This small batch of strawberry rhubarb jam is the perfect embodiment of spring. Sweet, tart, and quick to make, you’re certain to be glad you spent the time.
It’s conventional wisdom will tell you that strawberries and rhubarb go well together. Just about everyone I know has a fond memory of a pie or cobbler made with a smattering of sugar and those two ingredients. It should come as no surprise to you that these natural partners make an exceptionally good jam.
I’ve made this recipe a couple of times recently, though as I looked for photos to use in this post, I realized that I didn’t manage to capture the process. This happens sometimes. When I’m awash in fruit and canning more for myself than for the blog (I know it might shock you, but this does happen), I will head into the kitchen and let myself slip into the meditation that cooking something familiar can offer. The camera doesn’t get much play when that happens.
Outside of the stack of sealed jars now cooling their heels in my coat closet, the only evidence that I even made this jam is the corner of that yellow bowl off on the right edge of this picture. It’s full of macerated berries and chopped rhubarb. The new copper preserving pan I got obviously stole the show that day. (I’ve made a few batches in the copper pan so far and I’m really enjoying it. I plan on writing up my thoughts in a more organized fashion sometime soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that.)
Now, on to that recipe!
Small Batch Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Ingredients
- 2 cups of chopped rhubarb, approximately 1 1/2 pounds of stalks
- 4 cups of chopped strawberries, approximately one quart
- 3 cups sugar
- 3 tablespoons powdered fruit pectin
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
Instructions
- Prepare a boiling water bath and four half pint jars. Wash lids and rings in warm, soapy water.
- Place the chopped rhubarb and strawberries in a large, nonreactive pot.
- Whisk the sugar and pectin powder together. Add it to the fruit and stir to combine. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sugar begins to dissolve.
- Place the pot on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium high.
- Add the lemon juice and zest to the pot and let it cook at a low boil for approximately 20 minutes. As the jam cooks, use the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher to help break down any large pieces of fruit.
- Once the jam has reduced by about 1/3, looks thick, and very shiny, it is done. Double check for set using your favorite method. When you've determined it is done, remove the pot from the heat.
- Funnel the jam into your prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.
- When the time is up, turn off the heat and remove the lid from the pot. Let the jars stand in the cooling water for five minutes. Then remove the jars from the hot water, placing them on a folded kitchen towel or wooden board to protect them from heat shock.
- Let the jars cool undisturbed until they are no longer warm to the touch. Remove the rings and check that the seals are good. Sealed jars are shelf stable for up to 18 months. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used promptly.
I don’t have a favorite, but I cherish the knife that has been handed down from my Grandfather’s small town butcher shop and grocery. I love knowing that generations of my family have wrapped their hands around the same handle.
I have no idea what brand my knives are – no markings – but they were given to me by my mother while I was in college and are the same brand she received as wedding gifts (she is still using them!). I have a love/hate relationship with them, as they dull quickly and aren’t the most comfortable, but they remind me of the many beautiful years spent in my mother’s kitchen.
I don’t know the brand name, but i use a paring knife that is really great! That jam sounds wonderful.
My favorite knife is one my father-in-law’s father made. Dull as can be, but lots of family history illuminated with every slice.
My favorite knife would have to be this little pairing knife I grabbed at a garage sale. I use it on a daily basis. . . I really need to invest in better kitchen knives though!
My favorite knife is a handcrafted knife that was gifted to my husband and I on our wedding day by a close family friend. We’ve babied it and it still rocks our world!
This is sad, maybe you will take pity on me…but I don’t have a favorite kitchen knife. Mine are all pretty terrible. I do however have a favorite camping knife. It came free with another piece of camping equipment that I don’t event remember. The knife has been on every trip for years. I wish it had a name or something on it because I would never be able to replace it if I lost it.
My favorite knife is my Fr. Dick 6″ chef knife. It’s my go-to knife. It’s easy to manage and isn’t too hefty.
Pamela
I have a Global chef’s knife that I got as a gift a few years ago. It was the first properly sharp knife I’d ever used, and now I can’t believe I spent so many years with with cheap, blunt, awful blades. Love love love it. I’m reluctant to let anyone else use it, so a second good-quality knife would make my boyfriend happy!
I love the small batches! I just picked up 4 lbs. of strawberries and a couple lbs of rhubarb at the store, so I think this is what I’m making this weekend! Any sharp 8″ chef’s knife with some heft will make me swoon, but especially a Shun.
I have only CRAPPY knives and so because of that would LOVE some awesome cutco ones!!
My favorite kitchen knife is a sharp one! Haha! I’ve never had really great quality knives before, but when a knife is sharp it’s amazing the difference it makes.
My favourite knife was actually handmade by my Grandfather. He apparently used old wood from crates and such at the factory he worked at to make the handles.
I would tell you all about my favorite knives if I had ever had any amazing ones. I have one from Ikea that I like, I think I just like it because it’s new and very sharp, other than that, most of my knives are cheapy ones I got in college.
my favorite knife is a big ol’ cheap one with a falling-apart rubber handle. we probably bought it at K-mart and it’s certainly more than a decade old. we sharpen our knives a lot, but wash them in the dishwasher, so we tend to go with inexpensive ones. (needless to say, those fancy giveaway knives would be a real treat here. and just as jam season gets into full swing!)
We have some nameless knives that the inlaws got us for christmas. I use the chefs knife from that set most often, although they have metal handles, which irritate me to no end.
Ha ha, this is funny! My nephew just came over a few weeks ago and did a presentation for Cutco knives–they are amazing! We bought a VERY small set, but did not get (to my knowledge) the ones pictured in this blog post, so I’m entering.
My favorite knife? The one I call my “potato knife”….the one my nephew dissed by telling me it’s got lots of bacteria between the wood handle and the metal. Definitely need a new potato knife!
Global chef’s knife. I’m devoted enough that i have two, although one of them is a santoku knife. One piece, metal, no wood, no grooves for food to get stuck in, and they look like they were manufactured by space ninjas. They are lighter and thinner than most German knives, and that’s supposed to be a problem, but I just think it makes it do a better job of tasks that you might give over to a filet knife or a slicer. I’d go so far as to say that I don’t need any other knife. So why am I writing this? I said need, not want. I need two chef knives. I want to have rack after rack of knives hanging from the wall like the chef in the opening of Eat, Drink, Man, Woman.
I love this prompt! My favorite knife is an aluminum handled tomato slicer — and not just because I’m newly outfitting my little studio’s kitchen and it’s one of the only knives I’ve got so far — it’s sharp and somehow just satisfying to use!
I love Cutco and would love to win these knives! My favorite knives are the ancient wood handle steak knives I inherited from my parents. The serrated blades are still sharp and perfect for cutting up bell peppers and tomatoes.
I’m on the verge of starting my first kitchen, so though I’ve used many knives and had a couple favorites, I can’t say that I ever bothered to pay attention to who made them. However, as I don’t currently have any knives of my own (still borrowing these days) I have a feeling that winning these would put them at the top of my list. ^_ ^
Here’s to hoping! And I definitely seem some homemade jam on the horizon! Thanks for the recipe!
My favorite knife is one I borrowed; I loved it! It was a Wusthoff 6″ utility knife. Simple and worked so well.
I have a Wustoff 8 or 10″ knife that I love. I “inherited” it from my brother’s chef bag. When he was hired at a seafood restaurant, he switched over to a long, thin, boning knife.
I sort of think there’s something about the already worn-in nature of the knife that just makes it more comfortable. [Although dullness is not a desired side effect of the pass-me-down.]
My all time favorite knife (no matter how many I acquire and I have A LOT) is my Henckels chef knife. I use it many times a day. It fits my hand comfortably and I have two of them but I really love the composite finish. I don’t have to worry about it getting wet. Thanks for a great giveaway.
I already love my Cutco’s; they should multiply.
My favorite knife is a $10 knife we bought at Walmart. We bought it when we moved across the country because all of our things hadn’t arrived yet (including our fancy expensive knives!). It is still my go to knife haha. I would love to try a set of Cutco knives though!
My all time favorite knives are made by Global. I like the look and the balance is perfect. However, they are spendy and I have yet to be able to buy any for myself. I’m still using my F. Dick student set from JWU. It’s reliable and familiar after many years of hard use. I once had the Cutco carving set, but my ex husband got it in the divorce. I’d like to give these a try as they look like a nice set. I just wish their sales methods were different and I could order online instead of having to invite the sales person in my home… Unless something has changed in the last 10 years.
My favorite knife is my one really good one. It’s a Shun chef’s knife. I use it every day and I adore it. I have never tried using a santoku and would love the opportunity to win these. I very much like the look of that little one.
Right now I love my basic wood handled chefs knife. I have some nice Henkels but they need sharpening. If I had to pick a favorite knife though, I’d probably go back to this these old paring knives my mom had when I was growing up. The tips were broken off so they had square ends. Very impractical but as a kid I loved the look of them.
I’ve never had strawberry rhubarb. Gonna try this recipe!
My favorite knife is an awesome knife my daughter in law sent me from Japan. I don’t know the name of it cuz it’s in Japanese. But that knife can cut a piece of hair in half!!!!!!! 😉
I have had a Henckels 7″ Santoku Hollow Edge for a few years now and love it, though it needs a good sharpening!
I am obsessed with kitchen knives! My favorite is one that my husband and I conspired to win in one of those grab-bag Christmas gift games. I don’t even know the brand, but it is a little paring knife with a black plastic handle and it is perfect for everything.
I love my cutco knives!! I have had mine for over 10 years!!
oh my. I love 4 knives – a J.A. Henkels (Spain) 10″ chef’s with a black handle, a silly yellow handle almost look-alike Zwilling J.A. Henkels (also Spain) and also about 10 inches. Both of these have a heft that works for me and a curve to the cutting blade that makes most hefty jobs a joy. we had to dull the corner closest to the handle as it was sharp and caught us off guard. I also LOVE my J.A. Henkels 3 inch or so hook bladed paring knife (china) – have had to replace as wore the first one out. and finally another J.A. Henkels Spain straight (almost ) bladed paring knife – blade about 4 inches (max) long. I sound like a Henkels ad, but it really is about the feel in my hand – the paring knives are a one-handed treat, light, virtuous, dexterous, sharp (and re-sharpable). the chef’s knives are firm and solid yet not TOO heavy on my aching wrists, and a hand on the spine is not going to suffer from too narrow a back. WE have a number of knives and we have differing opinions, but I sure do enjoy using a knife that is keen to cut! (LOL)
My favorite knife is one that my mom has had for years… it’s unidentified, she says she got it at a garage sale, and though it’s over 30 years old, and has been through it, it still is an awesome knife! the only good one we have in the house.
My favorite kitchen knife is actually a Cutco bread knife–no more smashed loaves when using this baby!
My Henckels chef’s knife. Would love another to compare. But use this knife several times every day.
I just discovered your site though the suggestions Google Reader gave me. I’m looking forward to digging through your archives!
I think my favorite is my Wusthof chef’s knife. Not a meal is made in my house without that knife.
Perfect timing! I nabbed the first (chilly Seattle) strawberries of the season just today. Tomorrow I’ll cut some rhubarb from the yard and give the recipe a try. It feels so good to get some canning going again.
My husband recently bought me a few Wusthof knives. They feel pretty good in the hand. Making strawberry-rhubarb jam later this week!
I just made strawberry rhubarb jam last night!!
I definitely don’t have a favourite knife, we still make due with the cheap ones we got as wedding gifts. 🙂
I love my tomato knife. It’s essential in my opinion.
My favorite is Henckels 8″ chef knife. It’s the first one I reach for.
Oooh those look awesome! My fave knives are my set of cutco knives I received on deep discount when I was suckered into selling them one summer! Ha! I’ve never seen those Santoku knives though. They look great. I have tons of rhubarb to put to good use – so thanks for the recipe! 🙂
My favorite knife has to be the tomato knife my dad bought me. It’s from whatever company my cousin’s fire department uses as a fundraiser. That knife slices tomatoes like butter. So easy. I also enjoy using my 5″ santuko knife that we got when I got for free from calphalon when I was registering for my wedding.
Love strawberry rhubarb! It’s one of my favorites. I just hulled about 5 quarts of strawberries and put them in the freezer. I’ll have to get some rhubarb now too!
I love Cutco knives. They do stay sharp and handle great. Would love some new ones
I don’t have one! I have never found a knife I like, but I haven’t yet given up hope! 🙂
I have a nice small knife by Henckles that I like but thats really the only one I have because I have not had the money to get a set which I need. When I got married I never received a knife block set and with all the cooking and canning I do, it’s a bummer so this would be a real much needed treat for me. I started canning a few months ago , as I have a garden and I am hooked! I enjoy this site. Thanks for all your posts and recipes! I made the jam and it is divine and brought back memories of when I was little.
Awesome giveaway! My favorite would probably have to be my Santoku since I habitually reach for it and use it for everything.