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.
The Cutco Hardy Slicer is my favorite, although I love all of my Cutco knives, the use and the forever guarantee. The Hardy Slicer is versatile with it’s unique edge and shape. I’ve been a sales representative for them for 2 years and know the products very well. They are the best knives you can buy!
Hm…my favorite knife (knives!) would have to be the two paring knives I got from my grandmother’s kitchen when we cleaned out her house after she died. They were her “go-to” knives for just about everything….they’re small, have metal handles so can also deal with more time in the sink than they sometimes should (!!), and seem to manage all small tasks I do with them. Plus, they bring back memories of her…working in the kitchen….ah..!
Hey I would love a nice knife to cut all my rhubarb that is growing like CRAZY in my back yard!!
My favorite knife happens to be a little itty bitty pampered chef paring knife that I use in a quick pinch.
Ironically, I have 2 favorite knives,,, one the filet knife my Grandfather used, that is nearly 100 years old. Grandpa had it in the logging camps as a cook when he was in his early 20’s, Mom has it in her kitchen drawer, and my sister already has dibs… that happens when you are the oldest.
My other favorite knife is the one my father used every spring and summer. He used it in the garden, to work the soil around his roses, removing weeds there and then in the lawn to remove dandelions. Have you ever seen ANYONE remove dandelions one by one? Dad had great roses.
I love my Henckels paring knife. It cuts raw potatoes so easily.
It’s definitely my Henckels 7″ Santoku Knife! A graduation present from my grandmother, I use it constantly!
I could really use new knives. We recently got married (4 months!)and the knives we got are already giving me trouble. My favorite knife of all time was one my grandfather made for my mother and we used it religiously throughout my childhood.
Hi,
My favorite knife is my Henkel chefs knife… I can use it for almost everything.
Ron
I am in desperate need of new knives. I find myself reaching for unused steak knives to chop up fruits and veggies with! Santoku knives are always my favorite and these look great!
Hi! Love the recipe! Believe it or not I tried Rhubarb for the first time ever last weekend on a hiking trip to the Catskills in NY, It was a strawberry and rhubarb pie and fell in love! I will be making my first rhubarb pie this weekend and can’t wait to make this jam! Thank you!
My favorite knife is my JJ Henckels chef’s knife. I rarely use another, but I’m willing to branch out!
I don’t really have a favorite knife. None of mine are anything close to spectacular. But I know and respect Cutco – friends have sold them, my sister went to college around the corner from their headquarters. I’d love to have my very own Cutco knives!
I love my wustoff bread knife!
My parents have a no name, no brand knife, that no one can remember where it came from. It’s the only knife I’ll use to slice a cake, pie, or other baked good to be served to a crowd.
Okay, I had to put up a comment — I use Cutco knives because I used to sell them. First job out of grad school. And they’re still pretty darn sharp. I could really use some chefs knife though. My fave knife is the Cutco tomato knife with the pearl handle. xo
I don’t really have a favourite knife yet but I like to sharpen them to make sure they make a great job!
I really like my kitchen aid chef knife. It works really well on veggies. It’s the one and only knife I have ever purchased. The rest of my knives I have inherited from my parents and grandparents.
I am making Strawberry Rhubarb Jam tonight 🙂
My favorite knife if my ‘Miracle Blade’ cleaver! Seriously! I have had it for at least 6 years now, never have sharpened it and use it to cut everything!
I made a bunch of strawberry rhubarb jam this week along with rhubarb orange. I’ve been using recipes from “Canning for a New Generation”. I like them because they don’t use pectin. It makes for a nicely set jam. I’ve also made strawberry lavender, strawberry thai herb, and strawberry preserves which used whole fruit. They all taste wonderful.
I have a very old carbon steel knife (at least, that’s what my Mom always said it was) that I inherited from my Mom. It can rust so I always keep a little cooking oil on it. And it needs sharpening frequently – but it’s quite easy to sharpen and it gets the most amazing edge on it, unlike any others I’ve had. It also means a lot to be using one of my Mom’s knives!
I have not yet found the perfect knife to use….maybe this will be it 🙂
Just getting into canning these past couple of years, so thank you for all the great tips and recipes. But as for knifes we’re still making due with our less expensive knives that I have to sharpen more often than not. 😉
i LOVE my kyocera ceramic knives–people are always stunned when they pick them up and are so light but SO effective. it’s an awesome party trick!
My favorite knife is a Wusthof chef knife that I received as a thank-you gift from a customer. I have used it heavily and it’s still fabulous. My boyfriend keeps it razor sharp for me.
Yeah! Thank you so much for the recipe! I’m going to be busy this weekend!
Funny, a college boyfriend of mine sold Cutco knives as his first job. 🙂
My favorite knife is a Wusthof chef’s knife that was a Christmas gift from my parents. It’s a trusty workhorse.
mt favorites are the Wolfgang Puck santoku knives I bought while randomly watching QVC…..serendipity 🙂
I have a wonderful paring knife my mom bought in Germany and I’ve had for years. It’s the knife I always reach for first.
My husband and I have some Calphalon knives that we like. But my favorite is a mystery pairing knife from my mom’s house.
My favorite is a little KitchenAid paring knife I got for Christmas from my husband’s dad and stepmom. I use it on apples instead of a peeler, so I can look all bada**. 🙂
I unfortunately do not yet have a favorite knife. We have a block full and I still have not found my go to. I am always hopeful though.
I love our small thin tomato knife that we have. I can slice them 1/8″ thin with that knife! 🙂 Thanks
I like stuff made in the USA, so I use Rada knives and think they’re great. I see CUTCO knives are made in the USA too, so I’d be interested in trying them.
I don’t have a favorite. 🙁 I’ve always had cheap knives, so I’d love to win a good one… or two. 😀
Hubby & I recently ordered our first really good knife, J. A. Henckel. Never had a “good” knife set and now in our later years are taking baby steps. The only other “good” knife we have is one I purchased in a local grocer, it’s a Farberware paring knife. What a difference it made compared to what I had.
Thank you for the opportunity to win a couple more good knives 🙂
I love my cutco chef’s knife. It is so comfortable to hold and easy to use.
I don’t really have a favorite knife, as I have el cheapo set from Target. However, I can’t complain because they have lasted a loooong time.
My paring knife or my santoku knife are my favorites. My paring knife is practically an extension of my hands when preparing fruits and veggies, but I can’t imagine life without my santoku. I don’t think my boyfriend could either, haha.
Can’t tell you how excited I am for this recipe! I’ve been talking and talking about rhubarb to my friends, and how badly i want to make a berry rhubarb jam.
With bluberries going on sale at whole foods today, do you think this recipe could sub blueberries for strawberries to make blueberry rhubarb jam, instead? If not, what would I need to change in order for it to work?
My husband, at my request (begging is more like it) gave me a nice set of kitchen knives for Christmas. The added bonus is, the knives are so nice to use, he has dinner on the table nightly (working from home has its benefits – for me). That being said, one can never have enough knives in the kitchen.
I use my Santoku knife from Pampered Chef often. It was a gift from my mother who randomly sends me kitchen supplies. I think my dad has told her that she has too much stuff and now when she wants to buy it she buys for me.
There are two knives in my kitchen that I use more than others. One is a small, but sturdy, paring knife that was my great grandmother’s. It’s so old you can see where parts of the blade have been worn away from repeated honing. The other knife I reach for all the time is a (now vintage) Pampered Chef bread knife, which I tend to use for tomatoes more than bread.
I am still looking for my “favorite” knife. I have bought knives in a variety of price ranges and have yet to find one that stays sharp! I’d love to win and try these!
Am I one of the very few people who love to cook but does not have a favorite knife? Personally, I like variety and am a dab hand at sharpening myself, so a knife that doesn’t hold its edge as well as one might like isn’t an inconvenience. Of course my SO Chris loves one and only one knife and therefore uses it for everything.
I am a carbon steel girl but the rust never sleeps. Bring ’em on.
I must confess that I’m not in love with our knife set (which is why I’m entering the giveaway!) but my favorite of our knives is probably a big Chicago Cutlery chef’s knife, simply because I use it the most.
Ooooh, sharp knives. I can never have enough. My current workhorse is a Global 8-inch chef: I only wish it held a sharp edge a bit longer. Or I wish we had a decent knife sharpener close by; we mail ours out for sharpening!
My Mom has a set of Cutco knifes from the early 70’s and they are still sharp. Of course, she never cooks so that’s not much of a testament. 🙂
Beautiful knives! Unfortunately, I lost all my old favorites a few years back. However, since then I did manage to pick up a knife that I’ve fallen in love with again. It’s a stainless bread knife. There’s nothing like fresh hot bread out of the oven. This knife will cut even, thin slices without squashing the loaf! Even while it’s hot! I don’t remember the brand as there’s no name on it, but I remember I purchased it because it was shiny and I needed a bread knife that could sit out on the counter. 🙂
I have a flat of strawberries for jam must add some rhubarb to a batch now.