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Home » Jam » Rhubarb Jam

Published: Jun 11, 2020 · Modified: Apr 11, 2021 by Kathy · This post may contain affiliate links

Rhubarb Jam

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A glass canning jar filled with a dark red jam.

Delicious homemade rhubarb jam is a perfect way to use up your spring rhubarb. This jam is so tasty on toast or a sandwich.

All you need to make this jam is fresh rhubarb and sugar and a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice! That's it - no added pectin or other ingredients.

A glass jar filled with homemade rhubarb jam.

Rhubarb is tart and it lends itself to a variety of dishes. Rhubarb jam is a perfect jam with a bit of tart and a bit of sweet. This jam is delicious on toast, English muffins or on a peanut butter sandwich.

Rhubarb is in full season for us right now. I've been making lots of rhubarb recipes lately; rhubarb muffins, rhubarb bread, rhubarb crisp, rhubarb sauce and my latest is this rhubarb jam. 

An English muffin topped with rhubarb jam.

This jam is only made with fresh rhubarb and sugar and a bit of fresh lemon juice. That's it! There's no added pectin, water or other ingredients. 

The trick to making this jam is macerating the rhubarb. Macerating is simply mixing the rhubarb with sugar and allowing the water to be extracted from the rhubarb.

Table of Contents
To make the jam
Testing to see if the jam is done
Recipe tips
The color of rhubarb jam
Recipe Faqs
More delicious homemade jam recipes
Rhubarb Jam

To make the jam

  1. Cut up rhubarb into small pieces and place in a bowl
  2. Add sugar and stir
  3. Cover for at least 8 hours or overnight
  4. Add fresh squeezed lemon juice
Freshly chopped rhubarb in a glass bowl.
Sugar coating chopped rhubarb in a glass bowl.
Rhubarb in a bowl with melted sugar.
Macerated rhubarb in a bowl filled with liquid.
  1. Place rhubarb and all juices into a large pot
  2. Cook over medium high heat until the mixture begins to boil
  3. Lower to medium low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring often
  4. Continue cooking over low heat until mixture begins to thicken
  5. Remove from heat and place in a glass container

Testing to see if the jam is done

There are a few different ways to determine if your jam is done:

  • Cook until rhubarb is soft and most of the liquid has evaporated
  • Cook until temperature of jam reaches 210-215 degrees. This is a slightly lower temperature than most jams that are cooked to 220 degrees, but it is a perfect temperature for rhubarb jam
  • Test jam on a plate - scoop out a tablespoonful of jam onto a plate. Allow to cool for a minute and then run the back of a spoon through jam. If the jam stays separated, it is done. 
  • Tilt the jam - the jam should only have a slight slide 
Rhubarb jam being tested on a white plate.

Recipe tips

  • Allow enough time for the rhubarb to release all of its juices
  • Use all of the juice along with the rhubarb for the jam
  • Use a non reactive pot for cooking the jam. A stainless steel or ceramic coated pot will work well.
  • Keep a close eye the jam while it cooks. Stir the jam often to avoid burning.

The color of rhubarb jam

The color of rhubarb jam varies, depending on your rhubarb. The rhubarb from my garden tends to be more green than red, but my mother in law's rhubarb is very, very red. When I use her rhubarb in this jam, my jam also turn out really red. 

It can also a light color with a pinkish hue. Sometimes it even turns a drab greenish brown color. Adding a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice helps keep the color bright.

No matter the color, the taste is always the same. The color of rhubarb does not change the taste.  Adding a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice helps preserve the color. 

Homemade rhubarb jam in a glass canning jar with stalks of rhubarb in the background.

Recipe Faqs

How do I store rhubarb jam?

This batch of jam does not make a large amount. It yields approximately two cups of cooked jam. Since this doesn't make a large amount, I store the jam in the refrigerator. It will last for up to one month in the refrigerator. 
If you are making a larger batch and need a way to store it for a longer period, you can freeze the jam or can it into jars and process in a hot water bath. 

What color is rhubarb?

The color of rhubarb varies from deep red to bright green. Some stalks are both red and green. The taste does not vary with the color.

The color of the rhubarb will affect the color of the jam, but the taste will remain the same.

More delicious homemade jam recipes

  • Strawberry Jam
  • Apricot Jam
  • Seedless Blackberry Jam
  • Apple Butter
Rhubarb jam in a glass canning jar.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

Be certain to check out all my homemade jam recipes!

  • An English muffin covered with peach jam.
    Peach Preserves
  • Toasted English muffin topped with raspberry jam.
    Raspberry Jam without Pectin
  • An english muffin topped with chunky strawberry jam.
    Small Batch Strawberry Jam
  • A glass canning jar filled with blackberry jam.
    Seedless Blackberry Jam

Listen to this recipe in my podcast episode, Making Rhubarb Jam!

A glass jar filled with homemade rhubarb jam.

Rhubarb Jam

Kathy
Delicious homemade rhubarb jam is perfect for spreading on toast or adding to a peanut butter sandwich.
5 from 51 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Macerate the rhubarb 8 hours hrs
Total Time 8 hours hrs 40 minutes mins
Course Jam
Cuisine American
Servings 2 cups
Calories 43 kcal

Equipment

  • Stainless Steel Pot
  • Measuring Cups
  • Measuring Spoons
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
  

  • 6 cups rhubarb (chopped)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice (fresh squeezed)

Instructions
 

  • Place the rhubarb in a large glass bowl. Add sugar and stir to distribute. Cover and let sit for at least 8 hours stirring once or twice to redistribute sugar.
    6 cups rhubarb, 2 cups sugar
  • Place rhubarb and its juice into a nonreactive pot.
  • Add lemon juice.
    1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • Cook over medium high heat until mixture comes to a simmer, about 20 minutes. Stir often.
  • Reduce heat to low and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Stir often to avoid burning.
  • Remove jam from heat and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Transfer jam to a glass canning jar or other storage container. Cover and refrigerate.

Notes

Recipe Tips
  • Allow enough time for the rhubarb to release all of its juices
  • Use all of the juice along with the rhubarb for the jam
  • Use a non reactive pot for cooking the jam. A stainless steel or ceramic coated pot will work well.
  • Keep a close eye the jam while it cooks. Stir the jam often to avoid burning.
 

Nutritional Disclaimer:

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1TablespoonCalories: 43kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 53mgFiber: 1gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 19IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg
Keyword rhubarb jam, rhubarb jam no pectin added
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @BeyondTheChickenCoop or tag #beyondthechickencoop!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Deborah March says

    June 07, 2023 at 3:38 am

    5 stars
    Wonderful, simple recipe! I tripled it, with excellent results, four times, so now I have 24 jars of jam to share with friends and family. 🙂 This is definitely my new "go-to" rhubarb jam recipe. Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 07, 2023 at 5:50 am

      Thank you so much!!! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Heidi says

    June 06, 2023 at 4:52 pm

    5 stars
    Made this last night. Licked the spoon after filling a jar with it and yummm. Super excited to share it with family this weekend. What is the refrigerated shel life?

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 07, 2023 at 5:45 am

      Yay!!! So glad you enjoy it. It should last for up to a month stored in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it if you need it to last longer!

      Reply
  3. Karen says

    June 05, 2023 at 4:35 pm

    I’m making your jam this week for the first time. The reviews are great so I feel good about being successful in my attempt. Is your rhubarb jam a freezer jam or jam that can be canned and stored?

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 05, 2023 at 5:01 pm

      Hi Karen,
      This makes a small batch of jam -only 2 cups. You can store it in your refrigerator or freezer. It can also be canned using a water bath canner.
      Let me know how it turns out!
      Kathy 🙂

      Reply
  4. Marlene says

    May 31, 2023 at 9:35 am

    Can the 8 hour timeframe be reduced to 6 hours? Will that change the structure of the jam?

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      May 31, 2023 at 10:31 am

      Six hours should be okay. Stir the rhubarb a few extra times and make certain the rhubarb has released a lot of the juice.

      Reply
  5. Becky McGeorge says

    August 11, 2022 at 9:08 am

    I love rhubarb and am excited to make your jam after reading the comments! I am using frozen rhubarb. Do I need to adjust anything? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      August 12, 2022 at 6:28 am

      Using frozen jam isn't a problem. There shouldn't be any adjustments. Don't thaw the rhubarb before using. Just add frozen.
      Enjoy 🙂

      Reply
  6. Nancy says

    August 04, 2022 at 6:42 pm

    5 stars
    This jam is amazing. Followed the recipe exactly. Unfortunately, I live in Florida, so I have to hope I can find rhubarb in our grocery stores. I found some today and made this jam. It is so good—not too sweet, set up nicely and has the robust taste of rhubarb. I wish I could grow rhubarb in Florida so I could make more without it costing an arm and a leg. I can tell you I won’t be sharing this jam anytime soon. Lucky for me my husband doesn’t like rhubarb.

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      August 05, 2022 at 8:11 am

      Thank you!!! I hope you find an easier way to get rhubarb! Keep those jars hidden!
      Kathy 🙂

      Reply
  7. Vonda clement says

    July 17, 2022 at 12:36 pm

    Can you water bath this jelly

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      July 18, 2022 at 9:08 am

      Yes! Totally works fine to add to jars and water bath. Check out this post for Blackberry Jam for processing directions. The rhubarb jam will be processed in the same manner.

      Reply
  8. Valerie says

    May 29, 2022 at 3:57 pm

    5 stars
    mine turned green colour, but still a wonderful taste! I am use to the strawberry rhubarb jam my mother is making, and was a little skeptical about using rhubarb alone, but I was proved wrong:-) Now, I just need to make a good loaf of dried fruits and nuts bread to go with it!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      May 30, 2022 at 6:16 am

      Hi Valerie,
      Rhubarb varies in color. Some is mostly green with a tinge of red and some is all red. My rhubarb at home produces a mostly green jam, while the rhubarb I get from my mother in law is a deep red color. Both taste the same. Glad you enjoy!
      Thank,
      Kathy 🙂

      Reply
  9. Meredith says

    January 28, 2022 at 3:20 pm

    5 stars
    The best rhubarb jam recipe I've ever used! I make up a large batch and freeze most of it and take it out as I need it. I made enough to last probably for 8 months and after 3 months I'm having to remake it, that is how much my adult children love it! Might as well just put it on the table and stick a spoon in it! Thank you for the great recipe

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      January 28, 2022 at 3:26 pm

      I love it!!! It's the best compliment when whatever you make disappears so quickly and they keep coming back for more! Thanks for your lovely comment.
      Kathy 🙂

      Reply
      • Meredith says

        January 30, 2022 at 1:03 pm

        5 stars
        Since rhubarb Is not in season in December I used frozen rhubarb that I had bought in the grocery store, which was hard enough to find, but I found it! I usually use fresh rhubarb but the Frozen turned out just as well as the fresh! Thank you again kathy, exceptional rhubarb recipe and the directions are spot on!

  10. Rose Rockvoy says

    August 20, 2021 at 6:54 am

    5 stars
    I made this a triple batch for a guy that loves rhubarb jam but I added 1 pk strawberry jello to it for the red color since mine was brown/green color. Perfect product.

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      August 20, 2021 at 8:00 am

      Thank you! 🙂

      Reply
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A glass canning jar filled with a dark red jam.
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I'm Kathy, a busy working mom who loves to cook from scratch, grow a garden, and raise farm animals. Take a look around and find all my recipes, gardening tips, and country living antics.

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