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’ve only canned versions of strawberry jam, with strawberry lemon turning out the best. I would love to try something more unusual with apricots or follow your lead with rhubarb.
I would like to make peach jam, I just made a double batch of raspberry jam.
Last year I made crab-apple jelly. Only, it didn’t jell. When multiple recipes say it doesn’t call for pectin, I’m not listening again. But the crab-apple jelly turned syrup tasted great on pancakes!
I have made a wonderful orange vanilla jelly with oranges from my in-laws in Arizona and Hawaiian vanilla beans from my best friend. Maybe the best jelly I have had, because the ingredients were meaningful places in my life.
My husband and I would like to make dill pickles & our 8-year-old son would insist on pickled garlic! An orange-lime-ginger marmalade sounds lush, too!
My great grandmother was a notoriously horrible cook, but she made an amazing Italian prune jam (she called it conserve) that I would love to try to replicate for my Dad. It had lots of spices and raisins and orange. We only get prunes once a year, and it’s just about time. If only I had canning supplies! :o)
I’m a sucker for apricots, so I think I’d start there!
We will be making blueberry and strawberry jams with fruit from our local berry farmers. The berries are so fresh and so tasty that the jam can’t help but be delicious!
The first time I ever tried making jam I went a little bonkers. I made everything from peach jam with Habanero peppers to pineapple jam. I had so much jam that needless to say that was in everyone’s Christmas basket that year and I still had a ton left over!
ps @ Mickie Moser There is a really good recipe for Bitter Orange Marmalade on David Lebovitz’s site that I tried and it came out super yummy! http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2007/02/seville-orange/
My new experiment this year was an Elderflower-Blood Orange Jam/Confiture. The woods nearby was full of Elderflowers this year so I tried lots of new things. Here in Germany, after putting the lids on the jars, we just set them upside down for 5 min and no post boiling is needed. The high sugar content prevents any spoilage and sitting the jars on their heads for 5 min and then turning them back upright creates enough heat in the lid and vacuum to seal the jars. I’ve never had one go bad and it certainly is easier! Try it!
I will be making peach butter and apply butter for my daughter’s wedding favors. Welcome to the jam club. You will never want store bought jam again!
I have never canned jam, but would love to make apple butter, or plum jam
I’ve always wanted to make jam too. I’d make peach amaretto!
(P.S. Your copper pot is stunning!)
Planning on making strawberry rhubarb for the first time weekend as a gift for baby shower attendees. Wish me the best! (There’s no plan B if I mess up.)
Peach marmalade!
I just want a reason to use those new “vintage” blue jars!
Last summer we were told about a recipe from my husbands Aunt Leah. Her daughter noticed all our fig trees and told us her Mom used to make pickled figs. We didn’t remember having them, but knew it must be a recipe we should try as we always have way, way to many figs each year. They are cooked in a syrup of vinegar and sugar with whole cloves, allspice and cinnamon sticks. We were in heaven, this is now a must have recipe when the figs are producing. I can them in small jars and our family has learned that when a jar is opened we each only get one fig! The whole process takes 3 days of cooking and putting in the fridge overnight, then water bath canning. Not quite as labor intensive as the candied fig recipe some gave me from the 1930’s, but both are very good. Then there is fig jam….
The very best jam/jelly that I have ever made is called pear honey. Beautiful color, consistency and if you didn’t know, you would swear it was really honey. I make a new batch every year with organic pears…..yummy.
Haven’t mad jam since I helped my mom when I was little. I’d make peach mango with my lucious Colorado peaches.
Oh my gosh, I’ve never made jam either! Well, you can no longer say that, but I would make your rhubarb-orange jam. I might as well start at the beginning and follow your lead!
I think I would like to try your recipe Rhubarb-Orange Jam 🙂
Oh … it’s beautiful! I’ve always wanted to can … my Mom used to and whenever that LAST jar of whatever it contained was opened – it was a big deal – like Christmas! I would love to find a recipe for sour cherry jam, as I just purchased a flat of sour cherries at the St. Paul Farmer’s Market, or I’d also like to try to recreate my favorite jam – blueberry lime mint. 🙂
I canned when I was in my 20’s I loved it. With a very hectic schedule working and going to school I gave it up. Recently I retired and have been anxious to start canning. Winning this giveaway would be great.
I grew up eating fresh rhubarb out of the neighbor’s garden. Rhubarb strawberry or orange sounds amazing!