This easy rhubarb jam recipe uses orange for sweetness, so you can try something different than a standard (but still tasty!) strawberry rhubarb jam. It’s one of my oldest recipes and the first jam I ever made!
My Jam Story From 2013
When I moved last year, I left behind my rhubarb plants. My mistake didn’t occur to me until the following spring, when I craved rhubarb and there was none. I toyed with the idea of stealing my old plants in the middle of the night, knowing the new owners would never miss it, but my husband convinced me this was not a good plan. So, I planted another one in my new home, but little good it did me this year. Thank goodness for the farmers at the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market, who have a bumper crop. I decided to make rhubarb jam for my first batch of jam, because in January, when life in Minnesota feels bleak and colorless, I will have something from the summer to make me happy.
It may come as a surprise to you that I have never made jam before. I have been in the presence of many friends and colleagues who have made jam, but I hid behind my camera. I’ve had the Blue Ribbon Queen of Preserves, Barb Schaller, take me by the hand and show me the ropes, but I was slow to follow, and that is how, all these years later, I’d never gotten around to making my own.
So when the Ball jar company wrote to me and asked if I’d participate in their CAN-IT-FORWARD event, I said YES. I knew if I didn’t do it now, it may never happen. They were willing to send me everything I’d need, and more, to make jam. No more excuses.
I am happy to tell you that it was WAY easier than I could have ever imagined! I simply followed the instructions in the Ball Blue Book for rhubarb-orange jam. Next time I will go my own way, but for my virgin run I wanted to do it exactly as they suggested and I wasn’t disappointed. Ok, maybe I added a bit more zest than they said, because I adore it, but that was my only modification. I’m hooked.
Rhubarb Jam Tips and Tricks
- This recipe uses a lot of sugar to balance out the flavors in the mixture, but it ends up with the perfect tangy flavor balancing sweet and sour.
- Always use clean jars when making jam!
- You can store the jam in your pantry before it’s opened, and in the refrigerator once opened.
- This jam is great on everything from toast to ice cream.
Orange Rhubarb Jam Recipe
See me make the recipe step by step here and find the full recipe at the bottom of this post!
In a large pot or saucepan (I finally got to use my gorgeous copper jam pot from Mauviel) cook the juice, rhubarb and zest until the rhubarb is tender. Add the pectin and let it come to a boil for 1 minute.
Add the sugar and bring back to a boil for another minute.
Prepare the jars and lids as the packaging suggests. I highly recommend that you read the Ball Blue Book and find out how to safely handle all the equipment. Maybe it was all of the food safety classes I had to take in culinary school, but I find it all rather interesting and essential to understand.
HINT: You will want to get yourself some of those handy jar lifters, to get the boiling hot jars out of the water. I did it with regular tongs and wish I hadn’t.
Fill the jars, clean the rim and put the lids on.
HINT: having a funnel would have made this way easier and cleaner, but my ladle did a pretty good job.
Lower the jars into the canning pot. Cover and bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, turn off the heat and let the jars sit for 5 minutes in the water before removing.
Let the jars sit at room temperature until cool, don’t test the tops, they will make a popping sound as they cool.
Label your rhubarb-orange jam so that you will remember what you’ve created after a few months in the pantry.
If you like this recipe, you must try the most gorgeous canned blueberries on earth, by Suvir Saran!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs rhubarb sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
- 2 oranges, juiced (should be 1 cup – add water if needed) Then remove the peel of just one of the oranges. Cut away the bitter pith and slice it into small ribbons. I used twice as much orange zest as the recipe called for.
- 6 tbsp Ball pectin
- 6 cups sugar
Instructions
- In a large pot (I used a copper jam pot from Mauviel) cook the juice, rhubarb and zest until the rhubarb is tender. Add the pectin and let it come to a boil for 1 minute. Add the sugar and bring back to a boil for another minute.
- Prepare the jars and lids as the packaging suggests. I highly recommend that you read the Ball Blue Book and find out how to safely handle all the equipment. Maybe it was all of the food safety classes I had to take in culinary school, but I find it all rather interesting and essential to understand. You will want to get yourself some handy jar lifters, to get the boiling hot jars out of the water. I did it with regular tongs and wish I hadn't.
- Fill the jars, clean the rim and put the lids on. Having a funnel would have made this way easier and cleaner, but my ladle did a pretty good job.
- Lower the jars into the canning pot. Cover and bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, turn off the heat and let the jars sit for 5 minutes in the water before removing.
- Let the jars sit at room temperature until cool, don't test the tops, they will make a popping sound as they cool. Label your rhubarb-orange jam so that you will remember what you've created after a few months in the pantry.
I made pumpkin butter for Christmas gifts and people gave their empty jars back and asked for more. This year I’m making chutney too.
I’m going to be making peach jam with honey and cinnamon this weekend, as a matter of fact.
Blackberry jam. They’re bursting out all over the place here in Seattle, and they are delicious!
Over the summer we went picking for strawberries, blueberries and just picked some blackberries. I flash froze them all right away and now I am ready to make a big batch of mixed berry jam that will keep us supplies with jam for the winter, I just need the supplies…thanks for the giveaway.
I grew up helping both my grandmother and mother to can. Back then we mostly canned the necessities, like tomatoes for the winter. I hadn’t canned in years until last summer and I’ve caught the canning bug! Unlike my mom and grandmother, I’ve been doing mostly small batch stuff. I’ve done lots of fun things like relishes, preserves, even tomato jam! I’d love to win this to feed my new obsession!
I have not canned before, but I would like to make a rhubarb jam.
My best canning story would probably be helping a friend can 98 jars of pickles last summer – we set up a make-shift outdoor stove for the water boiling and worked through a mini rain shower. Still fun!
The last time I made anything canned, was when I was a young child. My grandparents had one of the most incredible raspberry bushes at their house on Long Island. Every year when they got ripe I’d be all over that bush picking, eating and dodging bumble bees. I recall one time my grandma convinced me we should collect as many ripe berries as we could and create a delicious raspberry jam so we could enjoy them for longer than a day. And we definitely did! I didn’t partake in the canning process with her, probably because I was too busy playing wiffle ball with my siblings, but since that day I always associate the fragrant scent of raspberries to the memory of my grandma. If I were to win this kit, I’d make raspberry jam!
I just made jam for the first time too! and with some inspiration from friends like Suvir Saran 🙂 I made strawberry jam, and while I look at it now it looks slightly runny, and I should have cooked it longer, it turned out wonderful! Strawberry, lemon and basil….delicious!
Every fall my dad would bring me apple picking and after picking over 100 pounds of apples, we’d spend hours in the kitchen reminiscing about the day and previous years apple picking. i think his favorite stories involved me tripping in groundhog holes. We’d make so much Applesauce and Apple Butter to share with family and friends. Those were the best if times!
Gorgeous post and awesome giveaway! I think I would like to make some peach preserves.
As someone who has never canned anything. Where do you recommend I start? I have made freezer jam. I think that the jams and butters all sound delicious.
My parents used to make strawberry, strawberry-rhubarb, & raspberry jam. I would watch, and of course eat out, but like you have never tried canning myself. It would be nice to carry on the tradition that my parents and grandparents had of preserving and canning the best our seasons have to offer.
My best canning story? My husband took our two children strawberry picking this year alone and came home with 26lbs of strawberries! Luckily my mom was there for me and we canned the whole next day!
Ball jars make me swoon! I have a great recipe for strawberry jam we make every year and give away to people at my daughter’s school. But since strawberry season is over, I’d love to try some pumpkin and apple butters this fall!
I would love to make marmalade!
I would make a strawberry and vanilla bean jam!
I remember my grandfather used to can, He had bee hives and a smoker. It was amazing what he created. He died in the 1970’s but I still remember our Culinary Adventures 😉
I love to can Amaretto-Peach Sauce! Such a treat on ice cream or pound cake in the winter:)
I’d love to make a raspberry pepper jelly.
Congratulations on your first solo-canning jam! I’m looking forward to making tomato jam from this year’s crop. It may sound weird, but it’s oh so good.
I haven’t canned since I was a kiddo helping my mom (usually with plum jam), but I’d like to try strawberry rhubarb sometime.
Your jam looks great! I have canned for many years. My favorite jam to make is a Strawberry Kiwi. I am also enthralled by Christine Ferber’s “Mes Confitures” book – I highly recommend it if you are looking for some beautiful jams!
I would like to make gooseberry jam.