Strawberry And Rhubarb Jam (No Pectin)
There’s nothing quite like the vibrant taste of homemade jam, and this Strawberry And Rhubarb Jam is no exception. It’s a perfect balance between sweet and tart and is great for spreading on toast, stirring into Greek yogurt, or even dolloping on a scone or over ice cream.
In This Article
Nutritional Benefits
Beyond its delectable taste, strawberry-rhubarb jam offers several nutritional benefits, primarily stemming from its two main fruit components.
Strawberries are a rich source of folate, along with vitamin C (1), an antioxidant vitamin known for its role in immune function and skin health (2). They also contain plenty of fibre, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, and various other antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, which give strawberries their vibrant red colour and have been linked to potential benefits for heart health and brain function (3).
Rhubarb is particularly notable for its high fibre content, which is crucial for digestive health amongst many other things (4). Research also shows it’s demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cholesterol-lowering effects (5).
When using rhubarb just be sure you always cut off and discard the green leafy end. The leaves contain oxalic acid and glycosides, which can be toxic when eaten in large amounts (6).
Ingredients – What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe
Rhubarb starts to appear in Australia in Spring but is at its best during Summer and also late Autumn. This gives you ample time across the year to track it down.
Four simple ingredients are all you need to make this jam. Five if you’re using the star anise. I’ve used honey as the sweetener in this recipe. If you would prefer to make it with sugar, simply double the amount, as it’s much less sweet than honey.
- Strawberries – bring natural sweetness, vibrant colour, and a soft, juicy texture to the jam. Their natural pectin content also contributes to the jam’s set.
- Rhubarb – provides tartness that balances the sweetness of the strawberries, adding a complex flavour profile. Its fibrous nature helps to thicken the jam.
- Honey – a perfect complement to the tartness of the rhubarb and the acidity of the strawberries. The honey brings all these flavours together and helps create a rich and fruity final product.
- Lemon juice – adds acidity, which brightens the fruit flavours and prevents the jam from becoming overly sweet. This acidity also helps activate the natural pectin in the fruit, ensuring a proper set of your jam. Without sufficient acid, the jam may remain too runny.
- Star anise – this is optional, but I highly recommend it. I’ve only used a small amount here, so the flavour is very mild. So mild in fact I’d suggest doubling the amount if you really want the aniseed to be one of the bigger tastes.
Get creative an add in other spices if anise is not for you. Or simply make the jam without it. It’s delicious as is too.
How To Make This Rhubarb and Strawberry Jam
This homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Jam is not a difficult recipe, but it does require quite a bit of time on the stove. Save it for a weekend project so you’re not rushed when making it. In total you will get roughly 3 x 250ml / 8oz jars with a little left over for you to sample.
- Cut off the green leafy section of the rhubarb and discard it then wash and dry the stems. Chop into roughly 1cm / 0.5-inch slices and place in a large pot. I used a Le Creuset casserole for this.
- Slice off the green stem of the strawberries, wash and dry, then chop them into quarters. Drop these into the pot with the rhubarb.
- Pour in the honey, lemon juice and add in the star anise if using.
- Turn the stove onto a medium heat and stir everything gently until the honey is liquid.
- Once the jam comes to a full boil, turn the heat to low and let it simmer for 2.5 hours. In the meantime, place a small saucer in the freezer. This will help test the jam is ready.
- To test that the jam has set correctly, take the saucer out of the freezer and drop a teaspoon of jam onto it. Let it sit for a minute then run your finger through the middle. If the jam stays separated, it’s ready. If it rushed back to form a blob it needs to cook a little longer. Keep repeating this test until the jam remains separated on the cold saucer.
- Once ready, the jam will be very hot. To ensure my jars don’t crack I have very warm water sitting in them for about 10 minutes before the jam is done. Tip this out then pour the jam into the spotlessly clean jars, wipe the rims of any excess then seal with a lid. Leave to cool slightly on the bench then store in the fridge and use within a couple of months.
To make this jam shelf stable see the instructions for canning just ahead of the FAQ below.
Substitutions And Variations
The star anise is an optional ingredient so if aniseed is not to your tastes, leave this out. If you’d simply prefer to replace this ginger is a great substitute. Add 1 tablespoon of finely grated fresh ginger to the fruit mixture while it’s cooking down for a warming, spicy kick.
Use regular sugar in place of the honey if preferred. Keep in mind that honey is much sweeter than sugar so less of it is used here. Use 1 cup of sugar for every ¾ cups of honey used in this recipe. This will equate to roughly 2¼ cups of sugar.
This can simply be made as a strawberry jam if rhubarb is not in season, or you want to leave it out. This Strawberry And Rosewater Jam is a great substitute for this recipe in that instance.
Tips For Success With This Recipe
It’s important to use proper canning jars if you intend to make this a shelf stable recipe. That is jars with separate seals and lids to ensure a) proper canning and b) they don’t crack in the heat. I recommend Ball Mason or Kilner in an 8oz/roughly 250ml size. The perfect size for gift giving!
Use fresh, ripe strawberries and firm, crisp rhubarb as the quality and ripeness of the fruit directly impacts the flavour of the jam.
No commercial pectin is used in this recipe and rhubarb and strawberries are also both low-pectin fruits. As such it’s important the jam cooks down long enough to enable it to set. This is best checked by placing some hot jam on a cold plate as outlined in the recipe card below. Don’t skip this step or you may find your jam doesn’t set.
Hot jam is always best going into a hot jar, so the jars don’t crack or explode. If you’re not canning your jam always ensure you’ve warmed your jars with hot water before adding the jam to them.
Storing/Freezing/Make Ahead
Once the jam jar is cool place in the fridge and keep for up to one month. If the jam has been processed in a water bath canner, store in a cool, dark place for up to one year. The jam must still be refrigerated once opened.
Canning Strawberry And Rhubarb Jam
This is more of a small-batch strawberry rhubarb jam recipe. It makes roughly 3 x 250ml / 8oz jars, so I rarely can it, as it’s consumed quickly. However, for those that would like a shelf stable option the following step-by-step instructions are for water bath canning:
- Remove the lids and rings from your canning jars and wash both in hot soapy water. Rinse and set aside.
- Place a trivet in a large saucepan (a stock pot is great for this) then place the jam jars on the trivet. Fill the pot with as much water as needed to cover the jam jars by 2-3cm / 1-inch. The trivet is necessary, as it stops the jars wobbling around while the water simmers. This can result in the lids not sealing.
- Place the pot on the stove with the jars inside and bring it to a simmer about half an hour before the jam is ready.
- Remove the jars from the water, tip out any excess then fill with hot jam. Using a jam/jelly funnel can save a lot of mess here!
- Run a knife around the edge inside the jar to get rid of any air bubbles.
- Wipe jar rim, apply the lid then screw bands on, firmly but not so tight they’re difficult to open. Place the jars back into the simmering water and process for 15 minutes.
- Once done, carefully remove them with tongs or a jar lifter. Set them on a tea towel on the bench to cool overnight. Hopefully in that time you hear the classic ‘pop’ of the lids as they seal.
- To store, remove the steel ring and leave the jars with just the centre lid on them. If this pops off when the ring is removed the jar didn’t seal and must be kept in the fridge.
FAQ
This is due to not reducing down the jam enough. You can test doneness by dropping a teaspoon of jam onto a saucer that’s been sitting in the freezer. If you can run your finger through the jam and it remains separated, it’s ready. If it comes back together quickly – it needs more cooking time. You can see what I mean in the How To section above.
No! Just wash, pat dry and cut as you would celery.
No! While both rhubarb and strawberries are low pectin fruit it’s still possible to make a no added pectin jam. Cooking the fruit a little longer than you would otherwise ensures a good set. I find the honey also helps.
More Preserving Recipes To Try
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Rhubarb and Strawberry Jam
Equipment
- 1 Large pot
- Canning equipment if canning the jam
Ingredients
- 1.4 lb strawberries (650g / 4 cups)
- 12 oz rhubarb (350g / 3.5 cups)
- 13.5 fl oz honey (400ml)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Star anise (optional – and add more if you would like quite a strong aniseed flavour)
Instructions
- Cut off the green leafy section of the rhubarb then wash and dry the stems. Chop into roughly 0.5-inch / 1cm slices and place in a large pot. I used a Le Creuset casserole for this.
- Slice off the green stem of the strawberries, wash and dry, then chop them into quarters. Drop these into the pot with the rhubarb.
- Pour in the honey, lemon juice and add in the star anise.
- Turn the stove onto a medium heat and stir everything gently until the honey is liquid.
- Once the jam comes to a full boil, turn the heat to low and let it simmer for 2.5 hours. In the meantime, place a small saucer in the freezer. This will help test the jam is ready.
- To test the jam has set correctly, take the saucer out of the freezer and drop a teaspoon of jam onto it. Let it sit for a minute then run your finger through the middle. If the jam stays separated, it's ready. If it rushed back to form a blob it needs to cook a little longer. Keep repeating this test until the jam remains separated on the cold saucer.
- Once ready, the jam will be very hot. To ensure my jars don't crack I have very warm water sitting in them for about 10 minutes before the jam is done. Tip this out then pour the jam into the spotlessly clean jars, wipe the rims of any excess then seal with a lid. Leave to cool slightly on the bench then store in the fridge and use within a couple of months.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Gabby Campbell
Gabby is a degree qualified Naturopath/Nutritionist (BHSc Nat) with a love of all whole foods. She started her Naturopathic career in clinical practice before making the move to recipe development and online education – a result of wanting to combat the misinformation that abounds on the internet about food and health. Whole Natural Kitchen aims to transform the way you think about healthy eating by helping you embrace an abundance of nutritious foods while leaving the health fads behind. MORE ABOUT GABBY