two fresh picked, small batch jam recipes (strawberry + rhubarb)
capturing the best flavors of spring in a jar! 🍓
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I was minding my own business the other day when I stumbled across a local pick-your-own strawberry patch just a few miles from home. I dropped what I was doing after work and ran over before the evening rain started, crouched down in the mud, and picked the gorgeous fresh strawberries until I was satisfied and quite speckled with raindrops. As I was checking out with my haul, the farmer mentioned she was also selling rhubarb. I purchased two pounds, after she laughed me off when I asked for five, since I’d admitted that I’d never made anything with rhubarb before. She must not have known who she was dealing with (me, a spontaneously passionate rhubarb connoisseur), because I found myself at another farm stand buying four more pounds of the stuff before the weekend was through. The jam was just too good. Next strawberry season, I’ll be more assertive in my interactions with the vegetable dealers.
Making these jams is alarmingly easy. The focus is on the fresh fruit with minimal other ingredients, and not too much sweetness. I’m a bit lazy when it comes to things like straining (do I really need to wash another dish?!) and I don’t really mind things like pulp or seeds in my jam. That might mean the product is a bit rustic, but the jam resembling the fruit as closely as possible is my end goal!
Here are my newly minted recipe favorites, feel free scale up in weight or adjust ingredients or sugar content to suit your preferences. These recipes will yield about 6-8 pint jars each.
Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
4 pounds fresh strawberries, halved or sliced
1½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
½ teaspoon salt
1 packet low sugar fruit pectin (I used Sure-Jell in the pink box)
Instructions
In a saucepan, mix your strawberries, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt together and set on medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, and bring it to a boil.
Once bubbling, reduce heat to medium-low to bring it to a simmer and reduce the mixture until thick and syrupy. This can take 40-60 minutes.
Once thick, add in pectin and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
When you’re satisfied with the consistency, add the jam to sterilized jars and seal with your preferred canning method, or refrigerate/freeze as desired.
Rhubarb Jam
Ingredients
4 pounds fresh rhubarb, chopped
2½ cups sugar
1 cup water
2 oranges, juiced (about ½ cup)
2 teaspoons orange zest
½ teaspoon salt
1 packet low sugar fruit pectin
Instructions
In a saucepan, mix your rhubarb, sugar, water, orange juice, orange zest, and salt together and set on medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, and bring it to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low to bring it to a simmer and reduce the mixture until the rhubarb starts to break down. You may need to help it along with a wooden spoon. This may take up to an hour.
At this point, I recommend tasting the jam (careful, it is hot!) to be sure it reaches your desired sweetness level.
Once thick, add in pectin and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
When you’re satisfied with the consistency, add the jam to sterilized jars and seal with your preferred canning method, or refrigerate/freeze as desired.
And that’s it! Enjoy your jams on toast, with scones, or mixed together for a strawberry rhubarb treat!
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