Small Batch Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
This homemade small batch strawberry rhubarb jam is a timeless classic with hints of ginger and lime, made one small batch at a time. This recipe makes around one and a half cups of jam and can easily be doubled! Starting with fresh strawberries, rhubarb, ginger, and lime, we add in just enough granulated sugar to create a delicious spoonable homemade strawberry rhubarb jam without added pectin. Serve it with biscuits, slather it on toast, or drizzle over your favorite vanilla ice cream.
Homemade Small Batch Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Strawberry rhubarb is an iconic flavor combination that pretty much defined the summertimes of my childhood. Growing up we’d spend the July Fourth holiday at my grandparents’ house, where my grandmother would make my mom a strawberry rhubarb birthday pie.
That’s right, my mom would pass over birthday cake for strawberry rhubarb pie. Grandma’s recipe was simple and delicious: strawberries and rhubarb with sugar, tucked inside this homemade pie crust.
While it’s been a long time since I’ve had one of grandma’s strawberry rhubarb pies, that flavor combination is the inspiration for this strawberry rhubarb jam.
It’s shockingly simple to make, takes less time than you’d expect, and tastes so much better than store bought jam, just like my small batch blueberry jam.
What You’ll Need for Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
There are three necessary components for this strawberry rhubarb jam: fruit (and in this case vegetables), sugar, and acid. Each of these ingredients is important in the chemistry of getting your jam to set.
Why No Added Pectin Needed?
Thanks to the natural pectin in lime juice and the right balance of fruit and sugar, there’s no need for added pectin—just pure, fresh flavor in every spoonful.
Ingredient Highlight: Rhubarb
Let’s start with the basics: Rhubarb is a cultivated plant that has a stalk (like celery) and a large leaf. While the stalks are 100% edible, rhubarb leaves are poisonous and should not be consumed. The stalks can range in color from green to a ruby red and should be firm and glossy.
Depending on where you live, rhubarb can be found from early spring until mid-summer. Here in the pacific northwest we get two harvests of rhubarb a year, both in the early spring and around late June through July. A bit less common than strawberries, rhubarb can be found at your local farmers market or grocery store in the summertime. If looking for it out of season, look for frozen rhubarb.
Technically rhubarb is a vegetable, but most culinary uses pair it with fruit to balance the naturally tart flavor. Summer berries, like raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries, make excellent pairings with rhubarb, but strawberry rhubarb is one of the most common combinations, like in my strawberry rhubarb crisp recipe.
How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Jam without Pectin
Making homemade jam requires a little bit of elbow grease and a little bit of science. The sugar combines with the water in the fruit/vegetables which helps to create the syrupy consistency. The heat helps to release the naturally occurring pectin from the lime, which is activated by the acid. From there it just takes a bit of time for the water to evaporate so that the jam can concentrate and thicken. Here are the steps.
- Prepare the fruit. Remove stems from strawberries and coarsely chop into small chunks. Chop fresh rhubarb into 1/2″ chunks. Grate ginger. Place strawberries, sliced rhubarb, ginger into a large saute pan. Add sugar and lime juice then bring to a rolling boil over medium heat.
- Cook until the jam thickens. As mixture cooks, the full rolling boil will cause it to foam up and then reduce. Stir occasionally to ensure it’s not sticking. If it does stick, reduce the heat. Once the foam begins to subside, start to stirring constantly. Jam will darken in color and take on a thick, syrupy consistency. It’s done when it coats the back of a spoon and you can draw a line down the center of the pan that takes a moment to refill.
- Cool and store. Allow jam to cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer still hot jam to a clean glass jar or storage container. Cool completely at room temperature for about 90 minutes then refrigerate. Chill 6 – 8 hours to let the jam set and thicken completely.
Tips for Small Batch Jam Success
This yummy jam recipe is fairly simple, but there are always some extra tips that make it easier to get it right on your first try.
- Use a wide shallow pot. It increases the surface area and allows water to evaporate more quickly.
- After you wash the fruit and vegetables, let them dry completely before chopping.
- For chunkier jam, leave your strawberries in larger chunks.
- Slice the rhubarb into strips no wider than 1/2″. It will break down while cooking, but wider strips will result in a stringy jam.
- Finely grate the ginger using a microplane style grater.
- Don’t reduce the sugar, if you do, the jam may not set up.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy your jam slathered on homemade biscuits, serve it on your next cheese and charcuterie board, use it as a filling for homemade pastries with rough puff pastry, or turn it into a fruit and yogurt parfait with maple hazelnut homemade granola. You could also add a spoonful of it to the glaze on these strawberry brownies for a fun twist.
Storing Small-Batch Homemade Jam
Finished jam should be jarred and sealed while hot. Let it cool on the counter until room temperature then refrigerate. Store the jam should in the refrigerator and use it within a week.
For extended shelf life this jam can be canned using sterilized jars and proper canning techniques. It can also be frozen, once it’s been chilled completely in the refrigerator.
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Small Batch Strawberry Rhubarb Jam without Pectin
Ingredients
- 8 ounces strawberries
- 8 ounces rhubarb
- 0.5 ounce ginger
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- Remove stems from strawberries and coarsely chop. Chop rhubarb into 1/2" chunks. Grate ginger.
- Add strawberries rhubarb, ginger, sugar, and lime juice to a wide, shallow pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
- As mixture boils down, it will foam up and reduce. Stir occasionally to ensure it's not sticking. If it does stick, reduce the heat.
- Once the foam begins to subside, begin to stir constantly. Jam will darken in color and take on a thick, syrupy consistency. It's done when it coats the back of a spoon and you can draw a line down the center of the pan that takes a moment to refill.
- Allow jam to cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a clean glass jar or storage container. Cool the jam at room temperature for about 90 minutes before refrigerating. Chill 6 – 8 hours to thicken completely.
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Nutrition
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Just made 4 double batches: 1. followed measurements, cooked longer & darker for thick texture/less jam; 2. followed measurements, cooked less time, lighter result & sweeter jam; 3. same as 2 but extra ginger for stronger bite; 4. same as 3 but added fresh lime juice & zest. All absolutely delicious – flexible recipe!
Kay this makes my heart so happy!! I love when people take my recipes and adapt them to make them their own. I bet ginger and lime does taste amazing with this strawberry rhubarb combo, although lime and ginger are a great flavor boost for many fruity combos. Thank you for sharing your success.
Renee
Love this recipe. Can you freeze it? I have doubled it. I’d like to can it too.
Yes! You absolutely can freeze or can it. I have not yet found the time to learn proper canning techniques, so I cannot help you there, but I freeze mine. I put it in the small canning jars, leaving about an half inch of space from the top and let them freeze solid without the lids on to keep the jars from cracking. Once frozen, I add the lids. I find they keep a good 3 – 6 months in the freezer without sacrificing flavor.
Delicious and nice small batch! I’ll definitely make again. Thanks for the recipe!