Simple and Delicious Raspberry Rhubarb Jam (without Pectin)

Try this simple and delicious Raspberry Rhubarb Jam recipe made without pectin and less sugar than regular recipes! This is a recipe that is made quickly and easily, even if you don’t have a lot of jam-making experience!

A few years ago, I posted a recipe for Strawberry-Rhubarb freezer jam that my Grandma Rosemary made yearly when I was a child! She made all sorts of jams and jellies and they were favorite to eat on homemade bread, over ice cream or on pancakes!

This year I wanted to share with you my Grandma Rosemary’s Rhubarb Raspberry Jam recipe! It contains no pectin and has lower sugar than most recipes you find in a cookbook.

This recipe uses tart rhubarb and fresh raspberries. It’s a great way to take advantage of rhubarb season where you live!

This recipe is an easy one to use if you’re just starting to make your own jam instead of buying jars from the grocery store.

Because this homemade jam recipe is without pectin, it is a bit thinner than a “typical” jam recipe but you can still use it on toast with peanut butter or however you prefer. It is great for using on waffles and pancakes too.

Raspberry Rhubarb Jam Recipe without Pectin

Ingredients:

4 cups cut fresh rhubarb

2 cups raspberries

1.5 cups sugar PLUS 1.5 cups more sugar

The original recipe had 4 cups to sugar. So although I know this may still seem like a lot of sugar, that’s how most rhubarb jam recipes are in order to take much of the strong tartness out of the rhubarb.

Instructions:

Use a potato masher to mash the raspberries, if desired.
Combine rhubarb, raspberries and 1.5 cups of sugar in a large pot and bring to a full rolling boil.
Boil for three to four minutes.
Add 1.5 more cups of sugar and stir with a wooden spoon.
Turn down the stove to medium heat and boil four to five minutes longer.
Once you’re done cooking the mixture, let it cool a bit and then skim foam off the top of the jam.
Let cool to room temperature, then put in jars and seal in a canning process.

Easy Freezer Jam Method for Raspberry Rhubarb Jam

Instead of canning, you can do what I do and make this into a raspberry rhubarb freezer jam.

Allow the jam to partly cool, then put it into glass jars.

Tightly twist on a lid and band (the leftover heat will allow the top to seal a bit).

Then allow the jars to cool completely before putting them into your freezer.

PLEASE NOTE: If you go with the freezer jam method, make sure to leave a 1.5 inch to 2 inch headspace at the top of the jar for expansion once it freezes or you’ll end up with broken glass!

My children gobble up this jam with pb & j sandwiches or over pancakes and my husband and I love eating it on toasted English muffins and cranberry sourdough bread!

This delicious jam is sure to become a favorite in your home.

How to Make Thicker Rhubarb Jam with no Pectin

Rhubarb is a fairly low-pectin fruit, but one way you can make your rhubarb (rhubarb raspberry, rhubarb strawberry, etc) jam thicker is to “marinate” your cut rhubarb pieces in the sugar of your recipe for a few hours or overnight. This draws out the liquid from the rhubarb and can help make your end product thicker.

You can also use a bit of lemon juice to help thicken your jam, but I personally have not done this.

Remember too, that jam thickens as it cools, even without pectin.

This isn’t going to be equally as thick as jam with pectin, however, we find the consistency to be great for everything we use it on (pancakes, toast, etc)! The tart flavors really come out when you use less sugar.