Strawberry & Rhubarb Jam -

5 from 1 vote

Strawberry & Rhubarb Jam

Strawberry & rhubarb jam is probably the loveliest and most fragrant of jams. Bright pink, perfectly sweet-tart, and easy to make.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Jam

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 173kcal

In a large, heavy bottom saucepan or dutch ovwn, mix the 6 pints strawberries and 4 stalks rhubarb with the 1 cup honey and ¾-1 cup sugar. Stir in the ½ lemon juice and 2-3 tablespoons water. Mix to combine.
Place a plate in the freezer. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes; you want the jam to reduce and thicken before removing from the heat. Take the plate from the freezer and add a spoonful of jam; if it is set and not drippy, the jam is done. If it's still liquidy, keep cooking the jam and test it again.
When the jam has thickened, pour into prepared sterilized glass jars. Can the jam or keep in the fridge for 2 weeks. Jam will further thicken as it cools.

To can or not to can. This decision is entirely up to you. If you predict you'll eat up your honey strawberry jam within a few weeks, skip the longer canning process and keep it in the fridge until it's gone. But, if you've made a lot of jam and wish to keep it for year-round spreading on toast, I recommend going the preserving route. It's not hard to can your jam, and you don't need any extra equipment.

Add more sugar. I've included a suggestion for the amount of sugar in the ingredients so you can experiment. You can add 1 cup of sugar for a sweeter jam, or taste as you go and add a bit more sugar depending on how the jam tastes to you.

Use very ripe strawberries. This will help the jam to turn out nice and sweet without a ton of added sugar. If the strawberries are not super ripe, you may need to add more sugar.

Use the plate test. Place a plate in the freezer to chill while the jam cooks. When the jam looks like it's done (coats the back of a wooden poon), drizzle a spoonful of jam on the cold plate. If the jam "wrinkles" and doesn't run, it's set and ready to take off the heat. If it's still pretty loose, keep cooking the jam and try again in a few minutes.