How to Make Homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

There’s a short window every late spring when strawberries and rhubarb are both at their peak, and if you’ve never made jam before, this is the recipe to start with. No pectin, no fancy equipment, no guesswork, just fruit, sugar, and lemon juice cooked down into something that tastes like the best parts of June trapped in a jar.

If you’ve been intimidated by canning or worried about your jam turning out runny, I get it. The first time I made jam, I was convinced I’d done something wrong because the recipe didn’t call for pectin. Turns out, that’s exactly how it’s supposed to work. Rhubarb is naturally high in pectin, and when it cooks alongside the lower-pectin strawberries, the two balance each other out perfectly. You genuinely cannot mess this up if you follow a few key steps.

Learn more about how to make jam and jelly:

• How to Make Jam, Jelly and Preserves
• Equipment for Making Jam, Jelly and Preserves
• How to Grow Rhubarb

This article is part of my homestead cooking series where I share how to make from-scratch food instead of buying it at the grocery story.  From homemade bread and jelly to homemade condiments.  I'm Gretchen and I've been homesteading for over 15 years.  Here at the Backyard Farming Connection, I connect the lines between growing your own food, raising your own animals, and putting it all together in the kitchen.

Quick Facts

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus 1 hour macerating)
Cook time: 35-45 minutes
Yield: About 4 half-pint jars
Best for: Toast, biscuits, yogurt, gifting, cheese boards

Why This Recipe Works (No Pectin Required)

Pectin is the natural substance that makes jam thicken into, well, jam. Some fruits are loaded with it (apples, citrus); others, like strawberries, barely have any. Rhubarb is the rule-breaker here, it’s low in sugar and acid but surprisingly high in pectin, which means when you pair it with strawberries, you get a built-in thickening agent without buying a single packet of Sure-Jell.

Three things make this set properly every time:

• The right fruit ratio. Equal parts strawberries and rhubarb by weight gives you enough natural pectin to set without the rhubarb overpowering the strawberry flavor.
• Lemon juice. Acid helps activate the pectin and bind it together as the jam cooks. It also keeps the color bright instead of dull.
• A full cook to temperature. Cooking the jam until it hits roughly 220°F is what triggers the actual gel — this is the step most beginners rush.

Ingredients

• 1 lb strawberries, hulled and chopped
• 1 lb rhubarb, trimmed and chopped into small pieces
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of salt

How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

1. Macerate the fruit. Combine the chopped strawberries and rhubarb with the sugar and lemon juice in a large bowl. Stir well, cover, and let sit at room temperature for about an hour. This draws the natural juices out of the fruit and jumpstarts the pectin release.
2. Cook it down. Transfer everything (fruit, sugar, and all the released juice) to a wide, heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often to prevent scorching.
3. Simmer to set. Reduce heat slightly and let the jam simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently, especially as it thickens. If you have a candy thermometer, you’re looking for around 220°F.
4. Do the spoon test. No thermometer? Chill a small plate in the freezer beforehand. Drop a spoonful of jam on the cold plate and run your finger through it — if it wrinkles and holds its shape instead of running back together, it’s ready.
5. Jar it up. Ladle the hot jam into clean jars, leaving about ¼ inch of space at the top. Let cool to room temperature before sealing and storing.

Tips for Perfect Jam Every Time

• Use a wide pot, not a deep one — more surface area means faster evaporation and a quicker set.
• Don’t walk away once the jam starts thickening. It can go from “not ready” to “scorched” fast in the last 5-10 minutes.
• If your jam seems too thin after cooling, you can always return it to the pot and simmer it a little longer.
• For a deeper flavor, swap out a tablespoon of the lemon juice for orange zest or add a vanilla bean while it simmers.

Storage & Canning Notes

For short-term use, this jam keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. To store longer, you can process the filled jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes to seal them for shelf storage, or simply freeze the jam in freezer-safe containers for up to a year.

Strawberry Rhubarb Recipe

Strawberry Rhubarb Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 pounds strawberries hulled and chopped
• 1 pounds rhubarb trimmed and chopped into small pieces
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 0.1 teaspoons salt

Method

 

1. Macerate the fruit: Combine the 1 pounds strawberries, hulled and chopped and 1 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and chopped into small pieces with the 2 cups granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice in a large bowl. Stir well, cover, and let sit at room temperature.
2. Cook it down: Transfer the fruit, sugar, and all released juice to a wide, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the 0.1 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often to prevent scorching.
3. Simmer to set: Reduce heat slightly and simmer, stirring frequently, until the jam thickens and reaches about 220°F on a candy thermometer.
4. Do the spoon test: Drop a spoonful of jam onto a plate that’s been chilled in the freezer. Run your finger through it — if it wrinkles and holds its shape, it’s ready.
5. Jar it up: Ladle the hot jam into clean jars, leaving about ¼ inch of space at the top. Let cool to room temperature before sealing and storing.

Looking for more? Join our newsletter