at a time (I don’t blame you) simply have two batches going at the same time in different pots.

Jam Separation in the jars. Floating Fruit!

Sometimes strawberry jams (including with rhubarb) will separate in your jars. YOu’ll end up with a layer of fruit floating on top of a clear layer. This is not dangerous in any way but not appealing. One suggestion is to allow your jam to rest for about 5 minutes after you boil it before you put it in the jars. Then give it a good stir and fill the jars. This will allow the jam to cool ever so slightly and mix the fruit back up. If it happens to you anyway just stir up the jar when you open it to use it.

So much sugar! Find a low sugar option here.

This jam is a traditional jam and has lots of sugar. My family likes full sugar jam! We just use it as a condiment so it is not a problem. But… I have been working on getting lower sugars into my guys. This is how I’ve been doing this with mostly success!

Decorative jars of strawberry jam sitting on the countertop.
Decorator jars make a nice presentation.

This recipe comes from the Ball Blue Book.

Other pages you might be interested in…

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Canning Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Page last updated: 1/28/2021

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Christina
Christina
8 months ago

I made strawberry rhubarb jam for the first time last year. Yum! I’ve had great success using low-sugar pectin and reducing the added sugar to 3 cups. It sets up perfectly, plus the flavor is much more complex since it isn’t as sweet. Thanks for all your guidance!

Elaine
Elaine
3 years ago

I love Strawberry Rhubarb jam – so I’ll be making some when the time comes. By the way have you ever tried processing in an Instant Pot? I tried it with a jam and didn’t really like it!!
Please advise.
And I love all of your ideas and info – keep it up – as I think more people are getting into home preserving!!