Strawberry-Rhubarb Honey Jam Recipe (sugar-free)

My rhubarb plants have been benefiting from the cool summer weather (okay, not this week, but June was awfully rainy) and are still producing at a terrific rate.

We’ve been frequenting our local strawberry u-pick,  and so it was only a matter of time before these two ingredients were married in a classic jam combination.

Strawberry-rhubarb jam just might be my favorite flavor pairing, and I make several big batches (and a few tiny) every spring. This year, however, I attempted two variations on a sugar-free version, substituting honey instead.

If it works for strawberry jam, why not its sister variety? We go through a lot of jam over the winter, spooning it into homemade yogurt for quick breakfasts, slathering it onto sandwich bread for school lunches, and spreading it on pancakes for a lazy weekend brunch.

By some fluke, both batches of jam were successful, meaning a perfect set – not too runny, not too thick. (Yes, jam can be overcooked, and too stiff to even spread; it’s most unpleasant.)

Today I am sharing the simpler of the two; as you’ll see, there’s hardly more to the recipe than dumping the ingredients in a pot and stirring until they are cooked. Let’s make some jam!

One cup of honey was enough to sufficiently sweeten my jam in this recipe, however, the local berries were very sweet, so that helped contribute to the overall taste, too.

I am planning an official jam swap (invitations are sent!) this fall, and have yet to decide on my contribution. However, if my rhubarb keeps producing, and the local berries continue to tempt me at the market, well, I may have my answer.

Psst. Is it past strawberry season where you live? Check in Thursday, where we’ll have a beautiful recipe for Honey-Sweetened Apricot Thyme Jam posted. It’s unofficially ‘Jam Week’  here on Simple Bites!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Honey Jam Recipe (sugar-free)

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Recipe type: Jam

Author: Aimee

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 17 mins

Total time: 37 mins

Serves/Yield: 2.5 pints

Spring's favorite pairing comes together in a tangy sugar-free jam that is sweetened with honey.

Ingredients

• 4 cups chopped rhubarb
• 4 cups chopped strawberries
• 1 cup honey
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 packages liquid pectin

Instructions

1. Be sure to read through our Canning Basics if this is your first preserving project.
2. Wash and sterilize five 250ml jam jars. Boil the flat parts of the lids in a small pot and keep at a low simmer. Prepare a hot water canning bath and keep jars hot in the water while you make the jam.
3. Place rhubarb, strawberries, honey and lemon juice in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring often, and cook for ten minutes. Fruit will disintegrate as the juices are released and the mixture will bubble quite furiously.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the two packages of liquid pectin. Return to the burner and cook for another seven minutes, stirring often. Skim foam off the top of the jam if it forms.
5. Remove jam from heat and let sit for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. It will thicken slightly. Ladle jam into hot jars, then place a flat lid on jars, and add screw rings.
6. Using a proper jar lifter, immerse jars in hot water bath, and boil rapidly for ten minutes. Remove from bath and place on a towel on the counter to cool overnight. Store in a cool, dark place.