Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Recipe

Imagine the sweet brightness of strawberries paired with the lively tartness of rhubarb in a no-fuss jam that really lets both fruits shine. This recipe uses equal cups of strawberry and rhubarb, adding powdered pectin to ensure your jam sets just right every time. It’s a great pick whether you’re working with fresh or thawed frozen fruit.

It’s perfect for beginners and can be preserved using traditional water bath canning or a steam canner. You’ll end up with about six half-pint jars, and the whole thing takes around an hour plus processing time. The gear needed is simple and probably already in your kitchen.

• Yields: About 6 half-pint jars
• Skill Level: Beginner-friendly
• Processing Options: Water bath or steam canner (check notes below for timing and altitude tips)

Before you dive in, wash your jars well and start heating up the water in your canner so it’s ready when you are. Look out for step-by-step instructions, troubleshooting ideas, and FAQs after the recipe. If you give it a go, please tell me how it tasted or if you hit any bumps along the way!

This strawberry rhubarb jam blends equal parts strawberry and rhubarb, capturing a bright, delicious flavor I keep coming back to.

What Makes It Special

This strawberry-rhubarb jam brings together juicy sweet strawberries and tangy rhubarb for a timeless flavor that everyone will adore. It’s super friendly for beginners, thanks to powdered pectin which helps it set with a short boil. You can can it either the traditional way with a water bath or with a steam canner. Plus, it makes about six half-pint jars and works great with either fresh or thawed frozen fruit. If you’d rather skip the canning, you can easily turn this into a freezer jam too—or try a no-cook chia seed jam for an even faster method.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 2 cups rhubarb, diced
• 2 cups strawberries, cored and crushed
• 5 ½ cups sugar
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 1 package powdered pectin
• Optional: ¼ to ½ teaspoon butter (to help reduce foaming when boiling)

How to Make the Jam

1. Wash canning jars and equipment and heat water in the canner until hot but not quite boiling.
2. Dice rhubarb, core and crush strawberries, and measure lemon juice and powdered pectin.
3. Combine diced rhubarb, crushed strawberries, powdered pectin, and lemon juice in a large saucepan; mash with a potato masher if a smoother texture is desired.

4. Heat the fruit mixture over medium-high heat, stirring often, until it comes to a boil.

   
5. Add all the sugar at once, stir to dissolve, then return to a strong rolling boil.
6. Boil hard for 1 minute while stirring continuously; add 1/4–1/2 teaspoon butter to reduce foaming if desired and skim off foam for clearer jam.
7. Let the jam sit about 5 minutes after boiling, then stir to reincorporate juices before filling jars.

8. Carefully remove hot jars from the canner, use a funnel to ladle jam into each jar leaving 1/4 inch headspace, wipe rims clean, place lids, and screw on bands fingertip tight.

   

9. Place jars in the water bath canner covered by at least 1 inch of water, bring to a rolling boil, and process half-pints (or pints) for 10 minutes if below 6,000 ft or 15 minutes if above 6,000 ft.
10. When processing time ends, turn off heat and let jars sit in the hot water for 5–10 minutes before removing them.

11. Set jars on a towel and let them cool completely and undisturbed for 12–24 hours, then check seals by pressing the lids, remove screw bands, wipe jars, and label them.

    

Pro Tips for Best Results

• Start by mixing rhubarb, strawberries, pectin, and lemon juice: Initially, the mixture may seem dry. That’s totally fine! As it heats, juices from the strawberries will start to release and make the jam juicy. I like to use a potato masher to help mash the fruit up nicely.
• Don’t double your batch: Jam sometimes struggles to set if you try to double the recipe. If you want more jam, just make two single batches simultaneously in separate pots, then process all the jars together.
• Frozen fruit works great: If fresh isn’t available, frozen strawberries or rhubarb work well. Just thaw and drain any extra liquid before measuring and cooking.
• Pectin matters: This recipe uses regular powdered pectin. If you want to cut down on sugar, use a low- or no-sugar pectin and follow the package instructions carefully for the best gel.
• Why pectin is helpful: Because there’s pectin in this recipe, you only need to boil the jam for 1 minute to get a great set. It takes the guesswork out compared to traditional no-pectin jams.
• You can make freezer jam too: Just skip the canning and package it for your freezer. It’s an easy alternative if you don’t want to mess with hot water baths.

If you prefer to avoid pectin altogether, I have a lovely old-fashioned strawberry jam recipe you might want to check out.

Foaming Tips

• Use a big pot: Jam tends to foam a lot and can bubble over if the pot’s too small—trust me, you want to pick a large saucepan!
• Skim off foam if you want: Foam won’t hurt your jam, but removing it will give your finished jars a clearer look and pretty presentation.
• A dash of butter helps: While butter isn’t usually added in canning, adding about ¼ to ½ teaspoon during the boil is totally fine here and helps reduce foaming noticeably.

Processing in a water bath or steam canner

You can process this jam the traditional way in a water bath canner or use a steam canner if you have one. It’s a great fit for either method! Use the same processing time for half-pints or pints, whether water bath or steam.

The recommended processing times are:

• 10 minutes if you’re below 6,000 feet elevation
• 15 minutes if you’re above 6,000 feet elevation

Pretty jars like these make gifting or displaying your jam so satisfying — and they’re perfect for filling Kolacky Cookies for an easy treat.

Don’t double up jam recipes.

I always recommend not doubling jam recipes. It’s tempting to make a big batch, but jam can be tricky—it may not set properly when doubled. If you want more, just make two separate batches at once in different pots. You can process all the jars together, which saves time without risking the quality of your jam.

Jam Separation in the jars. Floating Fruit!

Sometimes you might notice your jam separates a bit in the jar, with fruit floating on top and clearer jelly below. This is totally safe, just a little less pretty. To help prevent it, let the jam sit for about five minutes after boiling, then give it a good stir before spooning into jars. If it still happens, simply give your jar a stir before using it, and it’s good as new.

So Much Sugar! Find a low sugar option here.

Yes, this jam does have quite a bit of sugar—that’s part of the traditional jam charm and helps it keep well. My family loves the full sugar version since we treat it like a special topping. But if you’re working on lowering sugar in your kitchen, try this easy berry chia seed jam for a no-pectin, low-sugar option.

Flavor Swaps and Add-Ins

• Lower sugar: Swap in low- or no-sugar powdered pectin and carefully follow those instructions for timing and sugar amounts.
• Fruit ratio: Feel free to tweak the balance of strawberries and rhubarb to your taste, just don’t double the entire batch at once—make separate batches if you want larger quantities.
• Flavor add-ins: Stir in a bit of vanilla extract, a pinch of ground ginger, or some finely grated orange zest after cooking to add a fun little twist—citrus loves rhubarb, as you’ll taste in this Lemon Rhubarb Loaf.
• Frozen fruit: Use thawed, drained frozen strawberries or rhubarb if fresh isn’t available; just be sure to drain the extra liquid before measuring. For an example of great results using frozen rhubarb, see this classic rhubarb crisp with frozen rhubarb.
• No-pectin option: If you want to avoid pectin, use a tested no-pectin strawberry jam recipe, since this one relies on powdered pectin to gel properly.

Storage and Shelf Life

• Unopened, correctly processed jars should be kept in a cool, dark spot and will stay good for up to a year.
• Once opened, store the jam in the refrigerator and try to finish it within a few weeks for the best flavor. To help use it up, stir a spoonful into Rhubarb Overnight Oats.
• If you made freezer jam instead, keep it frozen for several months and thaw it in the fridge before using.
• To serve, warm your jam gently on the stove or zap it in the microwave for short bursts if you want it more spreadable. It’s excellent spooned over Best Homemade Cornbread.
• You can make this jam ahead of time and store it as usual—just label your jars with the date. If any jars don’t seal, refrigerate and use them first or freeze for longer storage.

Answers to Common Questions

Can I make this jam without pectin?

Not with this exact recipe. You’d need to adjust sugar and cooking time a lot. For a no-pectin option, try a recipe designed specifically for that.

Can I reduce the sugar?

With regular pectin, sugar is necessary for the jam to set. For less sugar, choose a low- or no-sugar pectin and follow its directions.

How long does homemade jam last?

If sealed properly and stored cool and dark, it keeps for about a year. Once opened, keep it in the fridge and use within a few weeks. To help use it up, try baking a pan of Strawberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars.