Strawberry rhubarb jam blends two bright spring flavors into a versatile, shelf-stable preserve.
Strawberries and rhubarb are a classic pairing—often enjoyed in pie—but they also make an excellent jam. This strawberry rhubarb jam is straightforward to make, and when canned properly it keeps the bright, fresh flavors of spring available year-round. Use it on toast, biscuits, tarts, pancakes, waffles, or wherever you want a sweet-tart fruit spread.
Ingredients for Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
This recipe is adapted from Canning for a New Generation and emphasizes the fresh fruit instead of relying on excessive sugar. The recipe calls for a bit more rhubarb than strawberry, which gives the jam a pleasant tang while keeping the strawberry flavor prominent.
To make about five half-pint (8-ounce) jars of jam, you will need:
- 6 cups diced rhubarb (about 2 lbs)
- 3 cups diced strawberries (about 1 lb)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh is best)
Choose younger, tender rhubarb stalks when possible; they break down and soften more evenly during cooking, producing a smoother, thicker jam. Use ripe but not overripe strawberries and trim away any brown or soft spots. Fresh lemon juice provides acidity that helps preserve the jam for long-term storage.
How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
1. Trim the leaf and root ends from the rhubarb stalks, rinse them under cool water, remove any blemishes, and dice into roughly 1/2-inch pieces until you have 6 cups.
2. Rinse and hull the strawberries, remove any damaged parts, dice, and measure 3 cups.
3. Place 3–4 small plates in the freezer for gel testing later and prepare jars, lids, and canning equipment if you plan to preserve the jam.
In a large pot combine the diced rhubarb, diced strawberries, 2 cups sugar, and 1/2 cup water. Stir and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the fruit releases its juices and the mixture is bubbling—about 10–15 minutes.
Set a colander over a large bowl and pour the fruit mixture into it, collecting the juices in the bowl. Stir the fruit gently so most of the juice drains through. Reserve the fruit pulp and any captured juices.
Return the collected juice to the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the juice is reduced to about 1 1/2 cups—roughly 20 minutes. Add the reserved fruit pulp and any additional juices back to the pot along with 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice and heat to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes more. Use the cold plate test to check for gel: place a small spoonful of jam on a chilled plate, return it to the freezer for a minute, then tip the plate. If the jam is fairly firm and not runny, it has reached the gel stage. If it still runs, continue cooking in 5-minute increments and test again.
When the jam reaches the gel stage, skim off any foam and remove the pot from heat. Stir gently for about a minute to distribute the fruit evenly. At this point you can either refrigerate the jam in clean containers for short-term use or proceed to canning for longer storage.
Canning Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
If you plan to water-bath can this jam, prepare jars, lids, and a boiling water bath ahead of time. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims clean, apply lids, and tighten rings fingertip-tight.
Place jars in the preheated canner and process for 10 minutes (use 15 minutes if you are above 6,000 feet elevation). After processing, turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the water for 5 minutes. Remove with a jar lifter and set jars on a towel with space between them to cool. After 24 hours check seals; refrigerate any jars that did not seal.
Properly sealed jars keep well in a cool, dry pantry for about 18 months; refrigerate after opening.
Variations
Most berries work well in jam, so you can swap the strawberries for raspberries, blueberries, or a mix. Add a small amount of flavoring like vanilla, almond extract, or fresh mint to give the jam a unique twist. Adjust sugar slightly depending on the sweetness of your fruit.
Ways to Use Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Strawberry rhubarb jam is delicious on toast, English muffins, and biscuits. It’s also great spooned over pancakes or waffles (with or without syrup), spread with cream cheese for a jelly roll, or used as a topping for yogurt and ice cream.
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Rate
Ingredients
- 6 cups rhubarb, diced, approximately 2 lbs.
- 3 cups strawberries, diced, approximately 1 lb.
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice, fresh or bottled
Instructions
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Cut off the leaf and root end of the rhubarb stalk, then wash the stalk under cool water.
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Dice the rhubarb into ½” pieces to get approximately 6 cups of diced rhubarb.
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Rinse the strawberries, cut off the green tops and center core if necessary, and remove any brown or soft spots. Dice the strawberries to get approximately 3 cups.
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Place the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and ½ cup water into a large pot.
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Cook the fruit and sugar mixture until the juices cover the fruit, approximately 10-15 minutes.
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Place a colander over a large bowl, and pour the fruit mixture into the colander. Capture the drained juices in the bowl, stirring the fruit gently, allowing additional juice to flow through.
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Pour the juice back into the pot, and reserve the fruit pulp for later, continuing to capture any juices that drain off.
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Cook the juice over medium-high heat until boiling, stirring frequently. Continue to boil until the juice is reduced to about 1½ cups, stirring occasionally for approximately 20 minutes.
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Carefully add the retained fruit pulp from the colander, any additional captured juices, and ¼ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice into the boiling juice.
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Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring frequently.
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Cook the jam until it nears the gel stage, which should take approximately 15 minutes.
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Test the jam to see if it has reached the gel stage by using the cold plate test until the juices no longer run on the plate, providing a fairly firm set.
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Remove the jam from the heat, skim off as much foam as possible, and gently stir the jam mixture for about a minute to ensure the fruit pulp remains distributed within the juice.
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Ladle or pour the jam into prepared jars or containers.
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If canning, process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes (or 15 minutes if above 6,000 feet in elevation).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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Spring Jelly Recipes
This season is perfect for stocking your pantry with homemade jellies and jams.
- Strawberry Jelly
- Spruce Tip Jelly
- Lilac Jelly
- Dandelion Jelly
- Redbud Jelly
Rhubarb Canning Recipes
Looking for more ways to use a bumper crop of rhubarb? Try canning juice, pie filling, or other rhubarb preserves.
- Collections of rhubarb canning recipes
- Guides to canning rhubarb
- Canning rhubarb juice
- Canning rhubarb pie filling
