Homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Jam: A Perfectly Balanced Sweet & Tart Spread
There’s nothing quite like a jar of homemade jam, and this Strawberry Rhubarb Jam recipe is a true testament to that simple pleasure. Combining the vibrant sweetness of ripe strawberries with the delightful tang of rhubarb, this spread offers a perfectly balanced flavor that will awaken your taste buds. It’s an incredibly easy-to-make refrigerator jam, perfect for beginners and seasoned preservers alike. Forget complicated canning procedures; this recipe focuses on small batches and fresh flavors you can enjoy right away.
Embrace the Simplicity: Crafting Easy Refrigerator Jam
Making your own jams and jellies can be a wonderfully rewarding experience. Many home cooks, myself included, prefer the simplicity of refrigerator or freezer jams. These methods allow you to create delicious spreads in smaller quantities, avoiding the extensive processing often associated with traditional canning. This particular Strawberry Rhubarb Jam recipe is a prime example of such an effortless approach. It utilizes readily available ingredients like frozen fruit, a touch of gelatin, and sugar, resulting in a uniquely delicious and vibrant spread. The natural affinity between sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb creates a flavor profile that is both comforting and exciting. Best of all, this recipe comes together in a flash, letting you enjoy its fresh taste without a long wait.
Essential Tips for Crafting Your Perfect Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
To ensure your homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Jam turns out absolutely perfect every time, consider these helpful tips and tricks. From ingredient selection to preparation nuances, these insights will elevate your jam-making experience and guarantee a delightful result.
- Scaling the Recipe: This recipe is designed to be easily scalable. If you’re looking to make a larger batch for gifting or longer-term storage, simply double all the ingredient quantities. The cooking times may need a slight adjustment, but the method remains the same.
- Rhubarb Preference: While the tartness of rhubarb is a signature component of this jam, its unique flavor isn’t for everyone. If you prefer a purely sweet berry jam, you can easily substitute the rhubarb with an equal amount of additional strawberries. This will yield a classic strawberry jam with a beautiful depth of flavor.
- Fresh vs. Frozen Fruit: This recipe is wonderfully adaptable to both fresh and frozen fruit. I often use frozen strawberries and rhubarb because they are typically picked at their peak ripeness, ensuring consistent flavor and quality regardless of the season. If you enjoy strawberry picking, freezing your harvest means you can enjoy this jam all year round. When purchasing frozen strawberries, always opt for unsweetened varieties to control the sugar content of your jam.
- The Secret Ingredient: Strawberry Gelatin: The addition of strawberry-flavored gelatin might seem unconventional, but it’s a game-changer! It not only intensifies the strawberry flavor, making it incredibly vibrant, but also helps achieve that desirable jam-like consistency. It’s my secret weapon for all my homemade jams.
- Seed Preference: Strawberry seeds are quite tiny and generally blend in well, offering additional fiber and nutrients. However, if you or your family prefer a seedless jam, you can easily remove them. After the jam has simmered and cooled slightly, pass it through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing the mixture with a spoon or spatula to extract all the fruit pulp and juice, leaving the seeds behind.
- Achieving the Perfect Set: Patience is key! For your jam to set properly, it needs to cool completely. Don’t rush this step. Allow the jam to cool at room temperature before refrigerating for at least 24 hours. This chilling period is crucial for developing its final texture.
- Storage Solutions: This refrigerator jam is fantastic for short-term enjoyment. Store it in clean, airtight jars in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 weeks. For longer preservation, it freezes beautifully for up to a year. If you’re an experienced canner and want shelf-stable jam, follow proper canning procedures for water bath canning to ensure food safety.
Key Ingredients You’ll Need for Your Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
This simple yet flavorful jam relies on a few core ingredients that come together to create its signature taste and texture. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need:
- Frozen Sliced Strawberries: While fresh strawberries can certainly be used, frozen varieties are often picked at their peak of ripeness and flash-frozen, locking in optimal flavor and nutrients. This ensures a consistent sweetness and quality in your jam, eliminating the guesswork of whether a fresh berry is sweet enough. It’s absolutely crucial to select unsweetened frozen strawberries. Sweetened varieties will throw off the sugar balance in the recipe, leading to an overly sweet jam. Always check the label carefully, as sweetened and unsweetened bags are often placed side-by-side in the freezer aisle.
- Frozen Diced Rhubarb: Similar to strawberries, frozen rhubarb is a convenient and reliable choice. If you opt for fresh rhubarb, ensure it’s vibrant in color and firm. If you’re new to preparing fresh rhubarb, you can find helpful guides online, such as this post on how to cut rhubarb.
- Crushed Pineapple (Undrained): This ingredient might surprise you, but it plays a crucial role! Crushed pineapple adds a subtle hint of acidity and a touch of extra liquid, which beautifully complements and balances the sweetness of the strawberries and the tartness of the rhubarb. Make sure to use pineapple canned in 100% juice, not heavy syrup, to avoid excessive sweetness. The juice is essential for the moisture content.
- Granulated Sugar: Sugar is vital for both flavor and preservation in jam. It balances the tartness of the fruit and helps in setting the jam. This recipe has only been tested with regular granulated sugar. If you prefer to use sugar substitutes, you may need to experiment with quantities and consider that the setting properties might be different without real sugar.
- Strawberry-Flavored Gelatin (Jell-O): This is the secret to the jam’s intensified strawberry flavor and its excellent set. It helps achieve a firm yet spreadable consistency without the need for traditional pectin in some cases. If you prefer not to use gelatin, you can substitute it with a packet of fruit pectin powder (like Certo or Sure-Jell). If using pectin, you might need to add an extra ½ cup or so of granulated sugar to compensate for the sugar content typically found in a Jell-O packet.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Making this delightful jam is straightforward. Follow these steps to create your own batches of sweet and tart perfection:
- Combine Ingredients: In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the frozen sliced strawberries, frozen diced rhubarb, the undrained can of crushed pineapple, and the granulated sugar. Using a heavy-bottomed pan helps distribute heat evenly and prevents scorching.
- Bring to a Boil: Place the saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir the mixture frequently to ensure the sugar dissolves evenly and the fruit thaws without sticking. Continue stirring until the mixture comes to a full, rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.
- Simmer and Reduce: Once boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Allow the mixture to cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking. The fruit will soften and release its juices.
- Mash the Fruit: After 15 minutes of simmering, use a sturdy spoon or a potato masher to gently crush the strawberry and rhubarb pieces to your desired consistency. If you prefer a chunkier jam, mash lightly; for a smoother jam, mash more thoroughly. Continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the jam to thicken slightly.
- Incorporate Gelatin: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Carefully add the package of strawberry-flavored gelatin to the hot fruit mixture.
- Dissolve Gelatin: Stir vigorously until the gelatin is completely dissolved and no granules remain in the mixture. This ensures a smooth consistency and proper setting.
- Ladle into Jars: Carefully ladle the hot jam into clean half-pint canning jars or freezer-safe containers. If you plan to properly can this jam for shelf-stability, leave about a ½-inch headspace between the jam and the lid. For refrigerator or freezer jam, simply fill to near the top.
- Cool Completely: Allow the filled jars of jam to cool completely at room temperature before moving them. This is a crucial step for the jam to set properly.
- Refrigerate or Freeze: Once completely cool, seal the jars tightly. Store your delicious homemade jam in the refrigerator for immediate enjoyment or transfer it to the freezer for longer-term storage.
Storing Your Homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Proper storage ensures your delicious jam stays fresh and flavorful for as long as possible. Here’s how to best store your homemade creation:
- Refrigerator Storage: Once cooled and with lids tightly sealed, your homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Jam will keep beautifully in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 weeks. Always ensure the jars are clean and air-tight to maintain freshness.
- Freezer Storage: This jam is an excellent candidate for freezing. After completing all the recipe steps and allowing the jam to cool completely, transfer it to freezer-safe containers or jars, leaving about ½-inch headspace for expansion. Once frozen, it can be stored for up to 1 year. To defrost, simply place the jar in the refrigerator overnight.
Craving More Delicious Homemade Spreads and Desserts?
If you’ve fallen in love with the art of making homemade spreads, or simply can’t get enough of the strawberry rhubarb combination, explore these other fantastic recipes from The Country Cook:
- Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler: A warm, comforting dessert featuring the same classic flavor pairing.
- Homemade Strawberry Jam: A classic jam recipe, perfect if you want to focus solely on strawberry goodness.
- Raspberry Jam: Another delightful berry jam, versatile for various uses.
- Blueberry Jam: A sweet and tangy option for blueberry lovers.
- Slow Cooker Apple Butter: An incredibly easy way to make a rich, spiced apple spread.
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
This Strawberry Rhubarb Jam is an easy recipe that combines the flavors of sweet strawberry and tart rhubarb to create a perfectly balanced spread!
Average Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (based on 8 reviews)
Print Recipe | Pin Recipe | Rate This Recipe
- Prep Time:
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time:
- 20 minutes
- Total Time:
- 25 minutes
- Servings:
- 5 half pints
- Author:
- Brandie Skibinski
Ingredients
- 3 cups frozen sliced unsweetened strawberries
- 2 cups frozen diced rhubarb
- 8 ounces crushed pineapple in 100% juice (NOT HEAVY SYRUP) (undrained)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 ounce package strawberry-flavored gelatin (Jell-O)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, combine frozen strawberries, frozen rhubarb, undrained can of crushed pineapple, and sugar.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Continue to stir occasionally.
- Using a spoon or potato masher, crush strawberry and rhubarb pieces and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat; stir in strawberry gelatin until dissolved. Stir until gelatin is completely dissolved and there are no more granules in the mix.
- Ladle jam into half pint canning jars or freezer containers. If you are going to properly can this jam, you’ll want to leave about 1/2-inch headspace at the top between the jam and the lid.
- Cool completely. Refrigerate or freeze.
Notes
- This recipe can easily be doubled to make more.
- I use frozen fruit for this, but you can also use fresh if you want. We go strawberry picking early in the season and I end up freezing quite a bit so I can make this jam later.
- If you are purchasing frozen strawberries, make sure you get unsweetened strawberries. This is really important as they can both be right next to each other on the freezer shelf.
- This needs to cool completely to set up properly. Leave in the refrigerator for about 24 hours for it to completely set up.
- Course:
- Breakfast, Dessert
- Cuisine:
- American
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Share it on Instagram @thecountrycook and mention us #thecountrycook!