Name: Strawberry Rhubarb Jam-No Pectin
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Ingredients: 5 cups rhubarb (cut into 1/2 inch pieces); 2 cups strawberries (cut in half or quarters); 2 ¼ cups sugar; 1 tbsp lemon juice

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Strawberries & rhubarb are the perfect pair for pies, crumbers, jams, and more. I loved making this super easy strawberry rhubarb jam this year with no pectin. The fewer ingredients, the better! Amiright? When the rhubarb starts popping up in Northern Illinois it is one of the first signs of spring. After our long winter, those green leaves are such a welcomed sight! Soon after the rhubarb is ready, the strawberries start ripening too. I grew up with rhubarb plants in my backyard but it wasn’t until I moved out of state that I realized rhubarb isn’t well known in many different parts of the country. We lived in SoCal & North Carolina for several years and it wasn’t easy to find even frozen rhubarb at the grocery store. When we moved back to Northern Illinois I was glad to have fresh rhubarb available again every spring.

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I Love Home & Locally Grown Rhubarb & Strawberries

When you’re growing rhubarb, you want to cut off the stalks that have seed pods attached to them. When the plant sends up a seed pod it will stop putting its energy into making more rhubarb and you don’t want that! Cut those seed pods off so you can have good quality stalks and a lot of them. After the rhubarb comes the strawberries! My wonderful neighbors have a large strawberry patch that we picked from several times this year to make jams and other goodies. It doesn’t get better than homegrown strawberries. I love eating them straight out of the garden and my 1 year old learned very quickly how to pick them for herself this year.

More Strawberry Rhubarb Recipes

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Filling– This is PERFECT for storing your pie filling for later in the year. Use the filling for pies, crumbles, crisps, etc.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble– This is one of my favorite things to do with all different kinds of fruit. You can’t go wrong with this crumble recipe.
Rhubarb Coffee Cake– Coffee cake is new to me this year and it was a welcomed change! I’m so used to making pies that this moist and delicious cake was the perfect way to change it up a little bit.

strawberries, strawberry rhubarb jam ingredients

How to make the Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

I used to be intimidated by making and canning jam but truthfully it is simple! Sometimes it can get a little tough when you’re not using pectin, but this recipe firms up nicely without it so it’s a good one to try if you want to venture into no pectin jam making. Check out some of our favorite canning supplies here. Wash and cut the strawberries and rhubarb into about 1/4-inch pieces. They will break down during all the cooking so don’t worry about smashing your berries.

Combine strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, and lemon juice into a medium saucepan. Don’t skip the lemon juice, this is an important ingredient to ensure the jam is canned safely. Cook on medium heat until the juices are released from the strawberries and the mixture starts to boil. Don’t put the heat on too high too early or you will burn the fruit to the bottom of your pan. Once the juices are released from the fruit you can turn the heat up a bit until the mixture comes to a good boil.

Once it is boiling, lower the heat so the mixture continues to boil lightly. Boil for about an hour, or until the mixture reaches about 220ºF. I was super exact with my temperature when I was making this particular jam and it still turned out perfectly. When the strawberry rhubarb jam is almost done, fill the water bath canner with water and bring it to a boil.

Processing the Jam

Ladle the jam into half-pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch of head space. Wipe the rim and put the lid in the center of the jar. Put the ring on and make it fingertip-tight. Using a set like this one is helpful when you’re filling jars, tightening the rings, and moving jars to and from the canner.

Place the jars in your water bath canner and cover with 1-2 inches of water. Put the lid on the canner and bring the water back to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes and then let jars sit for 5 minutes with the lid off. You can also skip the water bath canning altogether if you are making freezer jam! Just pop your jars into the freezer and remove them when you’re ready to enjoy.

Remove the jars and allow them to cool for 24 hours without being disturbed. Check the seals by removing the rings and gently pulling on the lids. Lids should not come off or flex up and down. If the jars are sealed, store them for later use. If you find one that is not sealed, put the ring back on and store it in the fridge. Enjoy that one first!

More Jam & Jelly Recipes

Who doesn’t love a good jelly or jam recipe? If you want to try a few more recipes check out the ones below. If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on thimbleberries, give our jam recipe a try. This is my husband’s favorite and his family perfected the sugar-to-berry ratio. It is MUCH less sugar than most other recipes and the flavor is to die for. It is also a no-pectin recipe that cooks quickly into a delicious spreadable jam. You’re going to love it.