Mom’s Rhubarb Jam (no pectin needed!)

This simple jam recipe uses strawberry jello and pineapple to thicken and sweeten, making it an easy recipe that doesn’t require a lot of time in the kitchen!

I grew up eating rhubarb laden desserts my mom made from the plants in our backyard. As a young wife, our landlord would bring me his rhubarb in exchange for a pan of rhubarb crisp. And now, as a mom of 10, I pick rhubarb in the mountains near our cabin and chop it up and freeze it in 5 cup increments to bring home to make desserts throughout the year.

Last year, we had an enormous rhubarb harvest. I made Rhubarb Custard Pie and a rhubarb crisp, but as I was searching for other recipes for my bounty, I ran across a recipe card in my mom’s handwriting for Rhubarb Jam.

I had never made this jam, and when I asked my mom about the recipe, she didn’t recall making it either. But, there it was…in her handwriting, begging me to try it!

However, I kept putting it off. I had Sandhill Plums and Cherries in the freezer that had waited entirely too long to become jelly that needed to have their turn first.

Then, there were the home canned tomatoes a friend had given me that really needed to be made into salsa.

And then there was the fact that I just didn’t want to do it.

That’s right…some days I don’t want to be Susie Homestead. I love the finished product of canning your own food, but it’s hard to get the gumption up to just jump in there and do it.

So, I wrote it on my kitchen whiteboard which finally forced me to just do it.

Shocking thing was, when I looked over the recipe, I realized it was SIMPLE! It wasn’t going to take hours. It was a few ingredients boiled together with a little rollick in the canner. No big deal!

And boy, was it delicious! That familiar rhubarb tang in the back of my cheeks, the lovely pineapple and strawberry pairings, and the dazzling red in my little jelly jars made my little Susie Homestead heart happy! I did it – and it didn’t take all afternoon!

This recipe makes for lovely gifts or to just enjoy on a piece of homemade bread or a fluffy biscuit!

And guess what, you can do it too! Here’s the recipe…

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Mom’s Rhubarb Jam

A simple jam recipe using rhubarb, crushed pineapple, and strawberry jello

Author Amy Roberts | Raising Arrows

Ingredients

• 5 c. chopped rhubarb (as finely chopped as you want it)
• 3 c. sugar
• 20 oz can crushed pineapple
• 2 3 oz pkg. strawberry jello

Instructions

• In a large saucepan, mix rhubarb, sugar, and pineapple (including juice). Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.
• Add jello and stir until completely dissolved.
• Remove from heat and pour into clean jars. Screw on lids and bands and process in a water bath for 10 minutes. Or pour into freezer containers and freeze.