How to Make Rhubarb Jam & Rhubarb Jelly

How to Make Rhubarb Jam & Jelly In Just One Hour!

It sounds impossible, right, putting up a few jars of both rhubarb jam and jelly in an hour? I'm here to attest, it's not only possible, just grab a couple of pounds of spring's best rhubarb and you'll prove it for yourself. Each recipe produces a "small batch" of 1-1/2 to 2 cups of jam or jelly. You can do this!

Fresh & Seasonal, an Early Summer Classic. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real. Flexible for Canning, Fridge or Freezer.

~ Skip Straight to the Recipes ~
~ Skip Rhubarb Rosemary Jelly ~
~ pretty pink & rosemary pungent ~

~ Skip Straight Rhubarb Ginger Jam ~
~ perfect for toast and muffins ~

Life on the Back Step

On hot June days when my sister and I were girls, our mom would send us with a bowl of sugar to the back step where her rhubarb patch was within arms' reach.

Ruby stalk by ruby stalk, we'd wipe off the most evident dirt with our fingers, then dip – and dip and dip – the rhubarb into the sugar bowl to sweeten each tart biteful.

When I was home last summer, I rescued the last bits of Mom's Roundup-ravaged rhubarb from the back step and planted it in my own garden. Some years must pass before my rhubarb plants will qualify as a patch but someday, I'll sugar my very own rhubarb.

It's Easy! It Really Is! Here's What You'll Need

It’s oh-so-easy to make rhubarb jam and jelly. Allow only an hour to make both at the same time. And when the jars are lined up so pretty on the counter, how proud you’ll feel!

And it's so nice to be able to press a jar into a friend's hands or to wrap up a jar along with a loaf of fresh bread to deliver to a neighbor.

Here's what you'll need: not much!

• Canning Jars Each recipe yields 3-4 cups so for both, you'll need jars large enough to hold 6-8 cups.
• I like to use small half-pint canning jars that each hold one cup. Somehow more jars = more happiness!
• But larger jars will work fine too.
• Look for brand-new canning jars in grocery stores (usually in the baking aisle) and in places like Walmart (in the housewares section). They usually come in a cases of six or twelve and can be used again and again for jam and jelly, sure, but also for storing other food items.


• Canning Lids If you buy new jars, they come with special lids and special rings.
• If you inspect the underside of a lid, you’ll see a narrow band of rubber along the outer edge. It's this band of rubber which is specially designed (along with the rings) to seal the contents of the jar, protecting the food from air and bacteria.
• To seal properly for actual canning, the lids are one-time use only. Used lids can be re-purposed just to close up a jar for leftovers, pantry storage, etc., just not for safe canning.
• If you already have the jars, the lids can be purchased separately in small boxes.
• They come in two sizes, "regular mouth" and "wide mouth". The lids keep so I tend to keep a few boxes, that way, if a canning opportunity hits, no need for a special trip to the store.
• Over the years, I've come to prefer the wide-mouth jars and so only buy jars with that width. That means that the same lids fit all the various jar sizes (half-pint, pint and quart) so long as they're wide-mouth. The same thing applies to regular-mouth jars so if you happen to have a bunch of regular-width jars, maybe you fix on that width rather than wide-mouth.


• Canning Rings If you buy new jars, they come with special rings.
• The rings can be re-used so long as they're in good shape, no nicks or rusty spots. I collect rings in a box in the basement, one for wide mouth and one for small mouth. (Ha! It sounds like we're talking about fish!)
• Like lids, rings may be purchased separately.


• No Other Canning Equipment These recipes use hot jars and hot liquid to seal the jars.
• IMPORTANT While this hot jar-hot liquid technique has been used for years and years, it does not meet current safe-canning standards that allow home-canned foods to be stored without refrigeration.
• To adhere to current standards, both recipes here should be considered "refrigerator jams" that should be kept in the refrigerator and used up within 7-10 days.
• Both the jam and jelly can also be frozen, then thawed for use within 7-10 days after thawing.

What's the Difference Between Jam & Jelly?

• Jam is thick and fruity with lots of texture. To make jelly, we cook the fruit with sugar until it gets so soft, it is easily spreadable.
• Jelly is clear and smooth, like the grape jelly of our childhood peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. To make jelly, we cook the fruit with sugar, then press the fruit to express all the delicious juices, then thicken just the juices.

You Might Wonder Be Wondering ...

May You Use Any Ol' Glass Jars? Yes ... But.

Let's say you don't have and don't want to buy new canning jars. Or maybe your mom (like mine!) collected odd-size jars with pretty shapes you'd really like to put to good use.

No problem ... but with one huge caveat. Re-purposed glass jars must be stored in the refrigerator and the jam or jelly eaten within a week or so. The jams may also be frozen, even in glass jars, just be sure to leave room for contents to expand when frozen.

Where's the Pectin? These recipes do not call for pectin.

Many jam and jelly recipes call for a starch called "pectin" for thickening. Pectin occurs naturally in some fruits (apples, citrus, say) but not in rhubarb. In my recipes, the jelly is thickened with unflavored gelatin (you'll find it near the boxes of jello or near the canning jars) and the jam is thickened by cooking down the fruit itself. So ... no pectin required!

Why Do Recipes So Often Specify Using a Saucepan or Skillet with a Heavy Bottom? Such a good question!

A heavy-bottomed pan protects what you're cooking from the heat source, the electric element in an electric store or the flame on a gas stove. If the heat is a little high, the heavy bottom will protect the contents from burning – trust me, even with a heavy-bottomed pan, it's still possible to burn foods but you've got a little extra time to adjust the heat.

In contrast, a thin-bottomed saucepan or skillet will conduct heat so fast, the contents will start to scorch and stick so so fast.

To Learn More About Canning Our Own Food in Jars

The summer we lost my mom was really tough. I'd spent the prior year and a half taking care of her and my dad. Dad and I even did hospice for Mom in my home. When it was all over, I was so lost.

I threw myself into canning that year, the jars just kept adding up. And I learned a lot ...

Much of what I learned is detailed here in Practical Home Canning Tips. It doesn't deal so much with the canning process itself but the practical things to do beforehand and afterward, practical, down-to-earth stuff.

I review it myself, before beginning a new canning project!

COMPLIMENTS!

• "I like it. It is pucker tart but I like the fresh flavor." ~ Anonymous
• "It is absolutely gorgeous ..." ~ Anonymous
• "I love the jam!" ~ Anonymous
• "YUMM." ~ oopsydaisy
• What're you waiting for?!

---

RHUBARB ROSEMARY JELLY

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Total time: 60 minutes
Makes 3-4 cups jelly filling 3-4 half-pint jars

• 1 pound (454g) fresh rhubarb, trimmed in half-inch pieces
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 2 cups (400g) sugar
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 ounce unflavored gelatin (2 packets)

In a large saucepan with a heavy bottom, bring the rhubarb, water, sugar, vinegar and rosemary to a boil. Let simmer on low heat for 15 – 30 minutes until the rhubarb becomes soft and syrupy, stir it every so often to make sure the fruit isn't sticking to the bottom of the pan, if it is, reduce the temperature, you don't want the fruit to burn! With a wooden spoon, press the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, discarding the solids.

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over the ¼ cup water, stirring in if needed. Let soften a minute, then stir into rhubarb to thicken.

While the juices are still hot, fill the jars, here's here's how.

Store the jars in the refrigerator for a 7-10 days, otherwise freeze until ready to use.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Tablespoon (assumes yield of 3.5 cups): 30 Calories; 0g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 1mg Sodium; 8g Carb; 0g Fiber; 7g Sugar; 0g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 1 & PointsPlus 1 & SmartPoints 2 & Freestyle 2 & myWW green 2 & blue 2 & purple 2

---

RHUBARB GINGER JAM

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Total time: 60 minutes
Makes 3-4 cups jelly filling 3-4 half-pint jars

• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 pound (454g) fresh rhubarb, trimmed in one-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
• 3 tablespoons crystallized ginger, chopped
• Zest of a lemon

Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until the jam thickens, stirring often.

While the juices are still hot, fill the jars, here's here's how.

Store the jars in the refrigerator for a 7-10 days, otherwise freeze until ready to use.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Tablespoon (assumes yield of 3-1/2 cups): 10 Calories; 0g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 0mg Sodium; 3g Carb; 0g Fiber; 2g Sugar; 0g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 0 & PointsPlus 0 & SmartPoints 1 & Freestyle 1 & myWW green 1 & blue 1 & purple 1 (for myWW, 2 tablespoons also = 1 point)

---

HOW TO FILL THE JARS

The trick is to fill sterilized very hot jars with very hot liquid, then let the jar and lid technology go to work. When hot liquid meets hot glass and pressure is created by tightly closing the jar, the rubber adheres to the glass, sealing out air and bacteria.

IMPORTANT NOTE This hot-jar plus hot-liquid method for sealing jars has been used for many years but does not meet current safe-canning standards.

Three options. (1) You may use a "hot water bath" to process the jars for 5 minutes, then the jars may be safely stored without refrigeration. (My recipe for Blueberry Jam with Cinnamon includes instructions for a hot water bath.) (2) Or you may skip the hot water bath, seal the jars as below, then refrigerate the jars and use the contents in 7-10 days. (3) Or just decide from the get-go that you'll treat the jam and jelly as "refrigerator" jam and jelly. You can store them in any ol' clean jar or container and skip the hot-jar plus hot-liquid sealing process with canning jars. Obviously, the contents should be refrigerated and eaten within 7-10 days.

Here’s how to fill the jars.

STERILIZE the JARS While the rhubarb cooks, run the jars through the dishwasher by themselves, not with dirty dishes! Time it so the jars are hot-hot-hot when the jelly and jam are also hot-hot-hot.

FILL the JARS Spoon the hot fruit into the hot jars to within 1/8 inch of the top edge. A funnel helps but isn’t necessary. With a clean damp cloth, wipe the inside lip so no fruit remains.

SEAL the JARS Place a lid on each jar and tightly screw on a rim.

WAIT FOR THE POP! Within 2 – 3 hours, you’ll hear an unmistakable and satisfying "pop" as each jar seals. Count! If you have four jars, you should hear four pops!

To check, press the center of a lid with a finger.

The jar is sealed if the lid won’t depress. It’s not safely sealed if the lid has a dimple and can be depressed. If a jar doesn’t seal, don’t worry, the contents are still safe to eat, the jars just need to be refrigerated. Enjoy the contents within a couple of weeks.

THINK Now really, wasn’t that easy?! And aren’t you proud?!

---

More Jams & Jellies

(hover with a mouse for a description; otherwise click a photo to view the recipe)

~ more jams, pickles & preserves ~
from Kitchen Parade

~ Green Pepper Jelly ~
from A Veggie Venture

---

More Rhubarb Recipes

(hover with a mouse for a description; otherwise click a photo to view the recipe)

~ more rhubarb recipes ~

---

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. sti If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

---

© Copyright Kitchen Parade
2007, 2008 & 2020