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Strawberry rhubarb jam is one of the best ways to preserve early summer fruit.
The sweetness of strawberries balances perfectly with the tart flavor of rhubarb, creating a jam that’s bright, flavorful, and slightly tangy.
If you’ve never tried canning with rhubarb before, this is a great place to start. It has quickly become one of my favorite recipes for canning strawberries.
Canning Expertise: Rachel Paxton is a certified Master Home Food Preserver with over 25 years of hands-on experience in safe home canning and food preservation.
New to canning? Start with my water bath canning for beginners guide.
Tap to jump right to recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect balance of sweet and tart
- Great way to use fresh rhubarb
- Easy water bath canning recipe
- Makes a large batch for stocking your pantry
Ingredients
- 4 cups crushed strawberries
- 4 cups chopped rhubarb
- 12 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 2 pouches liquid pectin (such as Certo)
Need help measuring? See my strawberry equivalents chart.
If you’re not sure which pectin to use, see my guide on what pectin is and how to use it.
Can You Use Frozen Fruit?
Yes, you can use frozen strawberries or rhubarb.
If you’ve been freezing strawberries as they ripen, simply thaw them and proceed with the recipe.
See my guide on how to freeze strawberries so they don’t get mushy.
Equipment Needed
- Large stock pot
- Canning jars, lids, and bands
- Water bath canner
- Canning funnel
- Jar lifter
If you’re new to canning, start with my water bath canning guide for beginners and see the canning supplies you need here before getting started.
How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Step 1: Prepare the Fruit
Crush strawberries using a potato masher. You’ll need 4 cups.
Chop rhubarb into small pieces.
Combine strawberries, rhubarb, and lemon juice in a large pot.
Step 2: Add Sugar
Stir in sugar and mix well.
(Optional: add 1 teaspoon butter to reduce foaming.)
Step 3: Bring to a Boil
Bring mixture to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
Step 4: Add Pectin
Quickly stir in liquid pectin.
Return to a full rolling boil and boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and skim off foam.
Water Bath Canning Instructions
Ladle hot jam into sterilized jars, leaving about 1/4 inch headspace.
Not sure about headspace? See my guide on how much headspace to leave when canning.
Wipe jar rims clean, then apply lids and bands.
Place jars in a boiling water canner, making sure water covers jars by 1–2 inches.
Process for 10 minutes.
Remove jars and let cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours.
After cooling, follow my how to test jar seals after canning guide.
Storage
- Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year
- Refrigerate after opening
- Unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used within a few weeks
Tips for Best Results
- Use fresh, ripe strawberries for best flavor
- Chop rhubarb evenly for consistent texture
- Measure ingredients carefully for proper set
- Stir constantly during boiling to prevent scorching
What Does Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Taste Like?
The rhubarb adds a subtle tartness that balances the sweetness of the strawberries.
It’s less tart than strawberry rhubarb pie, but has a deeper, more complex flavor than traditional strawberry jam.
More Strawberry Recipes
If you’re preserving strawberries, try:
See more here: how to preserve strawberries (canning, freezing & more)
More Rhubarb Recipes
- 4 cups crushed strawberries
- 4 cups chopped rhubarb
- 12 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 2 pouches liquid pectin
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Crush strawberries and chop rhubarb.
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Combine fruit with lemon juice in a large pot.
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Stir in sugar.
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Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly.
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Add pectin and return to a boil for 1 minute.
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Remove from heat and skim foam.
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Ladle into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
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Process in water bath canner for 10 minutes.
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Cool and check seals.
You can use frozen fruit (thawed)
Measure carefully for proper set
Always follow safe canning practices
If you enjoy preserving seasonal flavors, be sure to browse all of my canning recipes here and my full collection of jam and jelly recipes for more ideas.
Follow my canning and preserving board on Pinterest.
The recipe above shows 4cups of strawberries & 4 of rhubarb, if I wanted to use that amount for 7 pint jars would I just double the powered pectin?
My jam did not set up. I went exactly by the recipe. Can you suggest an idea on how to correct the jam. It had already been processed and sealed. Thank you
Hi! Your strawberries sound amazing! Plum blackberry jam is wonderful, you should definitely try it. 🙂
Hi thank you for your recipe. very though. I grow my own strawberries. they are called “sparkles”. they are a smaller variety of a strawberry. they are one of the most sweetest berry you can grow. I pick about 70 lbs of them this year. I freeze what I can’t work with right away and thaw them out at the holiday season for jam making gifts. I wish I could send you your recipe amount of frozen berries for you to sample or at least a jar of my strawberry ruhbarb jam. just to compare the berry quality. I’ve never made plum/blackberry. I grow a lot of black raspberries. I should try that combination. what do you think. home grown is the best. Respectfully CraigCraig Myers
Hi! If you change the amount of sugar in the recipe, the jam may not gel correctly. If you want to use less sugar there are low sugar and no sugar pectins that you can use.
Wondering if the sugar could be cut back to 10 cups to make the jam a little more tart?
Hi! This recipe can be printed, you may not have looked far enough down on the page. There is a button that says “print” right above the buttons for sharing the recipe on Pinterest or Facebook.
Wish this recipe was printer friendly. Just a suggestion.
Hi! Now how did that happen!? LOL! Okay so the answer is that both recipes are correct. I didn’t realize I had used two different recipes. You can use either powdered pectin or liquid pectin for this recipe, but the other ingredient amounts are different. The preparation instructions are exactly the same. So in the video it says to use 2 c. strawberries, 2 c. rhubarb, 5 c. sugar, and 4 1/2 tbsp. powdered pectin. Use those amounts if you are going to use powdered pectin. The powdered pectin version also makes only 3-4 pints of jam instead of 7.
HI there
I was wondering..the recipe you have calls for liquid pectin but in the video you are using powdered pectin..how much powdered pectin should I be using?
Thanks!
I’m glad you liked it! 🙂
Best jam I have made and I’m a Grandma. Perfect balance of tart and sweet. It really sets up nicely.
Hi! I chop my rhubarb into slices probably about 1/4 inch thick.
Approximately how thick do you chop your rhubarb?