I have made it no secret that I LOVE rhubarb. In case you missed them, I’ve shared about growing rhubarb and my recipe for rhubarb bars, strawberry rhubarb lemonade slush, and rhubarb raspberry ice cream sauce. But today it’s all about my rhubarb jam recipe.
The other day I tackled my frozen rhubarb and made a couple of batches of my favorite rhubarb jam.
I’m telling you, this jam has the perfect balance of tart/sweet and the cinnamon adds such a lovely spice!
I think rhubarb strawberry jam is the most popular rhubarb jam. But sometimes you’re just out of strawberries and have a craving for some rhubarb. Truth be told, I prefer this jam to rhubarb strawberry.
Before we get into the recipe, let me mention a few things.
Fresh or Frozen for Rhubarb Jam Recipe?
You can use either fresh or frozen rhubarb for this jam. Below is a comparison of both.
FRESH – 1 small to medium stalk of rhubarb will be cut up to around 1/2 of a cup for fresh rhubarb. For this recipe, you will need about 10 to 12 stalks or enough to get about 6 cups of unprepared rhubarb, depending on the size of your rhubarb stalks.
FROZEN – 6 cups of diced and frozen rhubarb are usually sufficient for this recipe. Place your frozen rhubarb in a bowl and let it thaw completely. The rhubarb will seem to shrink down but you’ll remeasure your rhubarb after cooking it so you have the correct amount for your jam. Do NOT drain the juice after thawing; you will use that to prepare your rhubarb.
Storage
This recipe produces 6 half-pint jars of jam. You can freeze this jam in freezer-safe containers/jars or process it in a water bath canner for long-term shelf storage.
By the way – it makes a GREAT gift for fellow rhubarb lovers!
Acidity Question
Rhubarb is a vegetable and it is actually acidic. Because of this, an added acid (lemon juice, vitamin c., etc.) is not required. You may find that your storebought pectin has ascorbic acid in it.
This added acid is not a concern when you make your jam. I’ve had great results using pectin with ascorbic acid or without. However, I do not recommend you add any acid to your jam as it isn’t necessary.
Now let’s get to making this the most delicious Rhubarb Jam recipe you’ll ever enjoy!
Rhubarb Jam Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 c. rhubarb chopped (about 10-12 stalks worth)
- 1 c. water
- 1 box of fruit pectin
- ½ tsp. butter
- 6 ½ c. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Place rhubarb and water in a 4-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer for 2 minutes or until rhubarb is tender.
- Measure exactly 4 ½ cups of cooked rhubarb into a 6 or 8-quart saucepan.
- Stir pectin into cooked rhubarb. Add butter to reduce foaming.
- Bring to full rolling boil {a boil that doesn’t stop bubbling when stirred} on high heat, stirring constantly.
- Stir in sugar & cinnamon. Return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat.
- Skim off any foam with a metal spoon and ladle jam into prepared jars.
- Process in a water bath canner.
I AM ABOUT TO TRY THIS RECIPE WITH MY FROZEN RHUBARB. JUST WONDERING THAT WHEN I THAW THE RHUBARB OUT DO I THEN MEASURE THE QUANTITY ALONG WITH THE JUICE? SO THAT IF I NEED SAY 1KG RHUBARB IS THAT 1KG MEASURED AFTER I THAW IT? THANS
Hi Trish, you’ll want to keep the juice. As you prep your rhubarb, you will boil it in juice/water and then remeasure your rhubarb for use in the jam.
This recipe is amazing! This is my most successful rhubarb jam ever and I even used frozen rhubarb. Thank you!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Maria!
I have tons of frozen rhubarb along with my deceased mother in laws, so happy to try. ?? please, if you have canned, is it ok to make pints instead of half pints and what processing changes are there? Thanks!
Hi Mary! I’m sorry I’m late to respond. Yes, I have canned this jam many times and it is perfect!
Process for Boiling Times by Jar Size and Altitude:
– 4-ounce jars: Boil for 5 minutes at sea level.
– 8-ounce to 16-ounce jars: Boil for 10 minutes at sea level.
Altitude Adjustment for All Jar Sizes:
Add 1 minute for every 1,000 feet above sea level. For example:
– 1,000–2,000 ft: Boil for 11 minutes
– 2,000–3,000 ft: Boil for 12 minutes, and so on.
If you’re unsure of your elevation, you can find it by entering your address or city name on an elevation website.